Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-01-21
A SECOND LORLEI.

| Unfortunately for myself and every
body who ever saw me, lam very beau
ttiful. /. is not egotism to make that
remark, for / have had plenty of mis-
haps ON account of my looks, and eve-
~ i'll that can befall family has been
laid 10 the score OF Franks terrible
jappearsnee." When / was q child
'Ieyerything went wrong. Once on a
ferry-boa a young and lovely lady,
petting and talking to me, became so
Snserestaa that she quietly backed off
the edge, and only the presence of
I mhd and hiring OF her husband. res
condition. Nurse scoideds Tsamma rails
ed her hands in horror, and the lady
gave me the name Of 'Lorlei," which 1
have ever since retained.
/, / was acontinual source ofanxiety lest
/ should be kidnapped w soSie. child
less people, and made into circus-ri.
der, or an heiress. My life was mise
able. with the guard set around me, to
say nothing of a dozen or two toilets 4
a day, hair to be combed and brushed
ince ssantly, and myself kissed and
pfondIed Ike lap-dog. 1t grew no bet
ter, later. BY sisters happened to he
very plain, and / couldn't help it if 1
got all the invitations, bouquets, and
proposals, and they received none
To make it worse, one of my admirers
died of heart disease, and left me the
large fortune that should have gone to
his sisters; and then they loved me ex-
cessively, of course!
l combed my hair in the most hor-
rible way could invent, wore stiff col
lars up to my ears, plain dresses Of So
Der color, made faces at myself in the
glass by the hour and all to no purpose
Ny hair would turn into the cunningest
little ringlets about my forehead, and
fall down in a golden mass of curls
Just at the wrong time. The neck
above the ugly linen no amount of sun
could make other than white and we'll
turned; and the clumsy dress hid a form
of the most perfect mould stately,
smooth and rounded rs only healthy
English girl can ever hope to lie.
| couldn't have any girl-friends, for
without meaning it / captured their
lovers; they grew jealous and called me
names; and tie attachment usually en-
ded in storm of tears and reproaches
or the one part, dismayed repentance
On the other. couldn't hare ce2-
tlcman friend, for, if single, he pro-
posed in month, and if married, the
wife came to the rescue, and l got the
worst of it. i tried ole plan, and you
shall have the result cut my hair
eli nearly close, and mercy me Il had
I done the business. | was hanIsomer
than before! looked Il very picture
Of mischief, my hair curled tighter
than ever. and my eyes would dance.
spite of all the sober books | read. and
al the sad things l tried to think Of.
took Aunt Hctty into my confidence,
one day when she came 20 the city to
luy some furniture for her country
house, and promised that rs soon rs
her sons started for school, | would lc
with her to spend the summer. l made
my preparations secretly and only on
the day of my departure asked and re-
ccivcd permission to 80 unmatched and
alone. Used To nay freaks, mamma
asked no questions, but gave me some
advicc-''to wear thick veil III the
cars. not to take my gloves of, and not
TO wink AT any one" AS though
ever knowingly did wink
Nv own sisters would not have known
the little brown mouse Of girl that
sat So dcmurely in the car onits way to
Ro,khridgc. / had ordered 4 WIG made
If bright red hair, and il WAS Il very
marvel in its way. Short, crisp. fiery
curls covered ny head closely. well
down on the neck. and twiuin@ loving
" around my ears. y dress Of water
proof Of the most uugraccful cut and
make. 1rr.n glasses. shoes and gloves
Two sizes too big. and with the exccp-
tivn of mouth and complexion. | was
hidrous. Auutie would not believe
that it WIS myself, until | had shown
her my eyes. and spoken to her seyera
. times.
There was not soul ON the plac,
, that aai ever stem ME except aunt and
uncle; and as they called me ''i1orlei,
the servants never suspected that
was the Frank Morrison they had hear,
: So much Of from the young masters
| There were few neighborS. and | rather
: avoided them. For the first time il
my life | was ugly and consequent,
| happy. | rode tho horses, sat on IN,
barnyarl fence during the milking. fc,
: the chickens, ate apples and new but
D ter, took long walks i'll the woods, an,
{ my big feet and scarlet hair never inyi
n ted secoad glance from any one
4 passed. What happy jolly days the
were to me, only those who are bleS>e
! with too much beauty and long - ic
|. from the consequences can imagine.
). One morning L took book, and 20
!. inS through the orchard. followed til
,. stream toa favorite nook. lay dow,
: and laughed the pretty, musical laug
+ that was n once 4 pleasure and ban,
4 | laughed 10 think of myself in tn
!. riS in an opera-box: aud looking !
i, the water, said. WHY not he re.
:, 'Lorlei. for while :" No soons
!. thought than done. of came the cluu
n sy shoes and knitted stockings. an
II holding my dress up went splashin
il the shallow waters. l stepped G
big stone; it rolled with me. and
le sat down costly in the middle Of ii
h brook, wet to NV waist, and INV disms
ri finished by the hear.iest laugh YOU ca
10 imagine. Looking at part Of the hau
B. that had not before noticed, l saw
A. gentleman, in sporting dress, holding
tishing-rod in one hand and waving Il