Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-04-27

adapted to her peculiar coloring and style
and in her red-broWn hair, and here and
there about the dress, clusters of tea rose
buds perfilmad the air as she moved, anC
llarmonized with her dress in every tint
besides these, her sole ornament was q
necklet Of great opals set in black enamel
"Madge, you are a miracle to behold y
exclaimed Polly, as she beheld her. ~ on
have given your mind to it as much as ev-
er Mr. Toots did. Woe to the Boston
boys tonight, my dear! Even Miss Dorr
won't hold candle to you"
Pretty Polly, fresh and sweet as a June
rose in her white silk and pink corals
willing, fully, to be extinguished by Madge
Roper, whom she worshiped, as one girl
will worship another So she put the fur
lined wrap over her friends shoulders with
an amusing trayesty Of a fond, proud moth
er's care.
AS they went down to the carriage, Pol
" said abruptly:
''Oh, my dear, to think I should have
forgotten! Lucretia Adams told me to-
day, in at Copelands while you were talk
ing to Ned, that there is to be new man
at Mrs. Hopes to-nlght-a New Yorker,
too; such an elegant creature! Lu raved
about him, his manners and customs, his
face, his money, and don't know what
more. l wonder if you know him."
"What is his name ?" said Madge, seat
ing herself carefully in the carriage, in awe
of her fresh draperies apparently, really
smitten by a strange thrill of curiosity.
II declare I don't know. He's a captive
of Hope DORIS, they say the tenth Muse
as the aesthetics call her.
Madge was treasured She could not,
Of course, know any of Miss DORIS ador-
ers; but as she sat down. an hour after,
TO rest little from long walk, a little buzz
and motion about the door of the reception
room attracted her, and looking up, she
saw, as the guests parted to admit their
entrance-Nr. Schenck; and on his arm
the most beautiful OF women.
Tall, fair, with q stainless snowy skin,
AID hair Of living gold, Hope DORIS Greek
features were indeed the very outlines Of
ancient sculpture, with the inspired ex-
preston of lofty intellect beaming from
her great, cool, gray eyes and calm lips;
and her simple, statuesque dress of luster-
less white silk, utterly without ornament,
fell about her like the dlaperies of
Praxiteles.
| Madge's heart sunk. How she despised
her French fripperies, her pulled and
creped hair, her jeWels-herself! What
was her girlish, laughing, rosy beauty be-
side this GOODIES from Olympus, stately as
Juno and lovely as Venus, and, OH! eli
max of fate! leaning on Nh. Schenck's
arm with gentle condescension, and an,
I swering what he said with a serene and
lofty smile!' ,,r, uearr. TOO the
dapser youth who approached her, card in
hand, for the promised galop! How he
'dwarfed beside her old lovers manly as
pect and noble manner! Poor Madge! AS
she rose to do her duty, she met Mr..
Schenck's eye. He bowed courteously, but
coolly, and, to her rage and disgust, she
felt the color steal upward to her bright
locks, and she had wild impulse to drag
the luckless youth at her side out Of the
door, and bury him and herself at once in
the first snow drift. But who ever heard
Of impulses at a party? The galop was pro-
perly danced, and her already filled card of
engagements gone through with; but in
all the long evening Mr.. Schenck never ap-
preached her, and she went home in a
state of mind that alarmed Polly and dis
gusted herself.
II am tired and cross, DEAR" she said at
last. Don't talk to me. Ill be good to-
morrow, but [ might bite you tonight; 1
feel like it,.
So Polly kissed her with dumb amaze
ment in her pleasant eyes, and went meek
ly off to bed.
The scene, however. was by no means
the last. She met Mr.. Schenck at the best
houses in Boston, and always with Miss
Dorr. While she herself danced and chat
tered with the young people, she saw these
two the center of attention to distinguish
ed men and women. She perceived the
consideration and honor in which Mr..
Schenck was held, and the Difference paid
to Miss Dorr; and when the gentleman
separated himself from his compeers to ad-
dress few courteous words to her occa-
sionally, she felt it to be an effort Of polite
ness, and wondered bitterly how she could
haze been suc! fool-hoW she could have
been so blind. '-..
bQ1 hot
Aunt Phemy bided her time in the sunny
chamber at home; better still that she had
put her tiny old finger into the wheel OF
Madge's fortunes and given it an impetus
her way; for the day came before long
when MI Schenck could maintain his as
sumed role no longer, when Madge found
out that Miss Hope Dorr was his own
cousin, and when Aunt Phemy received
feom Boston the following note:
"OH, YOU DEAREST AUNTY II know
} you will open your eyes SO wide you can't
half shut them again, and you will say all
sorts of bitter-sweet. things to your dear,
bad, weak minded girl; but, aunty, | can't
help it, l know l said [ never, never
would, but don't mind that. I've fallen
awfully, desperately i'll love, and some time
! L am gong 10 UG lndTI1tu-Ou. AuUUy rec!
to Mr.. Schenck. There! Your own
sMADGE."
And Aunt Phemy both laughed and
cried; but Jack turned somersault when
six months after, he read the marriage no
tice in a New York paper. And Madge
found letter waiting for her on her re-
turn from the bridal tour, in which was
copied, in big round hand, the last two
lines of Highland Nora,' and the signif-
cant and emphasized phrase beneath them:
II never WILL
am afraid he never WAS invited to The