The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1859-11-12
MAhlI thoneht Miss Edith Was mere

Annie said, pointedly: GOOD morning,
Mf. Kirkwood.' And after a minutes
pause, replied to his question:
Edith was here a moment ago. Sit
| down. if you please Lilly will call her,
The child went at her bidding.
The gentleman colored and smiled at the
idea that it was necessary that he, with his
advantages of society and travel. should be
taught manners by s'only Annie''
He sat down with an increase of respect
| for the young girl, and looked at her with
slight degree of interest. He had good
opportunity to contemplate her. She had
ina. ediately resumed her previous occupa-
ton which he Lad interrupted, that of read
ing aloud from child's book to the invalid
boy. Her manner was perfectly self-pos
sessed and lady -like-neither look nor tone
betraying the least diffidence or even con-
seriousness of having a listener.
How pale, and cold, and inanimate she
seemed but as he observed her closely, he
began to suspect that what he had mistaken
| for week submission was rather excess of
pride. He saw, too, with surprise the ex-
| treue beauty of her form and features ; be
admired the finely shaped head, half bent
over the book, with its dark abundant hair,
and her voice low, rich, and sweet. He
wondered If her eyes were as beautiful as
the rest of her face but she gave him no
opportunity to decide, for she neither looked
at nor spoke to him till Edith appeared,
when to his courteous bow, which Edith
saw with a disdainful:: curl of the lip. that
he should have wasted upon Annie, she
returned slight inclination of the head.
Edith was brilliant performer upon the
piano, and seemed never weary of playing
and singing for Mrs. Lothrop.
A few mornings after this, when Edith
had finished playing, and Mrs. Lothrop had
expressed in peculiar way her thanks and
qualification, the latter suddenly turned to
Annie, and said:
do you not play, too 20
Before Annie could reply, her step-moth-
er answered for her,
"Annie commenced taking lessons when
child, but we found she had not correct
ear and as her father had horror of girls
who drum on the piano without producing
music, her lessons were discontinued
Edith, on the contrary, early showed per-
feet passion for music
Mr.. Kirkwood eyed the young girl intent
" and curiously while Mrs. Rathburn was
speaking, but neither cheek flushed, nor eye
flashed, nor lip curled denial of the state
ment.
What mystery she was to him This
young girl, with her reserve, her coldness,
her command over tongue and feature |!
He had been ear and eyewitness to a
circumstance the day previous, which would
have enabled him to enlighten Mrs. Rath-
burn upon this very subject, if he had been
so disposed.
The family having gone out to ride, he
| 70 oil NO q
4 door from the parlor, for the purpose of an
swering his correspondence. He bad been
there but few minutes, when Annie entered
i the parlor, wheeling in little Willie. She
looked out Of the window, then carefully
closed the door into the hall. He saw her
open the piano and sit down to it. At first
she played from memory, then some of Miss
Edith's most difficult pieces, and lastly ran
over some new music he had himself the
day before presented to Edith, which she
had declared $50 difficult she feared she
should never be able to play it to suit him, !"
with a correctness and rapidity which as
tonished him, knowing that she could not
have seen it previously,
The little auditor, for whose pleasure she
was evidently playing, after every piece re-
newed his entreaties for one more. He now
urged for song on Eva's harp. Annie
hesitated but as he continued to plead,
after another glance from the window, she
went to the corner where the instrument
stood, uncovered it, sat down, and after run
ming her fingers over the strings, commenced
a simple German song. The young girls
voice naturally rich, sweet and full, had ev
identity been highly cultivated ;; and she
sang with taste and feeling. playing with
artistic skill, while the pure accent of the
German words evinced an extensive know
ledge of that language.
1 Willie could not prevail on his sister to
sing again, much to Mr.. Kirkwood's disap-
pointment; and after she had covered the
harp, both left the room, leaving Mr.. Kirk
wood filed with admiration.
Il He did not know of the one bright spot
in Annie's life-the three years cleaning up
like flash of sunlight amid the darkness
that preceded and followed, spent with her
fathers sister in distant city, where the
young girl had found all the love, and care,
and appreciation denied her at home Her
aunt, surprised at her ignorance of all ac-
complishments, on her own responsibility,
afforded her every advantage for improve
ment. Her talent for music was discovered,
!, and the best masters obtained, and in this,
as well as many of the higher branches of
education, her improvement was remarka-
BILE. But death called away Annie's one
friend, and she returned home sorrowing
deeply for her whom she bad so many rea-
sons to mourn.
Mr.. Kirkwood saw Annie the next even
ing under more advantageous circumstances
than he had yet seen her. 1t was at large
party. He thought her, in her calm, proud
beauty, far the most elegant girl present.
He was not alone in his admiration. Al
though she declined dancing, she received
marked attention from several of the most
prominent gentlemen present.
HE