CHAPTER XII. ASPINWALL'S INSOLENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 178, 13 November 1886, Page 8

CHAPTER XII. ASPINWALL'S INSOLENCE.

Thk beautiful songstress of a half-hour before was standing in the centre of the room, surrounded by her friends, who were congratulating her upon her success. She turned from them as Louis entered, stepped forward with charming ease and grace, and raised her lustrous eyes to his face. For one moment ahe stood in doubt, but before he had an opportunity to introduce himself a bright smile lighted her features, and, frankly extending her hand to him, Bhe said, cordially : " You are very much changed, but I am pure it mupt be Mr Dunbar, whom I last met on the evening after that memorable sleigh ride '" 11 You are right, Wisa Houghton," Louis answered, giving that small hand a grate ful clasp ; "and it ia very good of you to remember me. I hardly expected to be recognised.' "I seldom forget a face," ehe replied. " But come and let me introduce you to my friend?." " Mamma," she continued, turning to the lady whom Louis had peen in the opera-box with Arthur Aspinwall, " this is Mr Louis Dunbar, whom I met five or six winters ago, when Ada and I were visiting Mr Aspin wall's." " Ah. ve?> ; I remember," graciously responded Mrs Houghton, as she, too, heartily greeted her handsome young countryman, and recalled to mind the good things that she had heard of him so long ago. " And you will find an old acquaintance in this young lady," Margaret went on, putting her arm about her fair friend, and drawing her toward her visitor ; " Miss Ada Parker, Mr Dunbar." Louis would never have known the brilliant little brunette, for she had changed pa-t all recognition ; but he acknowledged the presentation with evident pleasure. " Thh tjentleman, I am sure, needs no iref-forinc*"' "r!." r>nr=»n<v} the VMinsr girl, pmilinglv ; "of course you will remember him, since you were so long classmates at school." She had evidently forgotten all the unpleasa 'tnesp, or, if she did remember it, she was very gracefully striving to conceal the fact ; and Lout?, willing to let by-gonea be bygone', approached Arthur with outstretched hand and a genial smile upon hia fine face. But the young man drew haughtily back, lifted hi-s eye-glass and scanned him curiously, after which he bowed stiffly and turned away. Louis Gushed crimson at this insolence, while Miss Houghton shot a flashing glance of disapprobation at Arthur ; then, with a defiant toss of her pretty head, she turned to her guest and began a torrent of questions regarding his life during the vPAra =lia had seen him, speaking tenderly and longingly of "dear old Boston," and ended bv expressing her surprise at hid being in Paris at the present time They became so absorbed in their conversation that Mrs Houghton at last playfully interrupted them, saying: " Margie, you are forgetting the lateness of the hour, and we shall soon be deeerted in this great building ; besides, you must romember you have eai"en nothing for eevem! hourn. Pray invite Mr Dunbar to come and take supper with us, and then continue your chat afterward." " Yes, do, Mr Dunbar," eaid Miss Houghton, eagerly. "Thank you, mamma, for sugger>tintr it- And"— with a mischievous glance at Arthur, who was eeated in dignified silence at the further side of the room — "it will bo an act of real charity on your part toward Mr Aspinwall ; it is po awkwird. you know, f r one gentleman to be obliged to epcort three ladies." Louis bowed and Bmiled his acceptance of this cordial invitation, although he caught the indignant and contemptuous flash which hi" former enemy shot at him for presuming to do so. It did not disconcert him, however, nor deter him from offering his arm to Miss Houghton when she donned her wrap 3 and was ready to go, and young Aepinwall was thus left to escort the other two ladies, which he did in dignified silence. Arrving at the luxurious and home-like apartments of the Houghtons, they found a dainty supper awaiting them, where, too, they found Mis Parker, Ada's mother, who had been suffering with a severe cold for several dayp, and was rot able to attend the concert on that account. Luu'.a sptnt a couple of delightful hours with the-o triende, talking of home and their mutual acquaintances there, of the extended tour which the Houghtous had mide, and of hia own prospects. He learned that they had been residing in the French capital for more than a year, Margaret having a desire to perfect herselt more fully in art and avail herself of the unexampled advantages of the Louvre, while they were all studying the language and striving to acquire a correct pronunciation. Three years they spent in different portions of Italy— in Venice, Florence, Rome, where Margaret had been a diligent student in music ; another year they Lad spent io visiting other countries, until they knew Europe fully as well as they knew America. Mrs Houghton said they were weary of travel, and would be glad to go home and settle down to a quiet life ; but Mr Houghton's appointment would not expire for another year, and so they would be obliged to content themselves with Paris as best they could. Louis Dunbar's heart bounded at this intelligence. A whole year to bask in the sunlight of Margaret Houghton's smiles ! Could he ask for any greater joj 7 than that ? All his life, or at least ever since that well remembered day of her birthday party, she had been his guiding star. He had worshipped her from afar heretofore, but now, to-night, when she had burst upon, him in all her glorious beauty— when she had greeted him so cordially, taken him by the hand, and acknowledged him as an old friend— he had lost hia heart entirely, rbu

henceforth : *he would-be a beautiful, lorable woman, whom, if Heaven willed, he would win forhla wife, or be would never call. any one by that sacred name: ■' • "If you are to continue a resident of Paris, Mr Dunbar, I hope we shall see you/ often," Miss Houghton slid, wh6n he, at length rose to go. • ' • •* You are very kind;" he answered,' gratefully; "and since I am an entire stranger in this vast city, it will be •» great pleasure and comfort to me if you will allow me to regard you as my friends, and drop in upon you occasionally." "Do not put it that way, please, ' returned the young girl, laughing. "We will not only * allow^ you,' but consider lit a favour if you will come to us often. Our American acquaintances are few here in Parie." •' Let me eecond Margie's invitation, Mr Dunbar," said Mrs Houghton, graciously. " Although thia ie our first meeting, I can. not regard you as a stranger. I heard so much of you several years ago from two little girls, who had made your acquaint ance, that 1 have always had a curiosity and a desire to know you." This waa all very gratifying to Louis, but to Arthur Aspinwall, who sat by and was obliged to listen to it, it was absolute corture. The memories that were aroußed by this mention of those .old days stirred up all the evil within him, and made him curse the day and the object that had brought his hated enemy to Paris. "Thank you," JLoui3 returned, heartily, to Mrs Houghton ; "and since you are bo good, I shall feel free to avail myself of your kindness. 'But 1 am afraid I am not beginning very well by remaining so late. I surely must not wear my welcome out on my first visit." He took out bis watch and glanced at the time as he spoke. As he did so Margaret's glance fell upon his chain, and she saw hanging from it a tiny golden dollar. Involuntarily Rhe lifted her eyes from it to his, and something in them told her that he had s- en her look, and that ho knew she had recognised the Ht'tle gift that she had bestowed upon him so long ago, and a lovely conscious colour shot over her face. His own colour deepened as he shook hands with her, then he took leave of the other ladies, bowed politely to Mr A«pin wall, and went away, the sense of loneliness and homesickness which he had hitherto experienced since his arrival in Paris all gone, while he had a whole year of delight to look forward to now that he had found such congenial friends in the city " Well, Arthur," said Mrs Parker to her nephew after Louis's departure, for an old classmate, 1 must say T think you treated Mr Duubar rather Bhabbily." " My dear aunt, I have attended school with a great many people, and I hope I am not expected to take every one to my bosom indiscriminately whenever I chance to meet them," the young man returned, sarcastically. ** Well, but Mr Dunbar seems such a fine young man ; Ido not know when I have been more prepossessed with anyone." * l He is very handsome," inteipOßed Ada, with a mischievous glance from her cousin to Mnrgarefc. " Yes,and so gen t-lemanly," returned Miss Houghton, in perfect sympathy with the fun that she saw in her friend's eye. Arthur Aspinwall coloured augrily. He began to realise that he had been making himself ridiculous, and it nettled him exceedingly. " Tastes vary in this world," he retorted, with a curling lip, " but then I've heard it eaid that girls were always ready to bestow their Piniles upon a new face." " Some flowers always turn their faces toward the sunlight," quickly answored Ada ; " and let me tell you, my dear cousin, /, for one, am not fond of thunderclouds ; go look at yourself sir, in the glass, and then tell me if you think you are likely fco attract anything but another thundercloud." • Fie, Ada," gently chided her mother, but the young lady, with a saucy glance at her discomfitod cousin, twined her arm about Margaret's waist and drew her into another room, to diBcupg their toilot for a brilliant fete which they were expecting to attend the following week. (To be Continued )