River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-06-03
A NOBLE GIRL.

"No. my dears," remarked Mrs.
Bendelpool, seated ia her dressing
room, with one finger pressed critically
to her lip, 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 for
tune is often ruined through an unbe-
coming toilet, or a faded or an ilLas-
sorted ribbon This blue looks any
thing but fresh in the trimmings; and,
Nora my love, though the mauve was
your chnice, | never did think the color
became you"
Nora and Clare Bendelpool were by
10 means 10th 20 agree with their par
ent-new ball dresses being in perspec-
tive. Only Clare. bending forward. her
chin in her hand, wistfuily suggested:
"But what will papa say to the eX-
pense, mammal
Leave that to me, dear. To use
his own words, he'll never spoil the
ship for ha'portn Of tar On such an
occasion 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 establish
ed AL life; and why should not one of
you be Lady StOckinham as well az
anybody else 2"
They say" remarked Glare, very
thoughtfully, ''that Sir Archie is very
handsome"
every. and so manly. None of your
insipid drawing-rOom dandes," said
Mrs. Bondelpool, CONTEMPORARY, OF
that class among which for the last two
years she had been angling to land
IL IL l,
tiers. "He has travelled until they say
he Is as brown as a bun"
''BronZed,, | fancy they said, MANI
ma"
well, brohzed as bun He has
been all over Africa, shot gorillas in the
mountains Of the Moon. hippopotami
on the banks of the Nile, and, dear
man, been nearly twice eaten alive by
liens. Now ne comes TO find a wife"
"The unheard of danger he has pass
ed through having given him sufficient
courage TO undertake SO perilous an en-
terprize," broke in y merry voice.
"Pray, aunt, was it the lions claws that
suggested to him matrimony?'
The speaker was 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 Gainesborough nat.
"Vi, how lncorrigible you areW ex.
claimed Mrs. Bendeloool looking
round" GAS to ever finding you a hus-
band despair, you brighten every suit
or away by your outspOkenness."
Because, aunt, never nave come
across one L care to keep, laughed the
girl, dropping into a chair. "Pray take
no trouble about me; | am twenty-fOur,
so have to set myself down already as
an old maid.
".'nk lassie had a lsddie,
Neer ane haze L."
she began singing; then concluded with
an eft cetera, ct cetera," she aided:
"But pray, aunt, tell me about this
Amadis de Gaul, or of gorilla and hip
popotami. | confess l am curious 10
know of whom all Shallowtown is talk
ing about. Remember, | am almost
stranger here myself"
'It is simply this, vi; Sr Archibald
Stokinham, on inheriting the hall at his
fathers demise, becoming his own mas
ter, aroused by the explorations Of L'v-
ingstone, determined to do Africa. He
has done Africa, and is now returning
to settle down at Shallowtown."
'And find a wife, broke in vi, laugh
ing. 81 wish him every success"
"And Vi" smiled Nora "may proba-
bly, carry ofi'the barolet herself"
"Who, II" was the reply. mo, in
deed; give me a real born English lad,
not d halc-baked African. Nora or
Clare mnst win him, and III dance at
the bridal"
81 would" remarked Mrs. Bendel-
pool, with sigh, ''the thing We're pro
bable; but there's n mystery about the
baronets selection of a wife"
"a mystery and three young faces
were turned quickly toward the
speaker.
mo less" proceeded the elder lady.
"You know he comes back with young
George Sumner, of the abbey, and that
it is the Summers who give this ball as
welcome home 10 him."
ayes, yes; exactly. Go on"
"Well, this morning, when Mrs. Sum
ner was telling me all about it she read
me her sons letter, and in it he writes,
in his lively way you know, that the
baronet is coming to seek n wife, but
that the girl he selects must possess one
peculiarly rarely TO be found in fash
ionable young ladies. If she fail in this
he she As lovely as possible, Or
"Be she fairer than the day
or the tOw'ry meads in May
chimed in Violet.
"Just so-he has vowed never TO wed
her"
''But what ~ this pecularitH? ' de-
manded two voices.
THAT he keeps profound secret.
Even George Sumner is not taken into
his confidence further than he knows
this whlm, or what you will, was form.
I'd while in Africa"
BAIL" remarked vi, rising and toss
ng back her brown hair. The poor
man has had sun stroke, or his brain
is added by the heat of the tropics,
which matches cstriches' eggs. In my
idea the man is contemplate who
shows his conceit by imagining that he
has but TO walk into Il gardan OF bloom
ing English girls and select jnst what
he pleases."
"My dear W." said Mrs Bendelpool,
with contentious wisdom, world acquir-
ed, when the man is a baronet, young,
and with a large rent-roll, and the
blooming English are portionless, that
Is very much Just what 1t Is. 1t is diff
III CAit Will NOus
"Who nave a poor three hundred of
my own" laughed Violet. 'Well, true,
aunt To an independent spirit it will
afford girl to be independent OF taking
husband she doesn't love, and make
her brave enough to face the world as
an old maid"
And the speaker wandered away,
singing, leaving tho trio to further dis
Cuss SIR Archie.and his whim.
Violet was the niece OF Mrs. BsndeE
pool. Left an orphan with an income
of $500. Ter aunt had offered her a
hOme-4 very happy one, where she
did pretty much as she liked. She
was dark, small featured, and not par
hcularly pretty, save in the pleasant,
mirthful expression of the couRtenance.
The Misses Bendelpool were handsome,
and never regarded Vi as rival, for,
though she liked male society. she ab
horred and speedily stopped fl vttery or
sentiment.
The evening of the Summer bali ar
rived. The Bendelpool house was in
eommotion; the unfortunate lady's
maid was summoned from dressing.
room to dressing-room, until she was
tired out of her life. As the last touch
=. ,,,eu1 r-;,.o,, Mrs. RandolnnOl eptared