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Show A BARTERED LIFE. INTERNATIONAL PRt ASSOCIATION rllAITI It VI (Cnnri-n -sn.i It waa October hoi. no the family made a formal removal to (own. One of (he brothers, sometimes both, spent two or three days a week there in September, Sep-tember, and, slncetthe uncertain sun-sV.ln- and cold rains of autumn ion-lined ion-lined the Indies, for the most part, to tho house, they were ready tn second the proposition lo seek their winter quarters. Edward Withers was regularly regu-larly Installed lis one of his brother's household, and under his ausplrra city life also put on a new face for Constance, Con-stance, lie had a box nt the opera, and El lint linn was foremost to suggest that Constance should accompany blm thither. "That Is. when you are not engaged to escort single ladles," added tho ae-nlnr, ae-nlnr, with a dry smile. "Which will not hnpMn often 't I ran have my slster'a compa. y Itu'ead," replied tho other, cordially. "But cannot can-not we make up a family party of four for to-morrow night? I cnu promise you a treat." "Musical treats, when they are operatic, op-eratic, are thrown away upon me," was the answer. "But I am anxious Hint Constnnce shall keep up her practicing, practic-ing, and, to this end, desire her to have every opportunity of Improving her Insle and style. You nnd she can give homo concerts of the Intcst gems In this line for Harriet's benefit and mine." Harriet applauded the Idea to the echo, and wits careful that ho should not regret the young people's absence on the evenings they spent abroad, playing rhrss with him for a couple of hours, and then rending aloud monetary mone-tary or political articles selected by bin-self until he dropped Into a doze. They were left thus to themselves more and more as the season advanced. Invitations In-vitations to parties, coneerta and dinners din-ners rnlned In upon Mrs. and the Meesrs. Withers, and to most of these Constance went, attended by Edward only. Mr. Withers hud never been social so-cial from Inclination, and he was only too glad to delegate hla duties In this line to his wife, now that the protection protec-tion of bis brother rendered his attendance attend-ance unnecessary. Constance did not confess In words to herself how greatly her pleasure was augmented by the exchange of escorts. It was natural that a man of her husband's hus-band's age and disposition should prefer pre-fer his own fireside to dancing and small talk, and a wearisome feint of hearkening to harmonies that were unintelligible un-intelligible and without sweetness to him. tihe enjoyed gny scenes with an easier conscience that she did not nee his grave visage at every turn of ihe walls or promenade and waa not haunted haunt-ed by the thought of her m-IAahneNs In having dragged him from his beloved retirement. How much this feeling of relief waa Intensified by the clrcum-stnnce clrcum-stnnce that her willing cavalier was the moat delightful talker, one of the best dancers, and assuredly the most gracefully grace-fully attentive to hla fair charge In the cordon of beaux who frequented the fashionable resorts Just named, did. not enter Into her complacent calculations. calcula-tions. Hhe waa on excellent terma with herself and all about her at tills Juncture. Junc-ture. The acquaintances who hud enrped at her reserve and want of animation ani-mation In the few assemblies at which she bad appeared as a bride candidly avowed that nothing could be more charming than her affability sod g,.y good humor, and that she was far handsomer hand-somer than they hud supposed at first sight. The more captious subjoined, aub-rosa, aub-rosa, that It was evident she appreciated appreci-ated (convenient word!) Mr. Edward Withers, and how fortunate she was In securing the services of an escort so nnciceptlonable In evory particular, since her husband seemed to have renounced re-nounced society Just as aha fuli ly entered en-tered It. "But," subjoined No. J. audibly delivered, de-livered, "people had dlfforent ways of looking at these things, and, so long as Mr. Withers lived happily with bis wlfo, nnd countenanced her In all Unit she did, whoso business was it to hint st Impropriety or misplaced confidence?" That Mr. Withers dirt coitnlennnce bis wlfo In her lively career was not 10 be denied. It grutlflcd him to sea her, magnificently dressed, go forth to gatherings gath-erings at which, is he waa sure to bear afterward, she was the object of general gen-eral admiration for her beauty uud vivacity. vi-vacity. It tickled hla vanity to have her do the honors of hla mansion to a choice company of Edward's friends Slid hers people In whose eyes he, the sedate millionaire, could never hope to be more than the respectful representative representa-tive of bis money bags. They were glad to congregate In his stately salon now, to partake of his fine old wines snd excellent viands, and unite iu laudations laud-ations of the handsome woman who bore hla name. Adulation did not spoil her, he was pleased to observe. Hhe had never been more deferential In her deportment to himself, more ready to consult and obey him than when the star of hor popularity was highest and brightest. Ir this she tes-tllled tes-tllled her good sense and feeling hrart To whom should she be grateful and dutiful If not to her benefactor, the srcbllect of her fortune mid happiness? Assoelutlon with him nnd with his brother had developed her finely. He took credit to himself for the penetration penetra-tion that had d-'ecled the germs of so much that was t.mable and attractive attrac-tive when she waa still In the obscurity obscur-ity of In r brother's house. "A happy family, a therout hly wi II-organl.ed II-organl.ed establishment," ren.arked Charles Itoiualne to h'.M wlf". ut the clow of a visit they paid Ills ulster 111 I jmoary. (,.,., ,,,, , ,,nK. fal (o us all .r ,!;, r.,r uppeniiig her absurd tran. ndeiiinllsm about i cuge- I aUllty ami mutual attraction nnd tho like puerile nonsense. Vhu( n wreck tie would hate made of her happiness bd she bein , , t0 p,,,,,,,, ,.mirse tic toted by her own caprices! I hope, Ifare-nret. tl,, wn ,in , ,lllV(1 0 eonib.it ths k ,,,r, ln ()r dangh. trrt when ihrv grow up." 'Coiistanr. had a fund of strong temmnn ssn.o in apltc of her crudely trntiig,int th,.r,. up.m certain suh-Jerla." suh-Jerla." rejoined Mrs. Hun, ah,,., -i hanks to It, aid. as you Justly observe, to our comiM, she has niariled hitter tluir any other young woman I know. Yea, Iran ink no mere enviable lot for our girls than one like heis." According to these Irrefragable authorities, au-thorities, ii,,,,, 0r i,,.,.,,!,,,, ,, MP1,r, j clear of the rock upon which so many of her age And sex have split; kept out of the current that would have stiand-d stiand-d ber. hth and forlorn, upon the barren bar-ren headlnmli of celibacy; nnd. virtuously virtu-ously eschiwlng "crude" Instinct, nnd heart promptings, ( natural laws (til only, In Mrs. Ilomalne's need, for the guidance of beasts, mid birds, and other Irrational thing:-.!, rendered Just snd graceful obedience tn the equitable principle prescribed nnd practiced I v tho autocrnta of the "best circles." These burning a, shining ! sicons cease not. night nor day, lo arn elf the Inipetnoiia young from tho rigors and desolation of 8cyl, and mat such Illusive glare upon Charylnlls ns mnkes Its seething ropbls seem a PaclUo of delicious culm. CHAITKIl VII. V Iti ' "N " "nno", fc. I j' 7' t'"rr'nt were Con--V II' Withers' ! " t ''all conscience B,ll pru-fv---li ? denes rocked to j";'r'-J sleep during Ihe fV v' early months of f j,', ''i that winter. Wln- U ' feit ,orl N"r iJf- summer been ao re-ZL re-ZL plcte with light v 1 JmZC and warmth. There la 1 alvlnedcllght In Ihe slow sweep of Its outer circles of tho maelstrom; ths half consciousness of the awakening awaken-ing hrart. like that of the babe who, areuied from slumber by his mother's voire, smiles recognition of the dear niOile before hla eyea are unsealed by her kisses, or bis bead la nestled upon hir bosom, That to every human heart auch nvakenlng comes, sooner or later, I hdd and believe for certain. Deserts otsalt and bitterness there are In the .sytrltual as well as In the material eertdi but there was a time when the Cator, whose name la Love, pronounced pro-nounced them "very good," when as yot the flood, snd tho rnln of fire and brimstone had not made havoc of all their pleasant things, nor the soft soil len hardened Into flint and gravel by dearth and heat. And, to that garden of tho Lord's planting there came a day when or of what duration He knowa, and perchance He alone when the south wind blew softly, and all the plcea thereof flowed out splkennrd and snffrnn, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of fruklncrnse, myrrh nd aloes. It may have been but for one giau uour one moment of bewildering bewil-dering bliss, that Ihe heart thus visited waa transformed Into a fountain of Hardens, a will of living waters suit streams from Iehnnnn. The next nmy lave witnessed tho rush of the deluge 01' the bursting of the pitchy cloud; and behold! In place of Eden, a lair of wild beaata, a house full of doleful creatures, meet for the dwelling .if owls sud the dance of satyrs. Other visions than these Images of woe and terror abode with Constance; formless fancies, fulr an vague; specious spe-cious reveries In which aha lived through coming years aa she was doing do-ing now, surrounded by the same out-sard out-sard comforts; ber steps guarded by the same friend, whose mere presence sieant contentment; with whom the liiterchniiKo of thought and feeling left lulhlng to be desired from human sym pathy. It was a severe shock that iiowed her Ihe precipice upon the Howery verge of which she lay dreaming. dream-ing. The brothers were, one morning, discussing dis-cussing at breakfast lbs mrrlts of a pair of horses that had been offered for le to the elder. For a wonder Ed-sard Ed-sard displayed more caution In accept-Ixg accept-Ixg the Jockey's declaration of their fluess for family use than did bis said relatives. Mr. Withers waa vtry obstinate In his adherence to what ever principle or prejudice he believed thai v had seen cause to adopt, and his ere bad been captivated by the showy I tm; hla credulous hearing gained by the adroit tongue of the dealer. All Hat Edward's dlssuaslora could effect iss acquiescence In bis proposal that tey should try the horses before tho selgh that afternoon, before deciding ipon the purchase. Harriet elupped her hands vlvaclous-I). vlvaclous-I). "And then you'll drive by snd give si a turn behind the beauties. I am are they must be heavenly from what frualn Elnntluin says. I am wild to I tt them!" "There la a look In the eye of one ttat beapeuka the spirit of another iiglon," said Edward, apart to Cou-ftance. Cou-ftance. "Don't ride after them!" she entreated, en-treated, quickly. "Your brother will I yield If ye:, t. II him plainly bow 1111-f" 1111-f" von cumiidcr them." "Not utie.ife fur him and myaelf. n hups; but hardly the iti mures to he mi lusted win, j,ir in,. ii,," he . rijulneil, "Item assured tliul I sluill -P.. I, ,...., .1 ,. , 1. HI,, make a tharengn test of them before eor.sentlng in ihe entm-e. I sliill drive them mtseir. nnd spisk nut frankly the result of 1 tip trial. In whatever else we may differ, Kltiathan and 1 are a unit In our care for your welfare, So. If we show ourselves and the heavenly heav-enly span of qundrupeds at the door today, you need not fear lo accept our Invitation " The gentle and afTo'-ilonate reassurance reassur-ance contrasted pb ne.ttitly with Mr. Wlthers's Hiitherltntlve miitiilnte. "Ci-nstnnce! you will hold yourself In readiness tn drive out Willi us this afternoon. af-ternoon. We shnll call for you at three ociock. I wish you and Harriet to be entirely prepared for the ride when we come. Young horses do not like to stand In the cold." An Impulse she did not slay to de-nne de-nne drew Constance (o Ihe window as Ihe two (entlemen descended Ihe front slips aide by side. Mr. Withers was a trllle the taller of the two. but hla figure ns angular and unbending; l-Mward'a stpplc and elegint, while scarcely a truce of family llkcnces existed ex-isted between the swarthy visage ef the elder, with its deep-set eyes, long upper up-per lip, snd high, narrow foreheud, and the lively glance, clear complexion, snd spirited mouth that made Edward's physiognomy a goodly sight lo more eyes than those that met the pnrtlng smile be cast up at the purlur window when be gnlued the pavement, where-aa where-aa Mr. Wlihora stalked solemnly on, apparently forgetful already that he hail a home nnd wife, now that bis face waa set otlice-wsnl. t "Shadow and sunshine!" reflected the garer. "And they are not more unlike un-like In coiintoiinurn thnn in dispositions, disposi-tions, nlnia and conduct na dissimilar aa two upright men enn be." llnrrlet'a shallow treble sounded at her elbow like a repetition of the last thought. "No one would ever take them to be relatives," she said. "Yet each Is excellent In his way. Don't you Ihlnk so?" "Yes," answered Constance, moving away. "Only their ways are so different!" persisted the cousin. "I like Elnathan best, of course, hut Edward Is the more popular man of the two, I believe lan't be?" "I really do not know!" Constance left the room uttering the falsehood. Harriet had a trick of making her Intenaely uncomfortable whenevor the talk between them turned upon the brothere. "I hate comparisons!" she said to herself, her-self, when she reached her room. "And It Is forward and Indelicate In her to Institute them In my bearing." . Convinced that the sudden best warming her heart and cheeks waa excited ex-cited by llorrlet'a Impertinence, she made It ber business to stop thinking of the conversation and Its origin ao soon as she could dismiss It and turn her attention to pleasanler things. It was more Innocent and agreeable work; for Inatance, 10 write out Edward's part of a new duet upon a fnlr sheet of paper which be could hold In his band aa he etooe hy ber at the plnno, the printed copy being so blurred ss to try his eyes. He waa very slightly nearsighted, near-sighted, although a casual acquaintance would not have suspected It (ins copied music, legibly and rapidly, and lately had hit upon this happy device of making him some poor return for the manifold services he had rendered her. "All that I can do leaves me deplorably de-plorably In bis debt," she reasoned, "I never knew what waa the fullness Mid disinterestedness of a brother's love until un-til I met him. But all brothers ire not so considerate or devoted aa la be. I should understand that." to as cosTivess.i |