The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-08-17
your fate would be down on YOU SO

soon."
''Nohsense Sinton. pray be seri-
Gus.
because it is such u serious mat
ter with you Very thing / was
saying how unreasonable you are
But come on" And Miss Pierce
and Mr.. Dean were presently ex-
changing opinions on the staple
party going subject.
To do Bert justice, he sincerely re-
GREETED his thoughtless exclama-
ton. He was ungentlemanly, he
knew, and he had, besides so great
a horror of female ugliness as to re-
gard all subjects to it with a painful
compassion. The dread that Miss
Pierce had overheard his remark
gave him just that sting of self re-
proach that one would feel had he
alluded to the infirmity of IA deform-
ed person in his presence. He de-
terlnined to be so agreeable and def
erential that she should imagine her
ears had deceived her.
Conversation progressed very
pleasantly between the two.
"Nice girl to talk to-" Mr.. Dean
decided. "Sweet voice, no giggle,
no affectation.n
Just as he made this reflection,
he encountered the eyes of Harry
Sinton, and fancied he saw IN them
satirical amusement. Awakened by
this glance to the conviction that he
was making himself the subject of
mirth, he sought the side of an ac-
knowledged belle, and saw no more
of Irene Pierce until dancing be-
gan.
She was standing opposite him, in
a set where the fashionable Miss
Bently was his partner. This young
lady was considered very elegant
parsonage. She wore Paris dress,
and the costliest ornaments of any
one in the room. Bert Deans glance
rested with satisfaction on Irene
Pierce. Her face, undeniably pret-
ty, her dress was stranger to Paris,
and had, perhaps, been made at
home but it was accompanied by
a smooth white neck and pair of
rounded arms. As Bert made these
comments, and listened dissatisfied
to his companions commonplace
remarks, he decided to engage his
ris-a-uis for the next set. He found
himself repaid for his daring, for
Irene Pierce could speak of her own
sex without malice. Her conyersa-
ton was intelligent, which assured
him she was familiar with the best
books, and her choice language
pleased him so well that he fingered
at her side rather longer than mere
politeness demanded when the set
was over.
On his homeward way, in COM
pany with his friend Sinton, he had
encountered some raillery. He an
nounced himself to have found in
Miss Pierce the most agreeable girl
he had found in a long time, truly
ladylike and intelligent.
"You can't deny that her hair is
red,' said Harry.
Certainly not but it was taste
fully arranged"
The next day, in the afternoon,
found Bert Dean standing on the
steps of the house which belonged
to Miss Pierce's father. He did not
tell his friend that he had asked per-
mission to call, but he did.
He found Mrs. Pierce and her
daughter sitting together in the back
parlor, with their work. Irene was
braiding sacque for her little sis
ter: and her mother was employed
on something more practical. She
had not been well schooled, as the
idea to leave the room did not occur
to her. Irene did not look as plain
as she had done last evening, as her
animated conversation dazzled him.
There was an affectionate confidence
between mother and daughter that,
he had not met in the best society,
and he found it, or something else,
so pleasant that he largely out
stayed the limits of a fashionable
call.
Il had better not call again." he
thought as he went home; but,
what delightful companion she
would be y
A week or two went by, and Bert
adhered to his new resolution of not
calling, but was unable to prevent
himself from watching her.
May" he asked carelessly of his
cousin, one evening, "who are those
Pierces ?"
'Old friends of mine," she an
swered excellent, substantial peo-
pie but why do you ask ?"
81 have met them but here, and
that is the last time | have heard of
them," he said.
"Mrs. Pierce thinks home is the
best place for girls, SO she does not
90 out much"
If Irene Pierce went out so little,
there was scarcely chance that
they should meet except at her own
house. And did he really care
enough about the acquaintance
was it valuable enough-for him to
take trouble to seek it Z?
Probably these questions were an
swered in the affirmative, as the
next day brought him to Miss
Pierce's door nor was that the on
ly occasion on which the neighbors
opposite had the privilege of seeing
him. Again and again he came,
but, as the time was going on, he
grew strangely difiident. Drawn
day by day to Irene's side, happy
nowhere else, he could affirm even
to himself that she was more to him
than friend. There had been a
time that, to declare himself o lover,
involved some sacrifice on his part !;
it seemed strange now that he should
be anxious to make such sacrifice,
yet doubt, with anxiety whether
Irene would care to accept it.
Some weeks of suspense went by,
ond ba could wait no LONGER One