The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-04-07
AN APRIL FOOL.

Helen was our beauty; there is nc
contradicting that. A naughty, high.
spirited beauty, almost dark enough fo1
an Asian; but so perfectly made, with
such a glow on the olive oval, such O
ruddy ripeness on the full lip, such q
luster in the great dark eye. And, like
most beauties, she felt as if the world
was made for Caesar.
OF course, none of us in the little vii
lage group ever thought of denying her
supremacy. In fact, we all admired her
too much for that, although 1 doubt if
any of us loved her. But we all took a
certain pleasure in seeing her arrayed
to suit her beauty; and many was the
scarf and ribbon and rose given her,
like timid offerings at a shrine, from
Clara and me, and, for the matter of
that, from Maria and Emily, and all the
rest of our girls except perhaps Jane
who had not so much to give and
who never INDUCED herself in tineries
a little Quaker-like body in her gray
gown, with her light hair put back
smoothly from her white forehead !; not
pretty in most eyes at all, but always so
fair and pure to me. Helen, however,
looked at Jane with lofty disdain !;
which Jane appeared to think all right
and natural, for little Jane shared our
popular feeling that Helen's movements
had something to do with keeping the
earth i'll equipoise. And, in fact, have
often noticed since that anybody with
some one 'rait of pronounced mental or
physical superiority, we'll sustained by
a bad temper behind it, can rule all the
Ia, II, 4 L
We were, the most of us, better off,
as the phrase goes, than Helen, so fal
as money was concerned for she was
only Mrs. Knowles companion, and
except little Jane, who was an olphal,
and had just enough income to dres
herself meagerlv and pay her board a
Aunt Elroy's, we all had our happy
homes. Jane had set out to fit herseli
for teaching. She played rather Won
derfully, and she could have spoken to
you in one or two different languages, il
she had not been always so shamefaced.
As for Clara and me, we were the hoi-
dens of the village. Maria was the firt
and Emily was the religieuse. She and
Mrs. Knowles used to have the most
marvellous mornings together, talking of
abs and chasubles and altar pieces and
candlesticks, which somehow made
Emily rather interesting to the rest of
us, although Cousin Stanhope laughed
at us about it, if he didn't laugh at her.
Cousin Stanhope, be it understood,
was the light of our eyes in that noun
tain hamlet, so far as connection with
the outside world went. He was, in one
degree on another, the cousin of almost
all of us, for we were all more or less
distantly related. He had position in
the state department at Washington
that allowed him some leisure and, as
we were not a great way from his head
quarters, he often ran up for Sunday
and brougl us news of that great world,
and Occasionally brought some one of
the people figuring on its scenes-now
and then IN alta he Of one of the lega-
tions once in while a travelling for
eigner; once, indeed, South Sea island
chief, who boldly asked Helen to go
back with him to Otaheite. A primitive
savage Stanhope called him but, if
that were true, the primitive savage was
very calm and noble gentleman.
" don't know how you can say So"
Helen remarked, as we were talking him
over on Aunt Elroys piazza, our usual
place of congregation, one bright spring
morning, April FOOLS day, as we had
learned, to our cost, in a series of Stan
hopes jests through the mail. GA great,
swarthy barbarian L suppose it is be-
cause am so dark myself; but 1 have
no affinity with your dusky-skinned
people"
saw DR.. Malatestata lower his book
from his own dusky face and look at
her curiously a moment.
"Being blackamoor myself" contin-
ued Helen, "what admire is my
antipodes."
A" Little Jane, for instance" said 1.
"No, indeed. That colorless NOR.
sci A yellow-haired Morse, some de-
scendant of one of the old Cimbri, a
blue-eyed and red-haired Spanish
grandee. He would like me, too" said
Helen, laughing and putting up a great
dropping curl, son the same principle.
/ expect to fall in with him yet"
Cor fall out with him." said I.
Nothing less than Spanish hidal-
go, with string of titles as long as his
rent-roll."
"Then | suppose a poor, swarthy
Roman doctor need never hope to find
favor with those of your way of think
ing, Miss Helen ?" said DIR. Malatestata,
in his smooth English, to which the
slightest accent in the world was like
sauce piquante to favorless meat.
"Oh," said Helen, coolly, with her
finest air of insolence. 81 did not no.
tiee that you were there, Signor."
"But you will notice the hidalgo,
with the string of titles and the rent
roll? Well, hidalgos are often poor"
"Then 1 should have no use for
them," said Helen.
"Do you mean to say, Miss Helen,
that you would not marry a poor and
untitled man9 What is the matter