Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-03-06

MES bri hi hopes.
SWELL dear, perhaps ain gro v
ing cynical as grow older. Ger
tainly you deserve fair fate, and
now. TO descend to matters of
earth earthly suppose you see ifthe
beans are boiling dry
The third day thereafter-a day
fragrant with the smell of frost in
the air, day when the leaves
sailed slowly, stately down
through the tender golden atmos-
phere, and the hush of mid Octo-
Der was over all the earth and sky,
Minnie Velsor went away from
the cottage where she was born
and had lived, into the word
waiting TO receive her-all her
girlish hopes on gladdest wings,
all her rosiest dreams bursting in
fondest realization.
IL was splendid place, Mrs.
Paul st Eustace Carriscourt's pa
latial residence on Fifth Avenue
a house that seemed to Minnie $
fancy like a translated bit of a
fairy story, with its profusion of
flowers and lace draperies, its lux
uriance and eioquence, of which
she had never dreamed, and of
whose uses she was equally
ignorant.
Mrs. Carriscourt received her
with charming graciousness and
patted her on the shoulder, and
told her she hoped she would not
let herself get homesic6, and in
stalled her in a beautiful little
room, with its pink drab Ingram
ed carpet and chestnut suit, and
dimity curtains at the windows.
Then Minnie made some trifiing
little alteration in her toilette, and
proceeded to take liberal advan-
tage of Mrs. Carriscourt's invita-
ton to make herself at home 10
the great, beautiful parlor below,
where she made a charmingly
sweet, quaint little picture. as she
sat nestled in huge silken chair
the color of the roses on her
cheeks, and at which Miss CleOna
Carriscourt looked in astonish-
ed, imperious disdain, and Mr..
Godfrey Fletcher in undisguised
admiration, as the two entered the
room at the farthest entrance.
"By Jove, what lovely girl
Who is she Miss Carriscourt?" he
sked in tone of unusual interest.
Cleona's black eyes looked I'M
rtta.a bla anrar from Mipnio fn
Mrs. Carriscourt.
"What on earth is she doing
here, mamma; is she crazy"
Her sharp, cutting tone was dis
tinctly heard, as she intended 1T
should be, by Minnie, who flushed
painfully as she rose, ventured
just one glance at the beauty's
face, and at Mr.. Fletcher's eager,
admiring eye, whose boldness
startled her.
II am sorry to have made such
a mistake. l thought that Mrs.
CarriScourt meant that | was to
sit here a little while. Please ex-
cuse me; 1 will not come again."
Her voice was sweet, and just
little nervous, and she instantly
crossed the room, followed by
Ceona's cold, cutting words. every
one of which brought a sharp
thrill of modification and pain 10
her.
"Be careful you make no more
such mistakes, girl. Your place is
among hired help, and not in the
parlors. Be good enough to re-
member that.
And even Godfrey Fletcher's
callous heart gave thrill If SYM
pathy at sight of the scarlet pain
on the sweet young face.
Once safe in her room, poor lit
tie Minnie fought and conquered
her first battle with fate.
"I'll not be crushed by my first
experience" she decided resOlute-
ly, an hour or so after, when her
breast yet heaved with convulsive
signs, and her eyes were all swol-
len from crying. ~ will not give
Z it up and rush home to mamma
my first impulse. | will endeavor
to construe people less literally,
and keep my place.
Fut there came flush TO her
cheeks that all her brave philoso-
phising could not control, at the
N emory of Cle0na Carriscourt's
cool insolenCe.
"I'd not have spoken so to a
dog Minnie said, as she repress-
ed the bitter tears.
After that there was no shadow
of an opportunity given by Min
ME for Mrs. Carriscourt or Cleona
to lay any blame to her charge.
She performed her duties as no
governoress had ever performed
, them, and the twins progressed to
their mothers complete satisfac-
ton.
Minnie never was Snan in the