The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-03-17
Myra lifted her eyebrows ia 3 COM

Myra lifted her eyebrows in 3 COM
posed way. sz+
I simply told her what 1 would give
her, and although I knew she would
think it a terrible sacrifice, she would
also know that thirty pounds in cash
was better than the useless garment in
the box"
''Of course she was not foolish
enough to refuse it, but-Myra it was a
tremendous bargain for you"
'fOf course, " Miss Bellairs said, COM
placently, ''but people in reduced cir
Cumstances must expect to make sacri-
fees. I could have given her a hundred
pounds and still secured the dress cheap
ly; but 1 preferred to do the best I
could"
Her blue eyes rested in loving pride
on the dress.
''And only thirty poundsr' sighed
Mrs. Delmaine. 1 am afraidI am en-
Vious, Myra! Why, the box alone is =
treasure-it is worth five pounds at the
least"
4 rather admire it, - Myra said, COM
placently. "Did you see the name on
the inner lid? 'GFqclealse De Lesley.
AUec arnO1lT. DIelt UOUS gdTde.' Just
a tIihe romantic, isn't it?''
A look of WomanIy sadness was tenn
pOrarily in Mrs. Delmaine's bright dark
eyes.
And pitiful Myra
Miss Bellairs arose to finish her call,
while Mrs. Delmaine's deft-fngered
maid returned the dress to its box.
81 certainly feel very sorry for the
poor thing" she said, cOldly, ''but I
dare say the money will do her a great
deal of good. 1 hope Arthur win like
it."
She went down to her carriage, beau
tiful, stately, high-bred as some young
princess, and Arthur Toren's who was
as much at home in Mrs. Delmaine's
house as in his mothers, by virtue Of
Cousinship, took himself up from the
lounge in the room adjoining that in
which his cousin and his betrOthed,
both profoundly unaware Of his prox-
unity, had discussed the purchase.
''Can it be possible, can it be posi-
bic. that Of all women in the world, the
woman 1 love is a grasping, Unscrupu-
lous bargain-maker-and that, too,
toward a sister woman, sick and in
want? Can it be possible?'
He went up and down, up and down
the room, his rapid, emphatic steps at
tracing Mrs. Delmaine's attention.
tArthur! Why, I did not hear you
come in.
Nevertheless, I came in as I usually
come, and have had the pleasure Of
hearing the report of Myra's success in
cheating Madame Gracieuse De Lesley
on the lace dress question. And YOU
were either not brave enough or not
honorable enough to brand the tran
sactiOn, the sWindle it was. ~
Mrs. Delmaine looked at him in sur
prise.
Arthur! what do you meanP Why
you are---''
eyes, I am-if you mean astonished
and indignant beyond measure. I
would not have thought Myra could be
guilty Of sueh-well, we won't speak of
t.
Twenty-fOur hours later Mr.. Torrens,
reading his morning paper, uttered an
exclamation of almost horror, for
amongst the news was a paragraph to
the effect that a Madame Gracieuse De
Lesley, o most esdmable lady Of reduc-
ed circumstances, had committed sui
eide, leaving as her reason a note writ
ten to her daughter, that she had paid
away her last penny, received for the
disposal Of her wedding dress, to salts
fy her ereditOrs-that death was prefer
able to starvation. And that the daugh-
ter cohing home to her dead mother
was nearly hear-broken with grief and
horror, and had not q friend OF relative
in the world.
Arthur TOrrens read it over with in
tense interest. Then he ordered a ham
som, and drove to where fair little Vi
Wan De Lesley met him, her bonnie
blue eyes all disfgured with weeping,
her rosebud Of a mouth quivering like
q baby's.
''YOu must let me be your friend, " he
said so earnestly, so graYely, that she
believed him and trusted him at once,
and told him all her sorrowfuI story.
And that same hour, Myra Bellairs
wondered why her lover did not come
to escort her to select her antique jew
elry.
And-again-no many weeks after
wards Myra learned that Arthur Tor
rens would never escort her anywhere |
agein As her lover. for in binding up. a
wcUnd hey own fair, cruel hands had
helped to make, he had found a truer,
higher womauhood and gave his hon
or and love into Vivian De Lesley's gen !
Tie keeping. While the lace dress, with !
the satin-lined box, whose inscription |
reads, ''Avec amour. Dieu Yous garde,"
never sees the light of day, and fair
faced, naughty woman often cries over |
i as she thinks its price was-Arthur
TOrrens and his love.