From Jest to Earnest

by him like a summer gust. A moment later she burst into her room and startled indolent Bel out of her

atter?" asked

rs were the

Bel, rising hastily. "Let

of mine," said Lottie, springing to th

e, I don't

ly I'm blue-I've been thinking of awful things. I was in on

not seen you so moved since Tom Wellesly

Lottie, "or he wouldn't have thought

who at times was one

has never been

be such stupid owls as to fall in love with m

f course you will) this sincere and saintly young minister. He already thinks that you are by fa

ay her tears, and commenced

or what is not good for us, and turning our backs upon what is. I'm disgusted with everybody, and myself in particular. Now if this overg

e this evening," said Bel, looking with some surprise at her frien

estion to hide the truth. Bel smiled satirically. All these harsh words

she thought, "and now the bi

Julian will soon make up, and then you and

, like many another sinner in this line, that t

for the supper-bell will ring in a mome

bureau and commenced brushing her rumpled hair. But the languid maiden was quite startled as Lottie wheeled suddenly upon her, declaring, while she brandished the hair-

dvantage, and Lottie, having made this virtuous resolve, gained in mental serenity,

their room, "not a whisper of all this

ttered to her heart's content, but the respect, esteem, and trust of a sincere, true man formed a new offering, and it was so attractive that she could not bring herself to turn from it at once. Then her strong pride cast its weight into the scal

o deceive him," wh

wayward will, "I am all wron

him your real self," s

ill, some

d of being reckless and trivial at the table, as she intended, she was rather

would indicate a nature softened and receptive. While her bearing was not what he anticip

tanding by the window, looking out into the gloom, but she had found him, no doubt, so heavy and stupid that she had rushed to her room in a fit of vexation. This theory was entirely reconcilable with his va

to her as he wished and with such seeming effectiveness, he had the good taste and tact to indicate by no words or sign that anything unusual had

with a reckless laugh in her own soul, thought; "He imagines I a

her abstraction was noted by the others, she speedily rallied, a

, that I cannot undeceive him yet"; and so conscience was dismissed, as history records

y were the prominent themes, and they hastene

h Bel. As far as he could gather in the uncertain moonlight, Hemstead thought that De Forrest's attentions were not particularl

e De Forrest's whispered sentimentalities, she began to sing. Her naturally good voice had been somewhat injured by straining at difficult musi

re incorrect, and certain that the music was not over good. Therefore he was silent. This piqued Lottie, for one of her purposes in the choice of what she sang was to imp

in our part of the West. There are airs from the opera th

rrest said, patronizingly, "It requires a cultivated taste

usic probably, but my

tead fin

and the other I have heard but

at one?" aske

en does herself injustice by attempting musi

ispered De For

"Mr. Hemstead has only said pl

ie-" he bega

at music beyond us, to the exclusion of everything else, is something that I can't understand. My ear is not over nice, but I have always had a suspicion that I was executing, in the sense of murder, the difficult arias that the old weazen-faced Italian professor kept me at till brother Dan said, in truth, that I was turning into a screech-owl. But no one, save he and Mr. Hems

"I think you do yourself

think I cannot

would sing that air that you were humming when you came into the parlor

st, that Marguerite sings at her spinning-wh

ome power. Hemstead's appreciation wa

d shown that mediocrity is my musical position, let us have some old-

den, I assign you to

. But come, each one sing"; and she commenced a

nly Harcourt's bass was much t

sing?" asked Lo

now the air

?" asked De Forrest. "Ahe

om whom all bl

ly. Bel began with them, but stopped

lessings flow' from God?" a

rding to Old Hundre

. You know it, as we all do, however w

d Hemstead, quietly. "I should be sorry to be under deep and conti

wrong," mutte

d Harcourt, "so your sharp h

essings come from

clients, from where this snow doe

ike the snow, I

rted he, flippantly; and Addie giggled approvingly,

ch was a small house that seemed bursting with light and noise. Whe

d place for the horses. This pleased the young lawyer, and he said, good-naturedly, "Don't think, Mr. Hemstead

ee," said Hemstead. "But what to you is law and force is to me a personal Friend. You kn

rcourt. "De Forrest provokes me, however. He has no doubts worthy of the name, for he reads nothing save the sporting news an

fears but that in time you will think rightly. An hon

onage. It was so replete with life and bustle that it appeared like a social bombshell, with ef