The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-03-17
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And she hurried away with crimson
cheeks and sparkling eyes.
MI. Macassar VAS lounglng over 3
when Miss Montague entered
his luxurious room q second time.
Sir" she said, advancing close to
the counter, and speaking in a tremu-
lous tone, Il have concluded to hav>
my hair cut off, will you give three dol
lars for it?"
The spruce couture started. Was
Miss Montague in earnest, or was this
only a Jest?
why do you not answer me?" she
asked. sharply.
Certainly, Miss Montague" stam-
mered the hairdresser. recovering his
tongue. Il shall be most happy if you
wish it. Please step this way"
Poor Flora! Never had her golden
waves of hair seemed half 50 lovely and
lustrous as they did at the moment that
the def fingers Of Francois unbraleeo
them and passed the cruel, cleaning
scissors among the bright strands: And
when Mr.. Macassar, with polite alacrlty
presented her with O bank note. the big
80" might as well have been an Egyp-
tian hieroglyphic for all that her tear
swimming eyes could decipher oft.
She carried the money to Lizzie, and
then, woman-like, went home, looked
in the glass, and then cried heartily,
For She bad been passing proud OF
those pale brown tresses. threaded with
gold and blending into auburn lights ut
every turn of her dainty head. And now
Io,l1 rora-on pnpa'
"Who is that pretty girl Just coming
in the room, in the white Grape. with
blue foreet-me-notS in her hair, and the
little short dancing curls, like bits OF
coiled sunshine, round her head?" The
speaker was an elaborately dressed
Young man, who stood with gold
mounted glasses at his eyes.in Mrs. War.
rener's brilliantly lighted saloons. AT
his side stood 4 tall, foreign
looking gentleman, with large black
ewes and somewhat naughty, although
handsome face. He had bent eagerly
forward at his companions words.
1T can't be possible !" he exclaimed.
And yet-it is-Miss Montague"
Faith. Gilroy, you're right" ejacu'
lated young Mauvers, Flora Montague,
and none else. But what on earth has
the b%ewitching little fairy done with
that glorious hair of hers? Cut it Oft to
be in fashion, I'll be bound!"
IL do not think" said Gilroy, con-
tracing his eyebrows, that Miss Mon
tague is one to enslave herself to all the
idle freaks of the reigning mode"
Il know you're q sworn admirer OF
the Young lady, Gilroy," returned his
companion laughing; but all women are
alike!m
"All women are alike!" The words
fell like molten iron or Clarence Gil
rows heart. Was it indeed so? Had
the idle dream that Flora was better
and nobler than the rest of her sex,
proved but a vanishing delusion, after
ALP He remembered the words he had
heard her speak but an evening or two
before:
Nothing shall ever induce me to
have my hair cut off in the absurd way
that people call fashionable"
She had not scrupled to perjure her
self, then; she was as unthinklng and
frivolous rs the idlest butterfly that
ever tluttered around the flower gardens
of society. He turned away, silently;
and when Flora Montague's innocent,
violet-biue eyes were raised smlllngly
toward his lace, they encountered a cold
repellant gaze that the fair young girl
unable entirely to comprehend.
The spray of blue fvrget-me-nots had
fallen from Miss M%ontague's hair, and
she had gone into the comparative soil
tude Of the conservatory with saucy
Nellie Hyde, to re-arrange them. One
chandelier alone diffused its soft luster
acacias and tea-roses, from
shades of crinlson-tinted glass, and the
two girls stood directly beneath its
pink glow, all unconscious that Clar-
euce Gilroy leaned against the further
door, a few steps beyond in the shadow
of r blossoming tropical vine. whose
fiery scarlet stars almost touched his
forehead.
do you know, Flory," said Nellie,
rs she adjusted the truant flowers, and
stepped backward to observe the gene
raj effect, "that everybody is wonder
ing what in the world possessed you to
cut off that splendid golden hair of
yours? Some lay it to the o OF
vanity-others to that of caprice and
"Nelliem said the soft, serious voice
of Flora, with q tremulous falter in its
accents, Il meant to reveal the
to any living soul. but | cannot
bear that you, dearest. should imagine
me capable of such frivolous folly. |
will tell you just why it was cut OIL, II
you will promise me to keep the secret
within your bosom"
Il promise" said Nellie. passing her
arm caressingly around Flora's waist.
Clarence Gilroy moved uneasily amid
the moving leaves and fiery dropping
stars of his fragrant screen. But he
could not we'll retreat now; and besides
it is not a very dignified characteristic
to; record of such q stately individual AS
Mr.. Clarence Gilroy, but there certainly
was n keen impulse az curiosity to learn
why Flora Montasu" had cut off the
lovely tresses of Which she well knew
MIN TO be such an enthusiastic ad-
mircr.
And so, not without Il secret misgiv-
ing, he played the part Of listener.
"You know" resumed Flora, "all
about my poor Cousin Lizzie's unfor.
tunate marriage with Clement Percy"
And she went on to tell the simple
story of her adventure the day before.
with such innocent pathos that Nellie
HYDE was in tears ere the recital was
finished. And there was another pairo OF
eyes not very far off, slightly dimmed,
also.
Ct had no money" pursued Flora.
Il felt that it would not be honorable
10 sell anything tina. papa had given
me, knowing his feelings on the sub
iect, and So. Was it very wrong to
sell my hair, Nellie? Ifyou could only
have seen how welcome the money was
to poor Lizzie"
When at length the conservatory's
periumed aisles were vacant, and Clar-
pnce Gilroy left his nook among the
vines he felt that mi glimpse into Flora
Mentague's heart was worth half the
that made him the idol OF
maneuvering mammas and marriage
able daughters. The eclipse upon his
sun had passed away.
The next day Clement Percy was as
tonished very agreeably by the receipt
Of an anonymous letter containing a
oanknote for fifty dollars. And tn
next day after that Flora stole around
10 tell her cousin that she was engaged
o Clarence Gilroy.
"And when I have home of my own.
dearest" she said. you and Clement
shall share it. Clarence said So"
Mrs. Gilroy kept the word that Flora
Montague had pledged.
Didn't Believe In EN-.
you've got a telephone here, haven't
asked a citizen as he yesterday
an office on Griswold street in a
seeming great hurry.