Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-05
tlara'S Masquerade.

elAhbiS Ntaia AAiAsf 7" AltiOAN a penny ~ ny
The petted helreSs tossed a diamond brace
let among the glitterlng treasures Of her
lewei,eoN as she spoke, aud looked al her
They Were totally unlike, these two who
were so inseparable. Marion Barclay was
dark-eyed tand stately as an Egg ptiau
queen; Clara Nining was a blonde and blue
eyed, like daughter OF the sun.
Its such a very odd whim. dear" rnur-
INJURED Marion. Il am sure every body loves
YOU. What have you done with iucien Yer
ner? be wss disinterestei."
They're all alike. / believe. Read that,
Marion Clara said, taking "a lctt,r fiona
herescrttolre. Il suppose he happened 10
be writing To some one else al the same time,
and the Other lettsr got into my envelope.
But IL was a lucky mistake Tor me. ! never
want To see him again"
Miss Barclay busily examined the billet.
Tier friend designated the offending passage,
In " hich the writer alluded 10 line beauti-
ful Clara As beirg very far from -adamaat
and charac ierized her golden charms a. eN-
ceiling all Others IN his eyes.
you poor. dear Clara" commented Miss
barclay. But men are not all - SCldsn a.
that
Il am satisfied that they are. !" rstar,el the
heireSs, with mingled petultnce AMI wiz
q, IN; at any rate am resolve GA tat- ex-
pertinent. It Will toe refreshing 10 be no.
body Tor once In my life. at any rate. You
cOaNiugly.
"oh. certainly. But what will people
mink: lou are certain 10 be found out.
fore would know you at once. NJ matter
what you were
-, II don't know about that. don't LOO,
like The same girl with my hair taken out
| OF cur and dressed plain. I've been looking
over the advertisements this morning. aud
there's family near Chiffon thai wants a
cEambermaid- or course 4 Couldn't under
| take TO cook or be lauudresS. or ANYTHING Of
| mat sort. But anybody can make beds aud
! IN sure these are people 1 don't know.
What want Oi you, dear, Is TO write me a
| character"
| Marion did as she was hidden, bat she
| looked diSapprOViugly stun.
| How will you account for your Absence
| she asked.
| People can be given TO understand that
| am NlsltIng some friends alta distance. That
| ts easy enough
What II this Miss WILDER" glancins a,
| the advertisement Clara brought her
should not want you? She May have al
81 shall try somewhere else in that case. g"
said Clara, with decision.
| $50 provoking fretted Marion Barclay
| 10 her ha.f- brother, Walter Sloan. I've
| Unanswered so long To bring. you two to-
| gcther. and now 10 think that she should get
| this absurd whim in her head"
| Il say, Marion" exclaimed the Young
| gentle man addressed, Ii Miss Nining j.
| cbambermaid, why can't I b. cOacnInan"'
But perhaps Miss wilbur don't keep q
| carriage"
IN trust that to my luck, which has been
| bad so long It's time for change. II she
hasn' I any use for coachman, IN offer 10
!
| SONG 10 tie cheated out Of my cHauce OF tue
| EeiresS without a struggle"
| Its Fortunate that she don't know YOU.
| / declare, Walter. if you play your part
| well don't see what's 10 hinder Won win
| ming tie day. Clara l. the most romantic
| glrl YOU ever saw. You mustn't cultivate
coaci mar sn!p at the expense o. romance AID
| good looks"
Walter Sloan. the spendthriCt aud afven-
| turIr. thought his luck had certainly turnel
| when he found that Miss wilbur Kept a car
70 rfr .-f
| for a cons Iteration, To sham siCka few daVs
| and recOmmit him ia his place.
He had few acq saintauccs I'm the city. and
calculated on having 10 difficulties in
| Miss Wilbur was an old mail, according
| 10 the most angular understanding o. Inc
| word. She did not look a though she had
| ever heeu anything else. She early discov-
! cred that her new chamber maid was not Al
| adept 10 her business. Bridget MelOne, as
| the glIl called herself, could nei thcr make "A
| bed nor sweep a room properly and Clara
| received the full beuefiL OF being .noboiv''
once IN Ter lie; for Miss wilbur, while she
| would keep her, bee Ruse Of her ind Inference
| about wages, lectured her Unsparingly for
| her ignorance OF the duties She pretended TO
! De able 10 perform, in fact, Miss Wilbur's
| To- que was 80 sharp sometimes as 10 bring
| the tears To Clara's face.
| Miss WilGUrs own maid, who was a very
| nice, lady like sort of a person, bat some
| what ShreWiSh Ike her mistress, did duty in
| Ike manner whenever that lady was not
| on guard.
| Msauwhile Clara. I'm spite Other unSklllfal-
| ness, PLAY ei SO ar;fullY as 10 deceive even
| walter Sloan, who took the lady's maid for
| The helresss AID paid her such assiduous
| courtshlp as bade fair 10 melt that fair crea-
lures scruples about marrying coachman.
| 81 hope" said Miss Wilbur, sharply, one
| morning. you'll manage TO keep my neph-
| ews apartments in decent order while he
stays. shall be very much displeaSei il
| you 90 rot; Mi. ' erner Is so particular"
| She did not observe the start Bridget cave.
ard would have been utterly at loss Tor its
\ meaning II she had.
| 81 don't care" declared Bridget, as soon a.
she was alone; I'm stay all the same, n IL
is Lucien Werner. IL he recognizes me, III
pretend to have lost my money"
| She was watching from the upper landing
| when he came, and lt was Lucien Werner.
/ she TOOK 10 dowdying herself after that as
| much as poe Siole, and went about her duties
win sn old hood pulled over her face. She
| did not really know whether she wanted To
| be recognized or bot. Somebody else had
| recognized Werner also. Walter Sloan ut
tered an oath when he found who Miss Will
| bur's nephew was.
"If he recognizes my heiress, and she finds
athe didn't write that letter after all, II
| might make difference"
| He had made good progress, however, with
| The lady : maid, Miss King as she was called,
| and for fear Werner, WHO was 8n old ac-
qualntanee, should recognize him, he sum-
| moEed the real coachfnan back TO his place.
after having expedited his business with
| Miss King by asking and receiving her con-
| sent TO become his wife.
| Marion Barclay was in raptures a. the re-
| port OF his success. But both Were anxious
| while the heiress and Lucien Werner re-
| manned under the same roof.
| Lucien Werner, meanwhile, without real y
| having any suspicious regarded Miss Bridget
| with manifest uneasimess and curiosity.
| Every movement, every transient glimpse
| OF this girl, whose face he had seen but once
| and only for moment then, reminded him
| OF one 10 whom ali the devotion OF his man
| hood had gone forth beyond recall.
l The contamination OF this little came at
| cross purposes came IN this fashion:
| Bridget had not been in attendance in the
| dining room since the arrival OF Mr.. Yer
| ner, owing TO the fact that Miss Wilbur was
| afraid TO trust her there.
| On Christmas day, an hour before dinner
| The girl who usually WAITED was taken i'll,
| and Bridget was summoned 10 I'll her pace.
| With inward CONSERVATION and outward
| equanlmity, She prepared 10 do SO. aud was
| standing demurely at her post when Miss
| Wilbur and her nephew entered.
1 Lucien WERNER hesitated one puzzled in
slant, then he advanced, pale WITH surprise
| and joy, and extended his hand.
| "Miss Nining2f;
al am so glad you have tired of that foolish
| masquerading business. dear" said Marion
| Barclay 10 her friend Miss Winning one morn
| ing, as Clara, restored to her own arfsto-
| cratic belongings, rocked softly To and fro in