Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-06-07
" Ies'm." said IIarrie.

eS'm.' said liarrie.
Going 10 be wonderful fine; they Sa'
t they've sent TO the city tor some cIriou
, Kind of lantern. di>rCmombcr the name
10 hang up in the trees. and lot of per
, trctiOnS and things but then the Blake
always do things up real nice, though
law. knew Sallie Blake when she wa
. Sallie Gates. and Scwcd for Il living. o
/. teached school. or did most ANYTHING re
!; spectacle. You can't tell. the luck q
some folks is wonderful"
AT any rate" said Harric. "yoI
must admit that Mrs. Blake deserves hel
good fortune. She is a lady. and woult
be. whatever her surroundings"
"Well, well. may be. but money make,
a mighty sight of difference"
" Yes. but not all the difference" Sait
llarric firmly.
"Who do you suppose met as was
coming up here" said Mrs. Gilman
along with Miss Mollo Blake? no on,
but Mr. Will Wallace, looking "a fire Il,
a Judge. They was langhin' and chattin
AS gay as could be, and he had the beau.
tifulest basket of flowers in his hand
ever see. | always liked Will Wallace.
and so stopped and shook hands with
him. and he seemed real glad TO see me.
too. | said. | Sposc you've come down
course. he could not help responding tn
such an invitation. and Miss Blake looked
pleased a. could be-"
Then | said. II spOse these beautiful
ilowers is designed for the same place, -
and he said. IL devoutlv hope that they
will have that happy destiny" and he
looked so Smiln' at Mollic. that she
bluShed, and said. "he need not have
much fear, such lovely flowers were al
ways welcome"
4" think Mollie Blake : kind o. sillv.
but guess viii Wallace is in earnest this
time. He's a Kind o ilirtin fellow. don't
you think so:''
IIarrie answered, 81 don't know" but
was only conscious of fierce desire To
| get out of the room. away from Mrs. Gill
man and her horrid tongue. and it she
could, away from herself. She felt her
self growing pale and faint. but feigned
an amiable wish 10 initiate Mrs. Gilman
iully into the mystery of daisy mats. If
| she only could escape bctraying any emo
/ ton.
! But Mrs Gilman had watched her too
closely for that. and presently said:
"Don't you think. Mrs. Hanly, that
Ilarrie looks just a leetle paler n usual
/ this summer. Seems 10 me she looks
| kind o peeked."
| Mrs. Hanly. on principle, never thought
as anybody else did. so she answered that
''she hadn' tnoticed it. Most Urls wantei.
nowadays, was more exercise
"Thank you. said Harrie. II am re-
markably well. this summer. and as for
being pale, never have much color. you
know"
That's so but it seems to me you
have kind O. tired look. and ma'bc
you're nervous; some girls be-"
THANK you, I'm never nervous"
81 don't know now, YOU look sort o
trembln' like, and | shouldn't wonder
but what a tonic would do you good.
BOneset tea is 'mazin' strengthenin', and
quietin', too"
II don't think need anything of the
kind" said Harrie.
Maybe not: uut there was nv cousin
who died of consumption last year. and
she looked good deal as you do. only
she was tall and stout and dark complec-
ted but then she had disappointment:
that kind o broke her down, like"
The resemblance must certainly be
very striking" said Harrie. Ii would
have been an intense satisfaction to her TO
have said something that would have sent
the woman out of the house but that be-
ing inconsistent with good manners and
hospitality. she did the next best thing.
For once in her life she was glad to get
out into the kitchen and go to work,
though it hurt her feelings 10 think she
must get dinner for any one who had hurt
her peace so cruelty.
The children came i'm in their usual tu-
multuOus fashion. hungry and impatient,
as only school children know howto be.
''Is my coat mended 2" sail Dan. ''l'm
| hun 4,
the other boys. and | want my dinner.
quick" And Tom wanted something
else, and. oh. dear. so many things TO
do. and back of them all that dreadful
bitter feeling, that pain that was so sick
ening and SO strange. Would she ever
| find time to sit down and think about it ::
and was it all true? Was everything 60
ing out of her life?
| think the dinner was a success,
though the cook had heart ache. The
coffee was just right. and the cream-pie
perfection. Mrs. Gilman did justice TO
all without a particle of remOrse of con-
science. Then after short time. sufli-
cient for manners, and more too, Harric
thought, she took reluctant departure.
The quiet summer afternoon wore on.
Harrie had found time to 60 to her own
room and think it all over. She firmly
made up her mind that she would not go
to the party. She wouldn't let any one
see her discontinue, nor would she add
to MOllie Blake's triumph. Everybody
knew that Will Wallace had been devoted
to her ever since they were children, and
mad cared for no one else. To be sure,
they were not engaged. that is. in so many
words but were words needed? Had
not every look and act of his SPOKEN
palmer than any words could speak ?
Poor Harrie the d mon of doubt and
distrust had driven away the sweet spirit
of peace and content that frightened her
heart i'm the morning, and had taken full
possession.
Allowing she thought that that horrid
Mrs. Gilman had been purpOsely mis-
taken, why didn't he come up, the after
noon was wearing away, and no word or
sign to let her know that he had come,
and when before had he failed to present
himself i'm the dull little house at the ear
liest possible moment? No, there was
something wrong. and she made herself
as miserable as girl well could, in con-
iuring up all sorts of possible and impOs-
sible things that might be the cause. No.
she would not go to that party. but there
was her Aunt, who knew that she had in
tended going; what would she say tC
her.
She expected she would say all sorts Of
tantaliZing things, and she went down
stairs, with a determination to be very
brave and cheerful. and patient, under thu
most eXasperating circumstances, and she