The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-11-18

Turned away. No star that CLEANS
above
No guidance such as awkward led the
Can point me back-doomed ever more
to roam,
Mad with the awful blackness of the
night,
Mad that my ruthless hand put out
the light.
The B|QndS Of The beSI.
have heard it said Of her that she
made up for an excessive sense of her
own sex by being true to all her indis-
cretions. II she had heard this she
would have said: ANY little thing
like that"-a derisive phrase she APP
piled equally to a paradox or powder
puff, accompanying the remark with a
glinting smile, the ingredients of which
have puzzled even scientists. studied
that smile long and earnestly, with a
view of imitation; but was fain in the
end to confess 1t too subtle for me-.
There was a white glitter Of teeth, a
delicious curling of the lips, swish Of
the eyelashes, and your heart was gone
from you; she has mine yet. believe
l am the only woman that ever loved
her-perhaps because it was given only
to me to see that other side Of her soul
which Browning says we all possess.
l met her first on board the Scot, when
we were both on our way to our Mas
homeland homes-she to join her hus-
band in Salisbury, and to spend a
lone season of tirre with my two
brothers in the same town.
She had manicure box, with dainty
silver instruments nesting in soft sky
velvet, and the finger nails Of those few
upon whom she bestowed her friend
ship she would pinken and beautify,
sitting on the deck meath glory Of
white canvas, with the sunlight dane
ing in her hair and romping with the
rings on her fingers, while the other
woman sat alone and made audible and
insolent remarks about people who
performed their toilet in public.
Mrs. Kniven Kallender would pay
them back in fine. Captain Dean" she
would call out in her sweet, shrill
voice. Captain Dean, come and have
your nails done. They look as though
they haven't been touched since your
infancy-as do many others on this
boat" she would add with acid en-
phasis.
She always wore ravishing frocks,
was never sea sick, and looked at the
women through her eyelashes in Pc
culiarly aggravating way which COM
mended itself to me. They hated her,
but it welded as indissoluble bond be-
tween us. She had cultivated what De
Quincy called the luxury of contempt,
and could curl woman up with one
eye and with the corner OF her mouth
make man wish he had never been
born.
She was not popular In Salisbury,
chiefly because she had lamp with a
red shade in her drawing room where
she held court. 1t cast rosy glow
over all things, and had been the un-
doing of many men. Under it's glowing
shadows condolences were poured out
like water, and the secrets Of Salisbury,
private and official, were in Dorothy
Kallender's keeping. She knew which
men would first gain promotion in the
police, what cases were to be called in
the courts, and more Of the great raid
than Exeter Hall knows to this day,
with other secrets the breathing of
which would have lowered great heads
In the dust.
"This lamp. Peter" she was used to
say to me, whom she is dubbed, "has
helped to lead man, lost soul to high
er and better things; also knowledge is
power" and she -ould stroke it with
her hand, and all her rings would
smile in the light.
She did not, like 80 many retired ac-
tresses, make parade of her immense
and intense responsibility; but she kept
certain moods for certain people. For
the starched wives of civic magnates
and such she kept droop of the lower
lip and a limpid, inquiring eye, answer
ing all remarks with an idiotic but per-
fectly well-bred "Oh, yes," or rather,
ooh, as" giving the impression that
she had been born dull, which was ex-
actly what it was meant to do. Then
she complained to me afterwards that
they had but laughed in her face.
"You are the only woman in Mas
homeland with any sense OF humor
Peter" she would say, "and / believe
you are boy"
For the risky, horsey woman visit
or who goes to make up the queer
mixtures called society in that far
country, she had the same inquirine
gaze, but her speech was embellished
with lisp. eyes, we have watts Owed.
full" ! heard her replying to lady Of
this description who was complaining
in stirdent voice of the rat and mice
nuisance, and she twiddled her hands
and twitched her toes like shy baby
But enter one of the circle of men she
was pleased to call her friends, and In
which l was also included. and she
Immediately became most sweet ant
sufficient"-a vivid and original per.
sonality. She lectured everybody Ii
their love affairs, beginning with me
who had none.
You expect too much Of life, Peter.
she would say, though have never
complained. Look at Kniv and me fol
instance; we hit it eff splendidly. Tier,
is not another man in the world wht
would suit me so we'll, or for whom