The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-02-28
WHEN HELEN PAINTED.


handkerchief: Richard Warner pickc,
up the dainty lace tritie and gave il
back into the little pink-gloved hand
from which it had slipped. In return
for the service he received smile, a
bow. and musical "thank YOU"
"A very iine-looking fellow-that
Young Warner-don't YOU think so, Mr..
Stickney?" she asked, arching her pref
~ brows in a very patronizing manner,
rs her fathers clerk passed on.
'Passable.H replied the young man
addressed. lifting, with exquisite tact
and grace. an eye-glass to the weakes,
of his weak eyes, and scrutinizing War.
nor through it with one of those long,
aristocratic stares peculiar to well-bred
people. But who is hep
Now Mr.. Stickney didn't ask the
question for information. He knew, as
well as he knew that the habit of wear
ing No. 4 Qadies' Sizc) CATERS was Civ.
ing him some most cNcruciating corns,
that gentleman about whom they
were conversing was only salarietl
clerk in the employ of his pretty COM
panion' wealthy father.
''Oh. he's nobody, to be sure! But
father has some very eccentric notions,
and insists upon our asking him to all
our parties. as much rs though he were
Il Young Lord
Mr.. Warner had made the circuit of
the room again during this CONVERSE
ton. and was approaching the place
where they StoOd-this time with Miss
Adelaide l.orimer on his arm. There
couldn't have been greater contrast
had some little roseate morning cloud
taken it into its head to run away with
its grandfather, the midnight, than
there was between the abOve-named
couple-Warncr, with his tall, proud
figure. in the suit of well-worn. but
glossy, black broadcloth; his dark,
handsome, manly face and magnificent
black eyes and Adelaide-slight.
sylph-like; sunshine in her robes of
some white, gossamer fabric, in her
violet eyes. rose-tinted cheeks, and
soft curls floating to her waist like a
golden mist.
They looked well together, ncverthe-
less, and Miss Helen angrily bit line
of milky little teeth into the rose of her
under lip on seeing them in each other S
company. She had been thinking for
the past few minutes what nice per-
son Mr.. Warner would be to fiirt with.
She was tired of the yellow mustache.
weak-eyes and insipid gallantrics of her
devoted Augustus, and though she in
tended in the course of time to become
Mrs. Stickney, unless some sutton Will,
an extra thousand happened along, she
couldn't see why for that reason she
might not entertain herself by breaking
the heart of her fathers handsome clerk
in the meantime.
What right had Miss Adelaide to step
in thus unceremOniously between her
and her intended victim? 1t was down
right mean, and she wouldn't submit to
it. Somehow, by some careless motion
of the lady's wrist, her jeweled fan was
jostled from its place, and sliding down
her long skirt of rose-colored satin, fell
gentleman was passing. Of course he
could do no less than disengage his
arm from his companions and restore
the misplaced article. (Mr. Stickney
had turned his head for fear of an in
troduction). and of course he saw nc
attempt at fascination in the beaming
glance with which Miss Hclcn's superb
eyes acknowledged the pOliteness. Oi
course, too, he failed to be aware of any
art in the way that charming young
lady managed to engage him in a senti-
mental conversation, or any cOquettisll
maneuver in the skillful manner in
which it came about that almost before
he knew it, Miss Adelaide was prone.
mailing the room with Mr.. Stickncy,
and her naughty sister was clinging, a
bewildering and affable substitute, t.
the sleeve Of his plebeian coat.
Perhaps, however, he noticed the lit
tie shadow of disappointment which
fitted over Adelaide's pretty face, a.
the evening drew to close, and he
found no chance to speak with hel
again. How could she know that il
was not his inclination, but Miss Helen
that held him captive? At any rate, he
muttcred to himself in the solitude OF
his chamber that night,
"How provoking it was! Helen:
face may have the most artistic beauty
but Adelaide's is sweet as an angel 8
wonder when Lorimer intends to rails,
my salaryr'
At the same moment Miss Helen
languidly disrobing herself, was re
marking, with a wearisome yawn which
stretched her little rose of mouth to
width that might have surprised hel
delicate and fastidious Augustus, tina
that Warner was a presuming fellow
and came near making love to her
She would take him down little, if sh,
died for it. She did wish Stickne,
would dye his mustache;;" while AIDE
laide, listening with burning cheeks
snuggled her golden head down deepe
into the great downy pillows, and let tn
embroidered sleeve of her night rob
fall across her face in such way as {.
conceal the suspicious glitter of some
thing very like to tears on her silkel
lashes, and which made her blue eye
look like May violets after a dash o
summer rain has sprinkled the mead
ows.
Mr.. Richard Warner went to tn
PostOffice one morning and got letter
Avery important-looking document j
was-thick, awkward and with a foreigl
post-mark. He had only two CORE
spondents in the world-his mothe
and his Cousin Lizzie. And he turne,
tHc StTaLSc cpIstlc OVER TWO or tire
times in his hand before opening il
knowing that it came from neither Q
them, and wondering where and VIII
it could be from.
He broke the seal in the street; rea
few lines and turned white: a fe,
more and turned red; a few more an
started on dead run down the street
making be-crinolined ladies stare an
bundle-laden errand boys dodge on
side; knocking the breath out Of tw
or three corpulent gentlemen's bodies
and giving q broad leap over the bac
of an old apple-woman who was stoop
ing by her fruit-stand to pick up
stray bit Of change, and who looke'
up just IN season to soc the gentleman