The west shore., August 01, 1889, Page 446, Image 39

4ir.
THE WEST SHORE.
taming that she will remain constant if she is what
yon describe in your letter."
" She k a thousand timet more than tbat. Yon
have never aoen her ejual."
M Well, if you intend to impeach my ideat and ex
perience of female beauty, my testy cousin, I shall
retort by laying that your enthusiasm betrays inexpe
rience. But I will allow the it at beautiful at yon
ay. Yon are an artist; you are of gentle blood, al
though pride and integrity are all you have lofi
lieauty it a hard task-matter, and can not dine and
drewa upon an artitt't enthusiasm. Besides, dear
Win., what do yon know about the ancestors of this
beautiful wretch? If yon thould find a diamond by
the roadside in the laurentian formation, you would
conclude that it wat an alien to the place; and to,
when remarkablo beauty it found amid tuch tur
roundingt, it it well to too whother there it not tome
thing beyond a mere mesalliance between patrician
and plobian. And again, if it it a beautiful model
you want "-at I taid thit I glanced at thecovored
cuel you can get plenty without marrying them."
" I can afford to be genorout and indilTeront to
your badinage, oontidering how littlo you know of the
fact; but If, aftor you have teen Olive and learned
all I know, you repeat language timilar to thit, you
will be my enemy instead of my ooutin."
Not wishing to prolong a conversation which wat
likely to leave woundt, and through curiosity to tee
the object of hit love, I declined Winthrop't invita
tion to share hit upper and returned to the hotel
Winthrop't lotto had inverted it with peculiar inter
rt, and 1 wu diaappointod to find what looked more
like ao old, dilapidated barn, tpruced up with blue
int Along the front and over the tidewalk pro
jVctl a decaying porch, whoto outer tupportt, half
whittled away by Idlert, iwmed to lean oompulsorily
at if lingering under their burthen. At I ponotrat
rd the dingy offleA with iU low ceiling UDWQ
floor, I wat gwUxl by the faint odors of the kitchen
which turned to tuftVr rrf-nforw-meut three tim
day without impairing their individual qualities. 1
went Into the dining room and was tUsl t the uble
kept for transit, where extra dishet were kept and
rod napkint gave way to dinirv white . i ....... .
fd girl, with the thamrock fa her brog, m u
- inuore aite returned with my order '
berd a sound at of aomeone walkinu ...m.. ... i
I i 11.. n i uu imt.
Ing op I . aw a vition of luty, which 1 kuewM
Z .. ,7 WM.,arTr oU but faintly de
tent the degrw of my MtocUbmeni I '
imil&l ftl lilt k.nl ak.l 1 I .
TV III 7 7 1 "',vl tl10 nition in
B U which ah. Interpreted m a .i to L( J
and gliding up to the tide of ay chair in . '
.Irikbglyiocont
" Did you wish anything? "
" A glass of water, please."
She brought it quickly, but without aDDaraM
haste, and then she floated away, as it were, to wait
upon someone else. Every moment, almost, she wu
all over the room, speaking a word to this one, giving
another a smile, but always with such a lofty mien
that I saw no attempt at familiarity or rudeneei
There was a certain nobleness in her bearing that ex
empted her from the coarse jeBta and conversational
license which many men feel at liberty to indulge in
the presence of waiter girls. I shall make no effort
to describe her personal appearance, for it would be
impossible to add anything to the portrait as drawn
by the pen of one whose eyes were rendered doubly
keen by love.
Being weary with travel and exoitement, I retired
rly; but not to gain refreshing slumber. At some
time during the night I began to dream, at first shad
owy nothings, which by degrees grew into vivid pie
turet that followed eaoh other in consecutive order of
development At last, after I had seemingly traveled
through a varied succession of marvelous adventures,
I teemed about to go over an immense bridge, whose
construction bore a resemblanoe to one I am familiar
with in real life. Beneath its lofty spans flowed i
dreadful river-of blood. Its gory surface rolled on
with a hideous, half-human motion, and from the
glassy sheen of half-curdled spots the sun blinked at
me like the fiery eye of some infernal deity, while i
sickening odor rose and almost dragged me down with
the might of its horrible oppression. Next it seemed
m if my cousin was about to cross this bridge in ad
vanoe of me; and looking ahead of where he walked,
I taw the pathway in a state of constant change, at if
partt of the floor were being lifted out and shifted
here and there by invisible hands. To attempt to
cross it wat almost certain death. I shouted bit
name, and awoke in an agony of fright, with drops of
sweat standing on my face. I leaped out of bed, and
wing my pencil and paper, whioh I always have as
regularly at my bedside as some persons a giant of
wter, 1 hastily wrote a few words whioh I sealed in
an envelop, nd partially dressing myself I found
my way to the office. A young man was dozing in
'"go easy chair beside a dying fire. I roused him
and bade him take the letter to the party addressed,
at Mra Ellis's boarding home. He grumbled out
omekwd of a refusal. I handed him a piece of
money.
" It is important," I said, "I wish you to go at
once, '
Wonderingly and with a stupid air he made ready
aw .Med, At he tlammed the door I seemodto
aen from a reverie, I glanced at the clock over