The Hand but Not the Heart; Or, The Life-Trials of Jessie Loring

d his handsome face, as he turned to the lady who had pron

son," was his

sent-minded this eveni

o

es

been obs

this direction, they encountered you, standing in the same pos

?" inquired the person thus addressed, assuming an ind

an hour, it would not b

his part of the room," said the young man, whose na

the lady. "Your thoughts must have been very bu

simple reply. But the low

moments before venturing to speak farther. She then said, in a man

what subj

Mrs. Denison his arm,

parlor is l

or moving about the rooms, Paul Hendrickson and his almost maternal f

lanced mind has suffered a disturbance. There must be something wrong

heories to-night-am in no philosophic

subject

s eyes upon the floor; then lifting them

at Jessie Loring has interested me m

ave already confided

ose spirit claimed some hidden affinities with my own. I have never felt so strangely i

ow her very intimately; but I have seen enough to give me a clue to her character.

is only

kson sighed

derstand you," said Mrs. Den

ds. They have only a conventional mean

t meaning, as referri

s are not penetrating enough to look through the tinsel and gl

jealous. Ther

e words, and not excite m

have fallen upon you

t is something I will never have. The woman's heart that c

n your notions about matrimony. You

themselves; and that a union in such cases, is the true union by which they become, in the language of inspiration, 'one flesh.' I can enter into none other. When I first met Jessie

t!" said Mr

her face steadily for so

an ill

Why are you so disturbed? Sp

r is rich.

richer a thousandfold, though he counted his wealth by millio

s glance to the flo

t. She is not worthy to disturb, by even the shadow of her passing form, the placi

side all the evening

lmost any lady. The really excellent, usually too modest, but superior young men, often permit themselves to be elb

. I tried to lead her out, but she answered my remarks briefly, and with what I thought an embarrassed manner. I could not hold her eyes-they fell beneath mine whenever I looked into her face. She was evidently ill at ease.

paused. "You are too easily discouraged. If she is a prize, she is worth s

hook h

st," he answered. "Do you think I could beg for a la

t in some way?" asked Mrs. Denison. "This is being a little too proud, my friend. I

as eyes,"

ant

If she likes the man who approaches her, let her s

mprehend woman! If you wait for a woman worth having to tell you, even with her eyes, that she likes you, and this

ties for the space of nearly a mi

beautiful-fond of dress, equipage, elegance-I do not wonder that we who have li

sighed

nce or self-esteem holds it back in shadow. I confess myself to be sorely puzzled at times with the phenomenon. Why should the real man shrink away, and let the meretricious fop and the man 'made of money' win the beautiful and the best? Women are not such fool

f Dexter, her face radiant with smiles. He was saying something to which she was listening, eviden

, Mrs. Denison! Go

ust. It is not fair to judge Miss Loring in this superficial way. Because she is cheerful and s

ow with that fellow?" said the young man, a measure of indignat

of reverence. The object rises into something of superiority, and she draws near to it with repressed emotions, resting in its shadow, subdued, reserved, almost shy, but

aimed Hendrickson, his tho

ther men, not half so worthy as you may be, have eyes quite as easily attracted by feminine loveliness, and they will press forward and rob you of the prize unless you put in a claim. A woman desires to be loved

look for a kind of spontaneity in love. It seems to me, that hearts, created to become one, should instinctively

your pride is as much at fault in the case, as

that accompanied this was as passio

can be happy in marriage with you, cannot be happy with another man. Let us, just to make the thing clear, suppose that Jessie Loring is the woman whose inner life is most in harmony with yours. If your lives blend in a true marriage, then will she find true happiness; but, if, throug

as prevented by the ne

It was some hours later, and the company were separa

to her up to the last moment. He was holding her shawl ready to throw it over her shoulders as she stepped from the door to the carriage that awaited her. For a moment or two the eyes of both were fixed, and neither had the