Elsies Kith and Kin | Page 6

into the hall, catching her in his arms,
and imprinting a kiss on her ruby lips.
"And I wanted my drive with you so badly," she murmured, half hiding
her face on his breast; "but she has robbed us of that, and--O Ned! is
she to come between us again, and make us quarrel, and be so
dreadfully unhappy?" Her voice was full of tears and sobs before she
had ended.
"No, no; I could not endure that any more than you," he said with
emotion, and clasping her very close: "and it is only for to-night you
will have to bear the annoyance of her presence; she is to leave in the
morning."
"Is she? that is some comfort. I hope somebody will come in for the
evening, and share with us the infliction of her society," Zoe said,
concluding with a forlorn attempt at a laugh.
"Won't you take off that very becoming hat and cloak, Mrs. Travilla,
and spend the evening?" asked Edward playfully.
"Thank you. I believe I will, if you will accompany me to the
dressing-room," she returned, with a smiling look up into his face.
"That I will with pleasure," he said, "provided you will reward me with
some assistance with my toilet."
"Such as brushing your hair, and tying your cravat? Yes, sir, I will: it's
a bargain."
And so, laughing and chatting, they went up to their own private
apartments.
Halt an hour later they came down again together, to find Miss Deane

in the parlor, seated by a window overlooking the avenue.
"There's a carriage just drawing up before your front entrance," she
remarked: "the Roselands family carriage, I think it is."
Zoe gave her husband a bright, pleased look. It seemed her wish for an
addition to their party for the evening had been granted.
The next moment the room-door was thrown, open, and Dr. Conly and
Miss Ella were announced.
They were cordially welcomed, asked to tea, and staid the evening,
greatly relieving Zoe in the matter of entertaining her unwelcome guest,
who devoted herself to the doctor, and left Edward to his wife and
cousin, a condition of things decidedly agreeable to Zoe.
A little after nine the Roselands carriage was announced; and the doctor
and Ella took their departure, Edward and Zoe accompanying them to
the outer door.
The sky was black with clouds, and the wind roaring through the trees
on the lawn.
"We are going to have a heavy storm. I think," remarked Arthur,
glancing upward: "there is not a star to be seen, and the wind blows
almost a gale. I hope no patient of mine will want the doctor very badly
to-night," he added with a slight laugh. "Step in out of the wind, cousin
Zoe, or you may be the very one to send for me."
Doing as directed, "No, indeed," she said: "I'm sure I couldn't have the
heart to call anybody up out of a warm bed to face such a cutting wind
as this."
"No, no; never hesitate when there is a real necessity," he returned,
speaking from his seat in the carriage, where he had already taken his
place beside his sister, whom Edward had handed in. "Good-night, and
hurry in, both of you, for my sake if not for your own."

But they lingered a moment till the carriage turned, and drove swiftly
down the avenue.
"I am so glad they came," remarked Zoe, as Edward shut the door and
locked it for the night.
"Yes," he said: "they added a good deal to the pleasure of the evening.
As we couldn't be alone together, three guests were more acceptable
than one."
"Decidedly; and that one was delighted, I'm sure, to have an
opportunity to exercise her conversational gifts for the benefit of a
single man instead of a married one."
"Zoe, love, don't allow yourself to grow bitter and sarcastic," Edward
said, turning toward her, laying a hand lightly, affectionately, upon her
shoulder, and gazing down into her eyes with a look of grave concern.
She colored under it, and turned away with a pout that almost spoiled
the beauty of her fair face. She was more than ever impatient to be rid
of their self-invited guest.
"She always sets Ned to scolding me," was the bitter thought in her
heart as she went slowly back to the parlor, where they had left Miss
Deane, Edward following, sighing inwardly at the change in his darling
always wrought by that unwelcome presence in the house.
"How the wind roars down the chimney!" Miss Deane remarked as her
host and hostess re-entered the room, where she was comfortably
seated in an easy-chair beside the glowing grate. "I fear to-morrow will
prove a stormy day; but in that case I shall