The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-30
THE DAILY STAR
A NOBLE GIRL.


as she inspected two ball-dresses of blue
and mauve. 81 really think you must
have new ones for such an occasion. A
girls whole fortune is often ruined
through an unbecoming toilet, or fadec
or an ill-assorted ribbon. This blue looll'
anything but fresh in the trimmings; and
Nora, my love, though the mauve was
your choice, never did think the eolol
became you"
Nora and Glare BendelpOol were by ne
means 10th to agree with their parent
new bali-dresses being in perspective.
Only Glare, bending forward, her chin in
her hand, wistfully suggested
"But what will papa say to the ex-
pense, mammaw
"Leave that to me, dear. To use his
own words, "he'll never spoil the ship
for ha'porth of tar On such an oc'
scasion he would not have you appear
worse than your neighbors You, Nora,
are twenty-one; you, Clare, are twenty
1t is high time you should be established
in life: and why should not one Of you
be Lady Stockinham as anybody else%'
"They say" remarked Glare, thought
fully, "that Sir Archie is very hand
some"
Every; and so manly. None of your
insipid drawing-room dandies," said
Mrs. Bendelpool, contemptuously, of
that class among which for the last two
years she had been angling to land
Suitable establishments" for her daugh-
ters. HE has travelled until they say
he is as brown as a bun."
"Bronzed, fancy they said, mamma?'
"Well, bronzed as a bun. He has been
all over Africa, shot gorillas in the Noun
tains of the Moon, hippopotami on the
shores of the Nile, and, dear man, been
nearly twice eaten alive by lions. Now
he comes home to find wife,"
"The unheard-of danger he has passed
through having given him sufficient cour-
age to undertake so perilous an enter
prise" broke in merry voice. "Pray,
aunt, was it the lions claws that sug-
gested to him matrimony@' ..
The speaker was a young lady, who
had entered unheard, and now stood, the
skirts of her riding-habit in one hand,
while with the other she famed herself
with her Gainsborough hat.
"Vi, how incorrigible you arew ex.
claimed Mrs. Bendelpool, looking round.
"As to ever finding you husband l de-
spair, you frighten every suitor away by
your outspokenness."
"Because aunt, l never have come
across one l care to keep" laughed the
girl, dropping into chair. "Pray take
no trouble about me; | am twenty-four,
10 have to set myself down already as an
old maid.
Ink lass'e has aladdie,
Meier ane a'e t."
she began singing; then, concluding with
al eft cetera, ct cetera," she added:
.".But pray, aunt, tell me about this Am
ads de Gaul, or of gorillas and hippo
potami. confess am curious to learn
of one whom all Shallowtown is talking
about. Remember, | am almost a
stranger here myself"
at is simply this, vi: Sir Archibald
Stokinham, on inheriting the Hall at his
fathers demise, becoming his own mas
ter, aroused by the explorations of Liv-
ingstone, determined to do Africa. He
has done Africa, and is now returning
70 settle down at Shallowtown."
"And find wife" broke in vi, laugh
Ing. II wish him every success"
HAnd Vi" smiled Nora, "may proba-
bly, carry off the bsfonet herself"
"Who I?' was the reply. "No, in.
deed; give me real-born English lad
not half-baked African. Nora or Glare
must win him, and I'll dance at the
bridal"
II would" remarked Mrs. BendeIpool
with a sigh, "the thing were probable;
but there's mystery about the baronet's
aclection of a wife,"
"a mysteryr' and three young faces
were turned quickly towards the speaker
"No less" proceeded the elder lady
"You know he comes back with young
George Sumner, of the abbey, and thai
it's the Summers who give this ball as {
welcome home to him."
eyes, yes; exactly. Go on"
"Well, this morning, when Mrs. Sum
ner was telling me all about it, she reat
me her sons letter, and in it he writes
in his lively way, you know, that til,
baronet Is coming to seek wife, but tina
the girl he selects must possess one pc
culiarity, rarely to be found in fashion
able young ladies. If she fail in this, b
>he as lovely AS possible, Or"
"'Be she fairer than the day,
Or the fow'ry meads in May"
Chimed in Violet.
Just so, he has vowed never to we,
her,"
"But what is this peculiarityT' dc
manded two voices.
"That he keeps profound secret
Even George Sumner is not taken int
his confidence, further than he know
this whim, or what you viii, was forme,
while in Africa" .. a..a
"Bahp' remarked vi, rising and tosi
ing back her brown hair. "The poo
man has had sunstroke, or his brain
added by the heat of the tropics, whicl
matches ostriches' eggs. In my idea tn
man is contemDtjble who shows his con