The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-11-25
A FATAL INHERITANCE,
BY LEIGH L. BRooKNER.


is this artists blouse becoming To
me?" asked Drusilla Sterling of her
Cousin Lucrece.
What matter whether garment be-
comes you or not? Your attitudes are
always graceful and fascinating. IF il
were for this alone it would be worth
while to be the daughter of dancer. T
wonder what Maxwell st. Ives would
say if he knew that?"
Drusllla's anger was at white hent.
but 80 great was her self-control that to
an ordinary observer she would have
seemed perfectly calm. Her voice was
unusually smooth and low as she replied
to Lucrece's scornful speech
=, Ihank you for your compliment,
me to be told that I am graceful AZ
for st. Ives knowing the story of nv
parentage, L mean to tell him as soon as
occasion demands; at present he is too
little interested in me or my affairs to
care about the story"
Poor ,Lu felt that her thrust had been
without effect. 1t was rarely she al
lowed herself to be SO bitter, but surely
she had occasion. Here was this suuint
eyed, pale-faced, ill-born and ill-bred
creature, who, by some elfish witchery.
had won Lucerce's handsome lover from
her.
From the first moment Roy Sebert
heard Drusilla's voice he had been ready
to follow her through the world. OnIy
two months from England, and already
so unfortunate as to have caused an afIi-
anced lover to be unfaithful to his VOWS
1t was rumored that young curate on
the other side of the water had COM
mitted suicide for her sake.
when her cousin left the room Drl-
silla sat down before the pier-glass and
looked at herself steadily, sadly.
MY fate follows me. [ am doomed
TO make trouble wherever I go. Lu is
jealous, and, therefore, UNJUST. I have
never, by the slightest conscious act,
tried to win her lover. Yet Roy is hand,
some, and the temptation has been very
strong sometimes"
1t was o source of deep humiliation to
Drusilla that her mother had been an
actress, and, when she remembered her
cousins tnunt, she resolved to try and
make her more unhappy.
- will deny myself the pleasure of
being amiable to Roy Sebert no longer.
If Cousin Lu, with those lovely dark
eyes OF hers, cannot enchain lover we
will see what the daughter of dancer
can do !"
She lifted a small green-velvet shade
from the toilet table and placed it over
her eyes. An intense and unremitting
devotion to philosophical studies had
made her nearly blind. Certainly, her
eyes were not pleasant to look at, and
she said, ct certainly wish to shock no
one by my hideousness. Perhaps she
was also aware that the dark velvet shade
would make her forehead the fairer by
contrast. She was tall and we'll devef-
oped, not at all the sort of woman one
would take to be o coquette. This was
what her female friends called her, but
the gentlemen without exception denied
Ii.
"She is simply lovable woman, and
WINS our interest without effort" said
her gentleman admirers.
She is SO artful as to conceal art, -
SAID the bitter and unloved of her own
sex.
One day. as she sat talking to Max
Wen St. Ives, the door opened and little
6~year.old Floy said, ''Mr. Devine is
come ..a.,..' .... .'....'.-.|
Maxwell's lip curled, and he remarked .
/ did not know this was public-recen.
hon day. will call again.
pSC"ONN1 L
have something to say to you when nv
young friend is gone. Fred is priv
ileged, and comes at any time :. Won
honor me with your presence more rare
ly." 0".. - O '''~' - @
The caller had for excrse a pair of
Drusilla's white kid gloves, that she had
left in the village reading-room. She
took them with thanks for his thought
1ulneBS, and as she talked twisted tTar,
cGarelessly in her hands. Fred was panied
by this seemingly trivial incident. He
was romantic and not little supersti-
lions, for between the palms of the gloves
ne had placed q dainty blue violet. say
ing to himself, 7 will let this blossom be
the symbol OF my fate. If she places It
at her throat or in her hair, if It in anv
way receives attention or gives pleasure.
shall hope. AS she tossed the gloves
aside the flower fell broken and nm.
noticed at her feet Ah, how different
is our dream from the reality. It was