Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1872-08-14
SELECTED STORY.
MAHeIAN,S SECRET. /.
By AMY RANDOLPH.

IL WaS a. Ciedf, DTullhnC morning Ill
February, with the white luxuriance of
the newly fallen snow cleaning in pearly
ridges OH all the window lintels and
carved cornices of the tall thrown stone
house, while the blue sky overhead, daz-
zling and cloudless, seemed as if no storm
could over shadow its dome of translu-
cent light. a M
Mrs. Ordway's family were gathered
around the breakfast table in the bright
room where the pink and gold walls re-
Aected the ruby sparkle of the fire, and
the brown pile Of the costly carpet dead
ened your footstep like the russet moss of
some secluded forest della breakfast
table whose silver urn, cut glass and trans
parent china indicated the easy circum-
stances Of those who sat around it. The
matron herself was fair and rosy, with
delicate blue cap-ribbons, and II morn
ing toilette of lustrous blue silk, while
Agnes Ordway, her eldest child, was
dark and handsome as a gypsy. She
knew it, too, this naughty, brilliant Miss
Ordway, and had carefully studied her
peculiar style in the pink merino wrap
per that she wore, with its trimmings OF
swunsdown and iluttcring rose-colol ed
ribbons.
Two li:tlc bluc-cycd girls of eight and
nine years old were sitting opposite, un-
der the ministcring charge Of IA slender
young creature in quiet brown merino
dress and black silk apron, whose timid
face and shrinking mien bctokenc.l the
position she held in Mrs. Ordway's fami-
AlissNurd yves only goveriess
solitary orphan, whose rare accomplish.
mcnts and unconscious grace OF manner
were bartered for two hundred and fifty
dollars year.
Yet she WAS very pretty, with straight
features and hair of the radiant, glim-
mcring gold that artists ravcnbout, while
her liquid brwn eyes, large and shy
those OF IL yc.lng gazcllc, seemed to melt
and deepen at every emotion that stirred
the service of her mind. Generally Ma
rian Ward was quite pale, bat today
there was II strange, bright flush OH her
checks, and her slender hands trcmbled
ncrvousl.f 's she attended to the uminter-
mitted wants of her two small charges
"Ali:s Ward really | am quite aston
ishcd at you this moringw exclaimed
Mrs. Ordway, drawing herself up rather
stitily. 81 have asked you twice for an
other cup of coffee, and you pay not the
slightest attention to my solicitations.
May inquire if you are indisposcd?"
81 beg your pardon, Mrs. Ordway,"
t;,ltercd poor Marian turning red and
white, while her trembling fingers flut-
tered about the silver foscet of the coffee
urn; 81 did not hear you'll will cndcav-
or to be less absent-minded in future"
The Modified matron slipped her am
bcr-clear coffee as sh, turned to her
daughter:
"Wcll, Aggic, you avcn't told me
about the party last night. Who was
there? and what news did YOU pick up 2"
Everybody was there" returned Ag.
ness, trifing with the handle of her cup.
at went off charmingly-and | gathered
one piece of information that was crca-
ting quite a sensation in the beau monde"
"9es? What was ii !"
"Nothing less important than the en-
gagemcnt Of Mr.. Delaval."
"ls it possiblc?" CALCULATED Mrs. Ord
way, biting her lips. "To Miss De Cray,
of course"
"No-not to Miss De Cray"
agnes, how strange you look Miss
Ward, don't you see that Mclanic has
her fingers in the buttcr-do pray attend
to your business Surely, Aggie, it is
not you who have won the best match of
the season."
"Don'ttalk nonsense, mamma!" said
the dutiful daughter, sharply. mo, it is
not | ["