The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-11-14
STELLA.

STELLA.
/.
Stella stands before the glass, her head
daintily poised on one side, her eyes soft
and dewy, delicate flush staining the
pure ivory of her oval cheek, a conscious
smile parting the moist coral of her lips
"a pretty picture of soft, conscious,
youthful vanity, which yet is not all van
ity, but something deeper and purer and
higher.
SWELL" says mocking voice behind
her, "is the new hat becoming, my dear
Will all the young men stare at her and
fall in love with her when they see it ?
Upon my word, Stella, l do think you
are the vainest girl l ever knew. Mr..
Vane was right when he said so, though
did rate him soundly for it."
"Mr. Vane said so?'
The pretty flush fades from Stella s
cheek as she utters the words in a tone
of hurt surprise the sweet eyes are visit
full as she turns them on her cousin s
dark, handsome face. Then sudden
wave OF crimson breaks over cheek and
forehead as she cries, /" don't believe
it. Why should he say such athing?"
"Why?" retorts Aggie, with a mock
ing laugh. "The reason is not far TO
seek, 1 Think, considering how you were
flirting with Charlie Lester under his
very nose yesterday. If you wantto hear
what more he said, take it. You are a
fiirt of the worst kind, it appears. You
care for nothing but admiration, and
would swallow any amount of flattery,
ne matter how coarse or how palpably
false it may be.''
Stella's color has faded quite away
now, as she looks at her cousin, and q
crystal haze glazes suspiciously the
wide-open blue eyes with which she
gazes at her.
How can you be so unkind, Aggie P"
asks sturdy, fair-haired boy who is
reading in corner. CO You KNOW
What more he would have said is
stopped upon his lips, as Aggie swoops
suddenly down upon him, and catches
from his hands the paper he has been
reading.
"Another of these outrageous story
papers!n she cries, vindictively. "I'll
tell mamma; declare will. You know
she has forbidden your reading them,
Tom, and you'll be finely punished for
your dis0bedience and deceit.''
Here! you give that back!" cries
Tom, wrestling vainly with his tall SIS
ter, who holds the paper far out of his
reach, laughing in hooking triumph as
she does so.
Stella escapes from the room in the
midst OF the confusion, just as Tom,
ceasing his vain efforts, looks sulkily at
Aggie.
"Never you mind, Miss Aggie!" he
says; "I'll be even with you yet-see if
l amt. There's that whopper you told
Stella, to begin with. If you'll give me
back that paper, 1 won't peach; but if
you don't, you'd better look out.n
Aggie hesitates moment, then bursts
into hooking laugh, and losses the
paper to Tom.
'sThere, take it," she says. "Don't
be goose, Tom. only wanted to
tease you. If mamma does find out,
you needn't take it for granted it was /
who told her. Stella is more in that
line than To-
4" Stella, indeed!" grumbles Tom to
nmseii, STOPPING to pick up the paper
as Aggie leaves the room. "I'd like to
see Stella sDeaking round telling tales of
3 fellow. If you try to make other peo-
pie believe such bosh as that, I'll serve
you out for it-see if l don't, Miss Ag-
gie."
Stella Harding is an orphan, has been
an orphan since her babyhood, and her
home is with her aunt, Mrs. Marsh, the
mother OF Aggie and Tom. Outwardly
the cousins are the best of friends; in.
wardly too, on Stella's side. If there
are reserves in Aggie's affections, the |
younger girl has never suspected the
fact, but has poured out her innocent
thoughts, her girlish secrets and conf
dences, in full assurance of perfect SYM
patty. Only within two months have
feelings been stirring in her bosom to
which she could give no name even to
herself; only since the light of Regi-
Maid Vane's dark eyes has reused her
rom her dreamy musings to feel the
sweetness OF woman's real life. Only
vague, underlined feeling as yet-a feeling
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