St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1879-05-03

can flank that sultan of brother of
mine!"
There was a sparkle in Miss Sgd
ney's dark eyes, and a little culver
of true womanly shame on her ex-
quisite moutlA
"But, Iva, tell me one thing--,lo.
Has Mr.. Hope the faintest idea ho'v
I-how I-ad,nire-his picture:
: Oh. Iva, / should die with sIiame if
thought he knew 1 had given him
an unsousht. an unasked heart
But Iva was not disposed to hn-
NOR Florence's tender modification.
"Oh, Flo, its SO perfectly glori-
! GUS to think what we shall do with
Rutherford. He shall fall in love
with you, in spite of his imperial
opinion to the contrary. He has
never seen you, or even your pic
ture, and he shall think that You
are Nellie st. Laurence. and that
Nellie is You. l viii send her u
note this minute, explaining that l
want her to persoSate You as Ruth
erford thinks you--hateful, naughty
and simperine. Oh, Flo! and you
must be the graceful, reserved dar-
ling that you really are, only my
brother shall think you are poor,
and Lat your name is Nellie ST.
Laurence. The masquerade will
suit Nellie to death, for she is u
limb for fun"
Florence had listened gravely,
with the warm blood suffusing her
, cheeks.
1T would be fine, Iva. if it was
not that | am SO ashamed of laying
such deliberate siege to your bro
theirs heart. Ii he ever should find
it out"
Iva jumped up briskly.
(which he won't. Now YOU stay
here in this room, and I'll drive
over to Nellies instead of writing,
and bring her back with me; and
my astute. stubborn, magnificent
brother will never be the wiser, or
know who is which"
Three hours later two young la
dies We're sauntering up and down
the grassy croquet lawn, one of
them Iva Hope, and the other II
very deliberately gotten-np pers IN.
with a saucy retrousse nose, and
fringes of straight dark hair haug-
ing over her forehead.
On the lawu-step of the piazza,
a delicate, graceful young girl was
sitting, dressed in a plain lav,n lar
percale, and looking lovesome, and
lovely. too, Rutherford Hope
thought, as the tableau attracted
his attention.
He threw his cigar away rs Iva
came beaming up to him, accom-
panied by the young lady in her
heavy, trailing silk dress. and bare
arms loaded with bracelets.
Rutherford, I want to present
you to my dearcs: friend, Miss
Sydney. Flo-my brother, Mr..
Hope"
The heiress bowed and giggled,
and Rutherford took a swift invent
DRY of her, physically and mentally,
rs he salaamed before her, and ex-
pressed a wish that she reveled in
exuberant health.
"Oh. yes, I'm pretty well, thank |
you. I'm never sick-am /, Iva?"
: Rutherford gave Iva a look she |
interpreted exactly: then he glanced
at tie slight, graceful girl on the
steps. caressing a pet greyhound of
his
"You have another friend, Iva?"
Iva glanced indifferently at her
'Oh, yes; she came over this
we knew her at school. /
She thinks something of taking the |
during vacation, and per-
fecting their German"
Miss Sydney twisted one of her
heavy rings consp;cuously.
whatever she had to come for
now l don't see, unless she had an
idea your handsome brother would |
be home"
She smiled straight in Ruther-
ford's face, and he turned away
with a look of disgust that he made I