New-York tribune., 1880-02-22
LADY ADELAIDE
A STUDY.
STUDY.
RY l. B WALFORD.
AUTHOR OF "cousISs" AND MIR sMITH-A PART of
MS I1FF"


,is Whatever one does,-if il be but the
vcriest triae. something that even Lady Adj
elaiJe could accomplish herself without too
uucb trouble.-it is sure to obtain that all
embracing epithet | do not believe her voca-
hillary could supply any other note OF admira-
tion. She never rises above it, and never falls
below. When she heard that Captain webb
had swum across the Channel, and that had
worked a crochet anti-macassar, she said OF us
both, d" HoW clever ="
Her friend laughed.
is il not provoking, AnneT
Provoking? Perhaps; il it were worth be-
ing provoked about
.you think il is notP But you don't know
tn Won have been tried l had rather endure
one good sword-cut and have done with 1t,
than he the victim of a thousand lancet-pncks.
How often did you hear that little soft ejacu-
lation during the last half-hourY Be on your
honor, Anne.
More than once, confess
And you had noticed it
. yes, had
.Woll. was it not, as said called forth by
oroat and small, something's and nOthings
al,ke7 Was it not a most absurd comment,
most promiscuousy applied. by most stupid
woman 2 Come, Anne, join me; it will do you
eood--or if not, it viii do me good to hear
It. Say what you think, you prudent Anne
confess. break forth, you fountain of wisdom.
and overflow your banks like J0rdanl You
had noticed il. YOU had felt it all the time,
and vet Won shake your head, you knit your
broys Oh ! fear you not; | shall say my
saw. and moan my moan, and none shall stop
me. See. | am the better for 1t already! l
have not-upon my word, | have not felt so
cbaritablv disposed toward the poor dear lady
for long time
Anne. smiling That does you credit, surely.
The prick of pin stirs up this tempest, and
the TEMPEST subsidies with the same show OF
reason wherewith it arose. A storm in tea
cup. Lizzie Much ado about
Not nothing-not nothing, You tiresome
creature! You will not surely pretend to de-
clare that it is nOthingP
You will not surely venture to affirm that
it is something's
i affirm it, aud maintain 1t, Anne
Then You are little-foOlish, dear
And Won are a very great deal--exasperat-
ing, darling
Anne smiles, Elizabeth laughs. The door
opcns. and footman, with uncertain, be-
vildercd steps, approaches the upper end OF
the room.
'My lady's gloves, ma'am. Unccr the sofa,
or ON the mantelpiccc, or on the floor
The locality being so precisely described
he cannot fail TO find them immediately OBJ
serves his mistress, aside.
Look on the piano, William
On the piano the gloves are discovered,
and carried of, doubled up on salver
'Now it will be, "How cleuer" to have
found them so quickly aud with more grounds
for saving so than usual continues Mrs. Tres
ham, with curlcd lip. Anne, you might
have pity upon me. What may be amusing in
q friend. is torture from a relation. If Lady
Adelaide could only be metamorphOsed into
an ordinary acquaintance-a ncighbor even,
though not too near at hand-hOw jOytuiiy
would engage her in conversation, nor dream
Of attempting to clear single Cobweb of her
brainsr
'You woald simply dcSpise her more than
ever.
NO. 10, no; at least | think not
you would.
And have you no compassion? Yet would
crievc from my heart if you shorld ever have
tbe misfortune to he tackled on to a-Lady
Adelaide. What can say moref Yet DEFY
Won. even YOU, my mentor, to twist anything
uDdutltuI OF ul5fCSlcCtlui OuO vi S"Nh Z" '''nN
conclusion, such paltry climax
Anne, eravely-' She is very klnd-hear'ed
woman
so she Is
And You have no fault to fnd with her.
save that she calls gou clcverF
.Clerar. not cleuer. You missed the accent,
dear
is that her only faultq pcrseveres Anne.
I .ls 4 ,s.r,f Tor
as that Her only great fault, perhaps; her
only perpetual, eyer-recuring fault
'She has no other that you cannot condoneY ?
is not that one enouch2 began years ago
by being called a clever child, then was a
clever girl. and now | am clever woman.
was tired of the word before had ever seen
Lady Adelaide; now aIu perfectly sick OF 1t.
After all, Lizzie. what baby you areF
a baby, if you like. have 10 objection
at all to being called a baby. Nice, httle'
soft. fluffy things, made to be petted and kissed
But the other is term of abuse. positive
insult
'NonsenseV
1T is: 50 appl;ed by such lips. Nay, Anne,
sweet A1ne, frown not so seriously. 1t spoiis
tly dimpes Anne, comforts the brow, and dis
torts the mouth. l say it again, again, again
will not be called "clever7 woman
Anne One might he called worse thing
Ellzabath. confdentially-' But, good Anne,
one wcrd Were you ever tired of being called
prettyf
Lady Adelaide aud her low niece were, rs
may have been gathered by the foregoing dia-
logue, perhaps as ill suited to each other as it
was possible for any two people to be.
Elizabeth, gay, triumphant bride, in the