The Adventures of a Widow

the box. "Good gracious!" exclaimed Kindelon;

orth. "I should like to hear you speak against it before Mrs. Dar

white-gloved hand on the knob, standing, with his cockaded hat and

ciety in New York," he murmured, as if the admission had been wrung from him. "Don't go inside t

"I'm sure you can't mean that," s

he carriage. Pauline took the hand which he offered

p a high, narrow stoop together, and sa

ast change of faith in you," she answer

n't say this in any but the most dispassionate and critical way. And I'm not glad to say it, either; I'm sorr

im, but there was both exaspera

is that?" s

Mrs. Poughkeep

ghtful miniature dwelling. In every chamber there was to be found some pretty decorative stratagem whereby a maximum of graceful and even brilliant ornamentation had been won from a minimum of pecuniary expense. Pauline's eye had swept too many costly objects of upholstery not to recognize that a slender purse had here gone with a keen artistic sense. The true instinct of beauty seemed never to err, and its constant accompaniment of simplicity in the way of actual material lent it a new charm. Screen, rug, panelling, mantel-cover, tidy, and chair-cushi

ickest. Mrs. Dares never pushed herself upon anybody's heed, yet she was seldom unnoticed. Her voice rarely passed beyond a musical semitone, and yet you rarely failed to catch each word it uttered. Pauline not only caught each word, as her new hostess now stood and addressed her, leaving for the time all other guests who were crowding the rather meagre apartments, but she tacitly decided, as well, that there was an elegance and purity in the expressions used by this notable little lady which some of the grander-mannered dames whom she had intimately known might have copied with profit. One peculiarity about Mrs. Dares, however, was not slow to strike her: the pale, delicate face never smiled. Not that it was melancholy or even uncheerful, but simply serious. Mrs. Dares had no sense of humor. She could sometimes say a witty thing that bit hard and sharp, but she was without any power to wear that lazier mental fatigue-dress from which some of the most vigorous minds have been unable, before h

f, though I fancy I know what it is like.-A great Castle of Indolence, I mean, where there are many beautiful chambers, but where the carpets yield too luxuriously under foot, and the couches have too inviting a breadth. Now, in this little drawing-room of mine you will meet few people who have not some daily task to perform-however ill many of us may accomplish it. In that way the change will h

with the intention of letting his hostess stand or fall on her own conversational merits, as far as concerned the first impression which Pauline should receive from her. But this impression was one in which admiration and approval played quite as strong a part as surprise. Pa

atch cold in it. But I fear Mr. Kindelon has wasted too many premonitory words upon me. He should have politely a

f your aim, your purp

lady's slender arm. "Then we are rivals, I

the way she seemed to survey their many shapes, letting her large, soft, dusky eyes dwell upon no special

t with an assurance that their company has been desired for reasons of an exceptional personal valuation. The guest without the wedding-garment is always certain to be there. I fear that I have paid too little heed to the wedding-garment; my daughters-and especially my eldest daughter, Martha-are always telling me that, in variou

never had the crue

rable solid mercy in it

ed and chosen. But how about the

, with thoughtful deliberation. "Morals and manner

ty," amend

ciety, of which you have seen so much, imperatively demands. I mean wealth, position, modishness, ton. All these would go for nothing with an aristocracy of talent, of high and true culture, of progress, of fine and wise achievement in all

eyes were sparkling as she now quickly said, after havi

nobbery of mere fashionable life given a reasonable, animating motive. I should like to take upon myself such a task." Here she suddenly frowned in a moderate but rather distressed way. "Not long

ializing," said Mrs. Dares. She h

s as I use it-that it is used faute de mieux, and that no society has ever existed anywhere which one could call strictly literary. Come, then, my dear Mrs. Dares, allowing all this, do you consider that Mr. Kindelon was ri

us holiday, taken because of overwork here at home, and a blessed medicine I found it. I had brought with me a few lucky letters. They opened doors to me, and beyond those doors I met faces and voices full of a precious welcome. You would know the names of not a few of those who were gracious to me; they are names that are household words. And there, in Londo

ht resemblance to her mother. She was taller, and her figure was of a full if not generous moulding. Her rippled chestnut hair grew low over the forehead; almost too low for beauty, though her calm, straight-featured face, lit by a pair of singularly luminous blue eyes, and endin

leave you undisturbed for at least a little while. But mamma is curiously unsafe as an entertainer." This was said with an extremely sweet and amiable look in Mrs. Dar

rge, my dear Mrs. Dares!" here cried Kindelon. "It would b

the laugh that went with her words (or was it the words themselves?) rang

meet some of our friends, Mrs

d Mrs. Dares's youngest daughter were standing alone together, Kindelon and the elder lady having gone. "I want very much to meet many of your friends," Pauline proceeded. She put her head a little on one side, while her lips

," retur

hink it pr

it prai

ns that I

f you do, it will not be your fault

she gives me very little hope of finding many worthy subjects to select. She seems to think that

them. My sister Martha does, however, thoroughly.-A

sessing solely from its expression of honest good-nature. It was a face whose fat cheeks, merry little black eyes and shapeless nose were all a stout defiance of the cla

ly, Mrs. Varick," said Cora, whe

about her speech, that suggested a person who did all her thinking in the same

rs have so much individuality. T

I'll grant you that Cora has more than partially convinced me that life isn't entirely made up of spelling, arithmetic, geography and the use of the globes-for I'm a school-teacher, please understand, though in a rather humble way. And there's poor dear mamma. Goodness knows what would become of her if it were not for both of us. She hasn't an idea how to economize her wonder

ve not known him very l

ray. The little black eyes had taken a new keenness, but the genial face had sobered as well.

was scarcely noticeable. She at once spoke, a

eclared Cora. Here she turned to her sister. "Will you bri

a. She had fixed her eyes on Pauline aga

ays is quite true

d, with a faint start which sh

elon admires y

the sentence sounded, and at the same time feeling her color rise

y able?" said Martha, much mo

swered. "Tell me, Miss Dares, with which of you

red. "Oh, he's more intimate with me than with Cora," she said. "We are stanch friends

just then, as she had often looked in the fashionable world, when everything around her seem

is evening," she went on. "I am beginning a new career; you understand,

reply had a short, odd sound. "I think you a