LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1774, 27 October 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

MODERN BLUE STOCKINGS. Dudley Manning, writing a letter in his seven-by-nine apartment at tho Cliffwood House, paused suddenly in his occupation, to do a very improper thing. He was listening—absolutely listening to tho conversation in the next room. Doubtless, if the occupants of that room had been two gentlemen, or two elderly ladies, his curiosity would have been duly restrained by his sense of honor. But as it happened, there was an air of mystery about the Misses Armitage, both of whom were young and one very beautiful, which had excited Dudley’s imagination for several days. So now, when the younger sister, forgetful of the treacherous thinness of board partitions, raised her voice in earnest discussion, Dudley' laid down his pen, and listened unblushingly. *lt is useless to argue with me, Susan, I have decided not to go.” * But, Edith, do be reasonable. Surely your white ones, will do just as well, nd I do so want you to go.’ ‘ They won’t do at all, my dear sister. They will spoil the effect of my dress. No. I’m nothing if I’m not artistic, and I would rather give up a dozen ’hops’ than do violence to my sense of fitness.’ ‘ But you will be so sorry when to-morrow night comes, dear; I know yon will. If my last story had been accepted, I would—’ ‘ Ye?, Susan, I know you would, but that does not aid mo in this emergency. Oh, dear, why couldn’t I have been rich ? Think of Aunt Pelancey and her half million, and then consider that we are her impecunious nieces. How happy she could make ns if she chose I’ * Bat remember, Edith, that Aunt Delancey knows nothing of our real circumstances We have been always too proud to complain,’ ‘ Yes, that’s another of our misfortunes. We are as proud as if we were not poor, and too poor to have any right to be proud.’ ‘ Once more, dear, won’t you go to-mor-row night ?’ ‘ Not unless some beneficent fairy godmother takes pity on me, and sends me a pair of lovely pale-blue stochines in time. Dudley Manning fairly started from his chair in surprise. ‘ Blue stockings ! Did ever any one hear the like,’ he exclaimed, and more mystified than ’ever he went back to his eavesdropping. ‘lf I could, I would send for them, but ’ ‘ I wouldn’t let you, Susan. I’m unreasonable, I know. Come, dear, let ns go for a walk, and say no more about tho stockings.’ And presently the sisters had left the room, and Dudley sat thinking busily. All at once he started np. * I’ll do it I I can go and oome before night, and she shall have her stockings. What a lovely face she has, and such a perfect figure! But how can they be so poor? Ladies, too —refinement in every word and look—nobody could mistake that.’ Tho young man hurried to the railroad station, and was just in time to catch the noon train, ai it sped city-wark. Two hoars afterward, Dudley sauntered into a shop on Broadway, whose broad windows windows displayed a bewildering variety of the articles of which he was in quest. With a somewhat guilty consciousness, he asked for ladies’ blue stock'igs, ‘ The very best you have,’ he added, * What size, sir,’ asked the saleswoman, Dudley was decidedly nonplussed. * I—l’m sure I don’t know—l [forgot,' he stammered; then, with a sudden inspiration : ‘ What size do ladies with small feet generally buy ?’ he enquired. The shopwoman smiled primly, but took down one box after another, until the counter was heaped with piles of filmy, delioate-hued stockings, the very poetry of hose, Dudley was suited at last. Carefully he directed the parcel, when he had [reached his law office, to ‘ Miss Edith A rmitage, Clifford House, Crookville,’ not daring to trust it to any other hands. She’ll get it tc-morrow morning,’ he thought, pleasing himself all the way back by imagining Edith’s delight, Dudley sought his room soon after breakfast the next day, waiting for farther developments. As he expected the sisters brought their letters up stairs, but only a few words of the ensuing conversation was audible. He caught murmured exclamations of surprise and delight and then : ‘ Of course, they came from aunt Delancey. How kind of her ! ’ ‘ Yes, dear old soul! Isn’t she lovely. I take back all I said abont her. Such exquisite stockings too, and six pairs! Why, I feel as rich as a queen, Susan 1 1 And that was all he heard, but he was satisfied, Dudley Manning went to the bop that night, and so did the Armitage sisters. Susan was as ladylike and graceful as usual, but Edith was beautiful in her pale blue robe. * The stockings must match perfectly, thought Dudley, as he contrived to get an introduction. Every moment increased the attraction. Her loveliness made her quite the star of the ball room, but Dudley scarcely allowed any one else to speak to her, so persistently did he hover about the sisters. The evening glided like a dream—flowers, music, motion, bright nothings, looks more eloquent than words—and Dudley went to bed that night hopelessly in love. Four weeks had gone. The Armitage sisters began to talk of leaving the Clifford House for a visit to their aunt. As for Dudley Manning, he had long ago disgusted the party of friends with whom he came, by deserting them to remain in ‘ this dull little hole,’ as one of them called it. He was only waiting a favorable opportunity now to propose, when one fateful morning he joined the sisters on the hotel piazza with an armful of new books. ‘ Three of these are for you. Miss Edith !’ he said. And ho wrote her name, in his hold, clear, characteristic hand, on the fly-leaves of each.

Susan, looking idly on an the other two laughed and chatted, started suddenly, changed color, and left them. She took the book she was examining -with her, and presently she sent a message to Edith, saying that she wanted her immediately. ‘ Must you go ? Well, come back directly, and I will wait here for you ? said Dudley ; and, with a smiling assent, she left him. But she did not return, and the young man wondered and waited for nearly an hour. At last came a card, with a penciled message, and full of bewilderment, he read — * Miss Armitage hopes Mr Manning will excuse her sister, as she is particularly engaged for the rest of the day.’ Dudley flushed as he tore up the card, and walked away, pondering over the strangeness of the message. At dinner, Susan made her appearance alone ; but when Dudley approached her to inquire for her sister, she was almost rude in the curtnesa of her replies to his questions. Dudley’s first impulse was to ask the meaning of this changed behavior, but mortification and rising anger conquered, and he turned away, with a look of equal hauteur. Half an hour later, his mood changed. He sent a note to Edith, begging for an interview ; but when she returned a formal excuse he was furious with himself for having written. So Ml that evening he paced up and down the piazza, in a savage frame of mind, and finally decided to leave the house next day, if Edith still refused to see him,

Upstairs, poor Edith was crying softly, while Susan packed. ' Who could have supposed that they came from’him ?’ she was saying, for the twentieth time, Susan came over to her and stroked her hair, caressingly. * Don’t think of it darling ! Try to forgot it 1’ she said, soothingly, * But, Susan, are you sure . Don’t you think there could be a mistake ? So many people write alike, you know,’ said Edith with an eager, imploring look. Susan shook her head, * That writing is unmistakeable, my dear sister,’ she answered, sadly, Edith threw herself back, with a fresh of tears. ‘ But the dreadful part of the whole affair is that he has been so dishonorable!’ she exclaimed. ‘To think how he must have listened to our conversation, and pried into all our secrets Iso shameful. I never want to see him again.’ * I think I will put the—stockings in a parcel, and leave them to be delivered to him,’ said Susan, presently, Edith closed her eyes, and groaned ; * I don’t care what you do with them, only don’t tell mo.’ Early the next morning Dudley was awakened by the bumping of trunks out side his door. ]n an Instant ho was up, and dressing in frantic haste, for he had comprehended that bis neighbors were leaving. As he emerged from his room and rushed to the stairway, he caught a vanishing glimpse of two gray travelling dresses in the hall below. One followed the porter, the other turned toward the hotel parlor, Dudley knew that this second figure was Edith, and he seiz:d his advantage with masterly quckness. In another moment he had confronted her, had seized her hand, despite her resistance, and was pouring out torrent of words, half angry, half tender, ending abruptly with : •Edith, I love you.’ Will yon marry me—’ ‘Good morning, Mr Manning,’ interrupted Susan, with a chilling intonation. But Dudley was not to be discouraged; Edith’s face had emboldened him. ‘Tell me where I can write to yon,’he whispered, entreatingly, and spite of Susan’s interposition |he caught the low-spoken words of her answer. And then the omnibus whirled them away to the station, and Dudley walked np and down, thinking of Edith’s lovely dark eyes as they smiled farewell upon him, and composing his letter. One week afterward, Dudley Manning and Edith were sitting together in Mrs Delaney’s elegant library. Both looked unmistakably happy, but Dudley had the air of conscious proprietorship which denotes the engaged man. * Tell me, please, why you acted so strangely—what had I done to offend you ? ’ he was saying. Do yon suppose she told him ?