The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-09-18

iii SluCldlE III HOLue, anu p0op-c
were making slow progress
through the rooms, looking cynical. or
bored, or interested. as the case might
be.
For vivid, frank enjoyment there
were few faces to compare with one
girlish one-a little flushed, with shin
ing blue eyes and soft curly brown hair
clustering about 1t.
She was a little country mouse. hav-
ing peep at the enchanted fairyland
Of London. and at her pleasure the
grave face of her companion relaxed,
and he forgot for the moment to find it
all q WEAKNESS to the flesh and vanity
a1d vexati0n to the spirit.
The girl wanted to know who every
one was and all about them; she
thought them charming, and regretted
that she did not live In London.
"Father hates it So" she said.
"Y0ur father had long spell Of IT,"
the man said. "But"-and he smiled
very pleasantly-'we shall very soon
have you among us, hope, for more
than flying visit
The girl blushed and grew shy, and
then uttered an exclamation.
who is that?" she asked eagerly.
Look at her, there! That woman with
the beautiful face and dark hair"
'That is Miss st. Quentin. She writes,
you know. Writes well, too; her new
book Is an immense success, being
neither cheap nor nasty"
20, I've read It," Hilda Carson said
the pink flush deepening in her cheeks.
"And liked 1t ever SO much. l read
It out Of doors, too, and it interested
me all the time!
do you consider that a severe test?"
"Very! And l am glad to have seen
her. She is wonderful, with that clear,
colorless skin and those great eyes.
think-I think" She hesitated a
little.
"Well?"
Il think she is 4 woman nobody could
help loving If they knew her."
He laughed. Her fresh enthusiasm
was amusing, and he rather enjoyed 1t
for change, but before he could speak
again two or three people Joined them,
and he lost sight of Hilda for little.
A good many people admired Miss st.
Quentin, but very few even dimly
guessed that, while writing the stories
Of others, her own life hid one away
In an inner and very sacred chamber.
They said she was mot bit impress
sionable," and, for all her beauty, very
unlikely to break her own heart or any
one else'S.
There were just two or three people
Of whom Mr.. Sinclair was one-who
doubted this dictum, and wondered IL
the delicate GOODNESS of her manner did
not hide at least as much of her nature
as it revealed.
But even those who had so much dis
cernment did not know-nobody knew
Of that summer eight years ago. when
she and Jack Tremain had met In the
old Suffolk mansion. Nobody knew of
the long, long mornings in the orchard.
talking over everything and anything,
or sometimes sitting in the silence that
Is only possible between friends.
And nobody knew Of the afternoons
on the river, or the evenings In the
moonlit garden, or the sudden. sharp
ending to 1t all.
He was wrong and she was right.
and they were both very proud, so she
let him go. forgetting how hard q thing
1t Is to be forgiven.
And there had been times when suc.
cess seemed a small thing to her, and
life very desert loneliness because
she missed one voice in the chorus Of
praise that greeted her and one face in
the many friendly ones that smiled
upon her. For Mary st. Quentin had
the virtue Of her defects, and she was
terribly faithful.
Six months ago Maj. Tremain had
come home, but society had seen very
little Of him 20 far. Though 1t was eager
to lionize him. and raved over the deed
that gained him that coveted v. C.
Miss st. Quentin had no. seen him Mt
all. though she knew he was, for the
moment, in town, and scanned the faces
In the park and street, and party. in
the hope she was half ashamed of-that
Of seeing lis.
She was always center OF attrac-
ton, and had not been many minutes in
Mrs. Sinclair's rooms before she was
with little crowd. She re-
signed herself to the inevitable, and
was trying 10 forget her one iasIstent
desire. when her hostess came up with
q bronzed. dignified man at her side.
miss st. Quentin, may l introduce
Maj. Tremain to you?" she said, and
then there was little exclamation of
mutual recognition, and ten minutes