Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-10-18
TAKING HER DOWN.

w est End. The handSOmer OF the two
Maude PiersOn, wore a travelling dress of
brown merinO and was evidently resting
after journey.
In spite of certain languor born of
fatigue, and her unbecoming dress, the
girl was undeniably q beauty, of a gorge
Gus brunette type. Her companion,
passing pretty, was of the same dark
tint, but smaller in figure, and far from
possessing Maude's beauty.
Tell me about everybody" Maude
said. " am fairly hungry for gossip
after negotiating nearly two years in that
abominable country hole with my aunt
She has left me an ample fortune, how
ever, so the time was not altogether
thrown away"
"Dead? cried her companion. You
are not in mourning, and-why, Maude,
you said you were going to lady Raj
ston's this evening"
4" So l am. Aunt Maria has been
dead six months, and requested me not
10 wear black and to return to town in
November. But, Cora, tell me the news.
Who has been the belle of our set since
left Y
You conceited girl n' laughed her
friend.
Bah What is the use of duplici-
ty? For, between ourselves, | should
be an idiot if | did not know | was
handsome. How is Lord Frederick
SEYMOUR"
Zone question at time, though |
can answer these two together The
belle has been the object of Lord Fred
erick Seymour's special devotion since
she made her debut last mouth. Mrs.
Hursey introduced her. She is a niece,
| believe, of old Mrs Mortimer, who
died three years ago and left her all her
money"
" But who is she?'
Her name is Neutrality-suspicious.
Worthington"
Esther Worthington?" cried Maude,
sharply What is she like"
Tall, slender, very fair, with delicate
features, and Enthusiastically a beauty,
who signs exquisitely and having been
on the continent with Mrs. Mortimer,
speaks two or three modern languages
with tluency."
How old ?"
About your age, Ijudge-twenty-four
or FIVE"
Maude broke into harsh laugh.
Mis- Mortimer's niece?" she cried,
well that is rich And so young
Lord Frederick Seymour is in love with
herr
He IS certainly very devoted Every
body thinks it will be match"
A match ~ cried Maude, in another
burst of knocking merriment. " Lord
Frederick Seymour and Esther Wor-
Ellington Well, well! l tell you" she
said, with a touch of sarcasm in her
tones, " it will not be Il match | will
take her down."
What do you mean"
Will this belle be at Mrs Ralston's
this evening""
Probably But do tell me, Maude,
what you know about her"
II know enough to cool Lord Fred
erick Seymour's ardor," said Maude,
and he shall earn the truth. To
think of that girls daring to move in
our set r
well as to that" Cora replied,
being handsome, accomplished re-
fined, heiress to double your fortune,
Maude, / can not see where the au-
dacity comes in, especially as Mrs.
Hursey has her for a guest, and we all
know how particular she is. The Sey-
mOur's themselves are not prouder than
the HurSeys."
You wait until this evening | sup
pose the girl thinks nobody mere knows
her. I'll humble her! She won't at
tend any more fashionable parties after
I've told my story"
But what is your story?"
You'll hear tonight"
Tell me now" Cora said, coax
ingly;
No. Let me lie down awhile and
rest, or / shall look like a ghost this
evening"
A very brilliant ghost it would have
been to resemble Maude Person, as
she entered Lady Ralston's saloon a
few hours later. An evening dress
of garnet velvet, cut to display the
beautifully rounded shoulders and
arms, and trimmed with rich black
lace, ornaments of diamonds, and a
cluster of white flowers in the ietty
braids of hair, all heightened her queen
ly beauty.
Looking across the crowded room,
she recognized her rival in a tall, slen-
der girl, who wore white lace over
peach-colOred satin, and ornaments OF
fretted gold Lord Frederick Seymour
was already in attendance, apparently
for he was leading this lady to the
head of quadrille just forming wher
Maude entered. The sight stimulated
anew all the hatred of Esther Worth
ington that had been reused by Cora's
description.
A cold hearted, calculating woman
devoted to dress, wealth and luxury
selfish to her hearts core. carrying the
smiling face of a belle over a bitter envy
of all more fortunate than herself
Maude Pierson had never felt the touch
of womanhood until her heart opened
to Lord Frederick Seymour.
An orphan, dependent upon an aunt
devoted to the frivoities of fashion
Maude's education had been superfic.
ial, and an undue value had been given
in her thoughts to the advantages Of
birth position and fortune.
IS Person was very proud of the
blde blood in her own veins; anC
Maude's success as a belle was as much
triumph TO her aunt as to herself
When the long illness set in thai
drove Miss Pierson to the seclusion and
quiet of a country home, her niece haG
begun to hope that the attentions o.
!" Lord Fred were more than those
called for by the ordinary requirements
Of society.
Ii had been great blow to her to be
suddenly whirled out of the vortex OF