The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-04-25

Dcl"eel tlle 1--we allll lllle, uliillelllOlSelle,
and that directly, for you know Polly is
clamorous for an answer"
81 believe I will go; perhaps Boston
! may be nicer than think. 1t is awfully
slow, am sure.
"Madge!'
81 can't help it, aunty; I don't know
what else to call it. Shall say tristc 81
"Foreign aifectation is quite as bad as
slang, and not half as natural
"Oh, aunty, what two-edged sword
you are must 60 to Boston to purify
my English, see.'
"Hello, Madge! p and a small boy
burst into the room with a bounce that
is native to small boys. "Oh, Miss Rop-
er, such a lark If you had heard Madge
give it to him! She was stunning, tell
you," and wicked Master Jack began his
lit of "Highland Nora again.
"You horrid little wretch Come
away directly" shrieked Madge, coloring
to the tips Of her ears. "You'n kill
aunty's poor head"
"Oh, indeed I" feebly squeaked poor
Jack, as he was hustled smartly out OF
the room, while Miss Euphemia laughed
till the tears stood in her eyes, and said,
softly: "Children and fools speak truth.
truly"
; Jack went home the next day; he was
only q school-boy cousin come for the
holidays, and the luckless- child had
abridged his own pleasure unawares; but
the rare delight of tormenting his beau
tiful cousin was a temptation too enti-
cling to resist. And Madge was teased;
she hated the sight of the boy, and made
her Journey to Boston the excuse for his
radiance. But the thorn he had left be-
hind was we'll planted; the piquant bal
lad haunted Madge, and flushed her face
many time when it's lifting measures
returned to mock her.
! So to Boston she went, to her dear
friend Polly, and found that proper and
intellectual city nightly agreeable.
Beaux she had by the dozen, but there
were none like Mr.. Schenck; none SO de-
voted. SO elegant, SO noble-looking. She
missed the daily bunch of fragrant violets
on her dressing-table; she missed the
selection of new books that showed al
ways how he OWNED her tastes, the fore
stalling of her faintest caprices, the de-
votion that was too delicate to obtrude
itself, the homage that was sincere yet
courtly.
Chow young all your gentlemen
friends are, Polly = she said to her friend
one day, after an evening at which at
least dozen sets OF English whiskers
had vibrated about her and been pulled
before her, MS if paying kind of myster-
ious kowtow to the latest goddess.
"That's fault they will mend of,
Madge," laughed Polly. "Even in
dear old Boston W. have to grow up, and
be Hterati to boot
"But I do so hate boys !" sighed
Madge.
"And boys do so adore you! !" mock
ed Polly.
Madge blushed, and sighed. Why
did she think of Mr.. Schenck?
In the meantime, there in New York,
Aunt Phemy had q visitor now and then.
Mr.. Schenck knew his friends, and never
neglected them; he was least of all like
ly to set aside Miss Roper; but she
never alluded to him in her letters to
Madge, and that young lady had already
decided in her OWE mind that her suitor
had taken himself off to parts unknown
to stife his anguish by absence. Ii
Madge had so good an opinion of her
own powers, can she be blamed? So
bewitching rs she had proved herself,
should this man be the exception to her
rule?
One night there was to be a great and
gay party, to which the friends could not
fail to 60, and Madge took unusual pains
to render herself lovely for the occasion.
A new Paris robe was unfolded from its
boxes and wrappings for the occasion !;
the delicate glittering pale green silk
mingled and mixed with equally delicate
apricot and films of Malines lace, was
wonderfully adapted to her peculiar col
oring and style; and in her red-brown
hair, and here and there about the dress,
clusters of tea rose buds perfumed the
air as she moved, and harmonized with
her dress in every tint; besides these,
her sole ornament was necklet of great
opals set in black enamel.
"Madge, you are miracle to be-
hold" exclaimed Polly, us she behe!d
her. "You have given your mind to it
as much as ever Mr.. Toots did. Woe to
the Boston boys tonight, my dear
Even Miss Dorr won't hold candle to
you"
Pretty Polly, fresh and swees as a
June rose in her white silk and pink
corals, deserved comment herself; but
she was willing, fully, to be extinguishcd
by Mad%e Roper, whom she worshipel,
as one girl will worship another. So she
put the fur lined wrap over her friends
shoulders with an amusing travesty of a
fond, proud mothers care.
AS they went down to the carriage,
Polly said, abruptly
"Oh, my dear, to think I should have
forgotten Lucretia Adams told me to-
day, in at Copeland's, while you were
talking to Ned, that there is to be new
man at Mrs. Hopes to-night-a New
Yorker, too; such an elegant creature
Lu raved about him, his manners and
customs, his face, his money, and 1
don't know what more. l wonder if you
know him."
"What is his name?" said Madge,
seating herself carefully in the carriage,
in awe of her fresh draperies apparent
ly, really smitten by strange thrill OF
curiosity.
81 declare, I don't know. He's cap
tive of Hope DORIS, they say the
tenth Muse, as the aesthetics call her.
Madge was reassured. She could
not, Of course, know any of Miss DORIS
adorers; but as she sat down, an hour
otter, to rest little from long walk, a
little buzz and motion about the door of
the reccption-room attracted her, and
looking up, she saw, rs the guests part
ed to admit their entrance-N1r. Schenck; :;
and on his arm the most beautiful of
women.
Tall, fair, with stainless snowy skin,
and hair of living gold, Hope DORIS
Greek features were indeed the very
outlines of ancient sculpture, with the
inspired expression of lofty intellect
beaming from her great cool gray eyes
and calm lips; and her simple statuesque