The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-03-11
MUSK AND PENNYR0YAl.

Miss Margaret Willis slapped her
maid in the face 'one morning as the
girl was dressing her hair. How
often must | tell you not to draw the
hair so tightly back from my fore
headp" she exclaimed. 1T must be
quite loose, though firmly held. You
make me fright"
1t was q soft hand, yet it could give a
singing blow, as Agnesia had learned
during the last few weeks, for such
blows were new in her experience with
Miss Willis, who till lately had been
the sweetest of mistresses. She said
nothing, however, but made haste to
loosen the brown hair over that snowy
forehead till Margaret's sharp "Cosi!"
told her that the right point had been
reached.
Miss Willis was already dressed, for
she had adopted the custom of the En-
press Eugenie of having her hair ar
ranged last. When it was finished she
rose, letting slip the large cambric man
tie that covered her, and went to take a
careful survey of herself in long mir
ror that stood between the two win
dows. The result could not have been
otherwise ;han pleasing. She wore a
long tunic of lace and muslin in stripes
over lavender silk, and rose-colored
bows on the half-open sleeves aid under
her lovely chin.
Mon cenlale," she owned; and,
drawing toward her a vase of large
pink-andwh fuchsias, she fastened
bunch of them in the braid that sur
rounded her head like a coronet, and,
taking the pearl rings from her ears,
hung fuchsias in their places.
" l am going for u walk below the
belvedere," she said then to her maid
Say nothing about it to any one, and
keep people away if you can. Ifany OF
those dreadful tourists come here to see
the grounds, tell the gardener to come
to the terrace and whistle"
Miss Willis went down the grand
stairs. Not soul was in sight. All
this hour-it had just struck eleven
all the ladies and gentlemen in the villa
except,fperhaps, the master of it, tie
Marquis of San Giorgio, were in their
rooms, and would leave them only at
the sound of the breakfast bell, which
rang precisely at noon. If the marquis
was out, he would be at the potteries in
the very farthest corner of the villa.
He almost invariably devoted the hour
or two before breakfast to his CORE
spondence.
Following little path that wound
among the shrubs and trees, Margaret
descended to the level, where, from the
windows above, she might have showed
like large flower il the midst of the
rich green. She did not wish to be seer
from the windows, however, but to es
cape all observation for time, and tt
study for an hour her position, with the
airs of heaven blowing about her. Sc
she went nearer the belvedere, and wher
eha Harly ho1 ,sfr do
against the blue sky began to wall
slowly to and fro in its shadow.
Here was her position. She was &
young, beautiful and accomplished New
England girl. rich for her native city
but not rich for one of the grand cities
either of the old or the new world. A
wealthy and ambitious aunt, who haC
spent the greater part of her life in Eu
rope, had brought her here, intending
to find a great match for her. Margaret
had gladly come abroad, but had no
committed herself to the matrimonia
seheme-had, indeed, been very COO
about the candidate who Immediately
presented himself. The marquis was
agreeable, elegant, rich and of very higl
lineage, and he was not very old. Sh,
had no serious objection to make, bu
she had not yet been able to consent
though daily urged by her aunt and by
the lover himself. She could saw neithei
yes nor no. She was too indifferent IL
accept, and the proposition was too bril-
liant to refuse. She had seen enough O
society in London, Paris and Rome t,
be weary of taking subordinate place
With n coronet in her golden brow
hair she could become a social power
Her bright, disdainful eyes had searche
out all the wheels and cranks of the so
cial machine, and with time and famil
iarity disdain was rapidly losing itse
in ambition. 1t was a game, and
brilliant and exciting one it seemed {
her. She was beginning to find ths
her beauty was a weapon to use, nc
merely pretty flower. 1t might pro
cure her other advantages besides
coronet.
But just as her Imagination wa
about taking fire and she thought: 90
will carry in halfopen rose and Civ
it to him before them all. and give hir
a smile with it which he shall under
stand" some other second thought 81
aside her hah-formed decision.
Walking thus pre-occupied, almol
tormented, she became conscious pre-
emily of some sensible touch tn,
reached her heart, yet so delicately th,
she was not aware by what sense it el