Litchfield enquirer., 1880-08-26
WHOLE NO. 1882

began to feel even more alarmed by Mr., Lidl-
ards close attentions than those of Wildair.
A new beauty is by no means always to be
envied.
Lila, distressed by her position, looked
round her for some means Of escape She
hoped to see her mother, or some friend who
| would rescue her from these new admirers
AS her eyes passed over the crowd of strange
| faces, she noticed one SO familiar and so
friendly that she looked hack again to see who
this friend could be. Then she recognized
that the dark gentle face was that of the stu
dent whom she had so often met on her way
to the schools; he was looking very gravely
at her, andhis eyes seemed full of compassion.
The look on his face added, in some curious
way, to the feeling she already had, that her
position was very uncomfortable She fell
suddenly into kind Of childish distress.
Il do wonder where mamma is ?" she said
to Mr.. Lidiard, with such pathetic look that
he felt as if some little child had appealed to
his kindness. He smiled good-naturedly, and
said:
Let US go and look for her, g,.
Mrs. AshlingtOn wa3 soon found, and then
Lilla's trials, for that evening at least, were
over. Fer she looked so tired and frightened
that her mother straighGway took her home
But that evening was only commencement
| OF Llllas strange, sudden experience of the
fashionable world; she found herself, to her
surprise, the centre of a society determined to
pet her. When she went to call at Mrs Pa
gets she found people in the drawing-room
whom she had met that evening, and who
seemed to remember her a great deal better
than she remembered them. Among them
was Maurice Lidiard, who fastened his great
! eyes upon her in his most fascinating manner
He asked Lila when she was to be found at
/ home. Lila did not know, and ,blushed fu-
| q he lao of hoin Gg.k III
to such alarming people.
Otto Wildair did not wait to know whether
she ever was at home, he came personally to
| md out. He insisted on seeing her studio,
and languished at her over her easel. He as
tonished Mrs. Ashlinton considerably by his
style of talk, for she had not before come
across this particular type of modern youlg
man. But Mrs. Ashlnton soon became used
to new sensations. The next morning, when
they went into the breakfast room, there stood
upon the table huge basket of dollhouse
roses and lilies; the little maid-servant was
waiting behind the dOorto see Mrs. Ashlintons
| establishment: she had found the flowers on
| the door step beside the milk-can Mrs. Ash
linton bent over it at first too much delighted
with its beauty even to wonder what it meant;
then her quick eye caught sight of folded
paper pushed in among the flowers; it was a
little envelope unsealed. She opened it, and
stood looking in CONSERVATION at card upon
| which was engraved the name of Otto Viii.
dair. At the sight of that card Mrs. Ashlin-
| tons spirit rose within her. She saw what
| Lilla's position was, and she determined TO
| shield her as far as possible. She threw the
card into the fire, and let Lila wonder who
the flowers came from. .., l..t.,i ....,.. ...
Mrs. Paget called in the afternoon, bringing
lady with her, who professed to be dying to
know the beautiful Miss Ashlnton. She had
Maurice Lidiard with her, but left him in her
brougham until she had Mrs. Ashlinton's per-
mission to bring him in. That lady gave it
with sinking heart, but she saw clearly
enough that if the fashionable world was de-
termined to invade their little sittng-room it
| could not well be kept out.
Lila was the fashion. In another three
weeks she was the rage. Her tables were al
ways covered with flowers; her mautelpiece
crowded with invitation. cards. and the little
door of Daphne Cottage was nearly knocked
into nothingness by lordly fOctmen and impa-
tent admirers. But these things did not
bring happiness to everybody. Mrs. Ashlin-
ton, for one, grew daily more concerned.
There were many invitations which seemed
madness for Lila to refuse; and there were
many expenses which it was impossible to
evade. And although In this cloud of popu-
larity Lila might very easily have sold 4 stu
do full OF pictures, the difficulty was that she
had not even one to sell. So that being
celebrity was as Mrs. Ashlnton began to find
out, an expensive luxury. Lila worked very
hard, even in the midst of all these new ex-
elements, and this prevented her thinking too
much about her extraordinary position. Some.
times she would pause and wonder what it all
meant; but she grew frightened directly she
stopped to think, and hurried back to her
work. She had discovered, as true artists
must that the workshop is the best and safest
place for them. There they can forget criti-
cisn1, and live in the ideal
On one of these afternoons, which she still
kept devotedly for her original painting, she
was taken suddenly with an Overpowering fit
of wonder. She could not work. They
had been talking very seriously together she
and her mother-about the necessity of her
working and Mrs. Ashnton had engaged to
see all the callers to-day, and let Lila be un-
disturbed. But she could not avoid hearing
some loud knockings at the hall. door. She
knew no one would come near her room but
how could she help pausing and specializing
as to who these people were-whch of her
new butterfly friends?
And then at last she found herself sitting
with her hands in her lap in a chill of wonder
what she was, ana what all this meant.
She started up, unlocked her door, and went
straight into the sitting room. She was afraid
TO be alone in this mood. Mrs. Ashlinton was
sitting there very quietly sewing. She would
not put away her work basket for any fine
callers But there were no fine callers now.
Only in the window sat Harry White.
He had been introduced to Mrs. Ashlinton
at Mrs. FACETS, and he was apparently very
happy in her society. Truth to tell, they
were talking OF most interesting subject 10
him-Lilla and her sudden success. There
was something so quiet and friendly about this
handsome young artist that Mrs. Ashlinton
found herself talking to him as if che had
known him for long time. Suddenly Lila
came into the room, her eyes full of trouble.
Harry White rose, and Mrs. Ashlinton intro
duced him. To Lila the introduction seemed
hardly necessary; he was like an old friend al.
ready, for she saw in his face now tile same
look of compassion which she had noticed
there before. ID ........ ... FL.
He went on talking to Mrs. Ashliuton, but
his eyes were upon Lila; Mrs. Ashlinton was
watching Der too. Presently she said to her
quietly, ......s..,.l, gusia,.N :,a.
''Lilla, is there anything the matterl" ...
Lila burst out suddenly,
Yes. mamma, there Is. ] am not great
artist; / have done no work. / am troubled
because don't know what it means-all this
fattery and fuss about foolish girl. MFR.
White, you will forgive me for talking like
this; you are an artist, and you know how we
all doubt ourselves you will not wonder that
am frightened just now" fH" s.''' 1s3'r
'1ndeed, don't wonder, said Harry White, n
speaking to her for the first time; .'but sill
you need not be frightened if you, keep to
your work. You really are an artist, you
know, Miss Ashlnton. %. s.ssQ 2niifhf 500
THAT is just what am beginning IN ne
doubtful about, Mr.. White. l know have
done nothing yet to deserve all that is said Of
me, and can only suppose that am some
dreadful sort of mistake altogether"
Lila leaned her head on her hands as she
spoke, and looked very despairingly. No one
would have supposed at that moment that she
was the favorite of the hour. Harry Whites
eyes grew uncomfortably moist as he looked
at her.
'.lf there is any mistake. it is not with you,
Miss Ashlinton; any one eau see that you
really are an artist. Professor Paget says you
may be great one if you don't let too early
sunshine force your growth. May see your