Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-05-15
DEMETER'S DAUGHTER,


fond of patronizing talent. When Mr..
Kemblc had given his Sir Anthony Abb
solute and Sir Peter Tcazle, Mrs. DE
Lettante went about among her guests
and explained that she had still another
pleasure in store for them: Miss Hilda
Wicse would now recitc. Miss Wicsc
was n dcbutnntc. but they would see
she had great possibilities. MIR. kem-
BILE had spoken 10 her of the young
lady, who intended to become pro
fessional reader; he was enthusiastic in
her praise
So. after n brief interval. young
girl was led forward, who rccited por-
tions of Elaine's beautiful and touching
story with native ease and grace. She
stood in the third of the suite of rooms
that opened one into another. Behind
her was background of white flowers
arranged on graduated steps, a mass of
hyacinths chiefly and daifodils Git was
! spring. She was IA flower of spring
herself with the ineilable glory and
charm of youth about her: serene, wide
brow, from which heavy dark hair was
swept to one side; the outlines of her
fa q pure and harmonious, and strong
rather than delicate; in her cheeks the
| fresh, steady color that rarely outlasts
| girlhood. She wore quantity simple
! black silk gown, the sleeves cut to the
elbows and fleecily ruilled with white;
! the same white effect Mt her throat.
| Her voice was rich and soft and full.
! Her recitation charmed there was n
murmur of pleased surprise. When she
had done she simply fell back u step or
two against the tiers of flowers. She
helped herself to n dafrodil. and stood
carclcssly swinging it. listening Ia some
thing kind which the clocutionist said
To her.
Presently Mrs DE Lcttantc came up
with tail, fair young man Of studi-
Gus aspect, whom she made known to
Miss Wiesc as DR.. Douglass. As this
young man bowed in acknowledgment
of the introduction. he said 10 himself.
" Dcmeter's daughter, fair and free"
out of a sweet rhymc-boOk of his sisters.
"You gave me great deal of pleas
ure," he said. with touch of the self
confidence of youth in the worth Of its
own praise.
did I7 am very glad"
AS for Mrs. De l.cttantc she is
fairly ruillcd with complac"ncy at hav-
ing sponsored you"
Mrs. De Icttantc has been very good
to me-"
You have repaid her. She Is the
woman in search of \ mission Look
at her now, magnctizing that little dark
man with those restless hazel eyes of
hers"
"Shc is very gracious and handsome"
Extremely So in her sweeping satin
rnbcs-Nile green you ladies call that
color. do you not9-statcly, dark haired,
fair-skinncd. | wonder who the ugly
little man is?'
MIR. Kcmble told mo. He is n
FrenClman. duke. His father was
made duke by the emperor at Sol
ferino He inhcrits the title"
Pastcboard nobility"
There has to be beginning 10 every
thing. Bravery is its own pedigree.
Did you ever hear what Nadir replied
when 'Dclhi's throne inquired the an
ccstry' of his son'
"a Ny child ia noble, TOR. though lowly horn,
lie ia the son and grandson Of the sword"
Her simple enthusiasm was contagious.
mo doubt you and Nadir-is that
his nAmc?-are right. Here comes Mrs.
DE Lcttante with her duke. lie is like
Jacob-he halts on his thigh"
The Duo de Bonnc Fortune was pre-
sented in his turn. He was not an nt-
tractivc parsonage, upon the whole: ne
you have gathered. little and dark, and
very lame lie was n man who had
lived in the world and for the world, and
his life had left no impress of any lofty
impulse upon lis face; on the contrary.
there were lines Of craft and guile around
his mouth and eyes He was no longer
young, but he looked older than his
actual age. Still he showed traces of
the old-world civilization he had sprung
from; there was n gny sparkle and
vivacity about his conversation which
disposed Hilda in his favor. All women
like to be amused. Besides. in her up
, right vigor she felt divine compass
sion" for his IL trinity.
DIR. Douglass driftrd away with Mrs.
DE I.ettantc. who said, going: "Do you
know Mrs. Wiese? There she is. all by
herself In that corner. OF course she Is
almost stranger here. I asked her for
the daughters sake. l wish you would
talk TO her
Douglass agreed readily. Douglass
was not singular in his alacrity to be
civil TO the mother of beautiful daugh-
ter. And Mrs. Wicse proved to he
charming on her own account-litcrally
> charming. with the unhackncycd and
fresh cheerfulness of n child. She had n
primrose face"-a phrase like to bor-
row from Owen Meredith to describe n
certain type Of face that never entirely
, loses its youth-with ready smiles. and
NbAtts tlttl FNfss baI, III
her case, sunny chestnut hair (the color
ing should he brighD. An electric
spark was struck between Douglass ard
herself. She liked young men in de-
lightful, mothcrly way. that always
bore in mind her own halfTown boys.
And young men invariably liked her.
, She talked frankly to Douglass; among
other things. abont her husbands deli-
cate health and failing sight. Douglass
had made speciality of diseases OF the
eye and lent sn intelligent interest. lie
said he should be honored If Mrs. Wiese
would permit him to call upon herself
and her husband he did not add. land
your daughter" although at that very
moment his gaze was resting on the
: calm young Persephone in the next
room. who. still idly twirling her snowy
daffodil, was talking to the pasteboard
duke.
Later in the evening Douglass fell In