Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-08-31
A RIBBON.


| A RIBBON.
1t was simple thing to do so mucl
harm-a strip of rose. pink silk-anC
certainly harmless in itself. But il
caused Launce Lisle the worst heart
ache of his life. I will tell you about it.
Virginia Payne, of CRANKY, never
hirted. That was fact patent among
her admirers. Handsome she was. witty
and charming, beyond compare; bu
never had folly enough to think that thu
warmest smile that ever parted her rec
lips meant more than would read in al
open book. If Virginia would write be-
tween the lines, she had never done So
though she was one~and twenty.
For three months she had been mis-
tress of CRANKY, a magnificent old
family Inheritance. The great mansion
of pale gray-stone, set among lawns and
gardens, beautiful beyond compare, was
her very own, and her home, and it had
been the home and possession of all her
line for over 100 years. From father to
son, and finally from father to daughter.
Cranky had come to her. And there she
dwelt with her guardian, Mr.. Israel, her
! Aunt Content and good(y train of SER
wants. The heiress Of CRANKY, being
who she was and what she was, was
| toasted far and near, and naturally would
have become a prey to fortune-hunters,
but for one clause of her fathers will.
1t had been the one prayer of his life,
and it was his dying request, carefully
worded upon paper, that Virginia, then
child of nine years, should marry
Launcelot. Lisle. He was his step-son,
already q young man of character and
weight. But he had never lived at
CRANKY, and when Virginia, at 16, met
him, she could not remember to have
seen him before.
It was on the day of her fathers FIJI
neral. Her stepsister had been dead
several years, and but for the sister of
her own mother, Aunt content, she was
| quite alone. Launce had almost imme-
diately gone back to London, but he
had come to her, shivering in her black
robes, under all the excitement, and
said gently, that he feared she would be
| very lonesome-that he wished he could
remain at Granby-that he might be
of some service to her, etc.; but briefly
he was gone, and she had returned tc
! school.
At Is she was at CRANKY again, and,
with her guardians approval and per:
sonal oversight, saw much company. II
was better she should see something OF
the world before choosing husband,
he said; and SO, people argued she was
| not engaged to Launce Lisle, though
Virginia said feebly that she was so, I'M.
less Mr.. Lis]e preferred otherwise, since
her father had wished it. Whatever the
truth might be, the fact seemed to make
fortune-hunters at least frequent. But
one fact, as I have said, was patent
Miss Payne never flirted. Many argued
the proof of her engagement from this
others instinctively read another cause
in certain vestal purity of the girls
countenance when in utter repose.
In the play of conversation it wis
charmingly vivacious and fascinating
Her crimson lips and soft black eyes, tic
white temples and radiant color, helped
make up face which, when fully seen
could never be forgotten. Certainly
Launce Lisle thought so, coming upo1
it suddenly, for another brief week o.
his life, on hurried business trip tc
New York.
1t was just after Virginia became
legally mistress of CRANKY. She wet
spending the winter in the city.
II say, Launce," said Peyton Lesley
"you will see your betrothed tonight
She is to be at Madame Hyacinth's.
Launce made no reply, but when hi
was alone with his sister, very sweet
woman, whom he dearly loved, he asked
"Do you know Virginia Payne
Prue?"
Mrs. Roberts replied that she did.
EDO you like her?"
eyes," said Mrs. Roberts, with de
cision.
That wss enough. Launce said NJ
more. But at supper Virginia's nam,
was again mentioned. He heard thel
that she never flirted.
He was conscious of dressing will
unusual care for the evenings entertain
ment. Before leaving the house h
took from a trunk a photograph sent hin
by Virginia's father some twelve year
previously. It represented q child o
eight, with soft, dark hair, and wealth
of dark, dur]ing hair. He had the pal
child's image dimly in his mind, con
fused by the memory of the same at six
teen-a timid girl, trembling in he
black dress-when, an hour later, h
came face to face with Virginia, in he
flush of youthful loneliness.
} Mr.. Israel, upon whose arm she lean
ed, welcomed him warmly.
eve are going back to CRANKY tc
morrow. Come soon and visit us" h
said.
Launce did not know what words b
used in accepting this invitation-th
petite figure in white and gold confuse
him so; but he had arrived late, and Vii
ginia and guardian were already goiue
and that was the end of tue conversation
He mused over it, thinking that the lad
was simply polite: and seemed indiffe1
ent simply because she was not 30.
sight of the frank, steel-blue eyes, th
firm, white brows Swallowed by rings {
, fair hair, the fnely-chiseled mouth-a
of which she remembered pcrfectly-he
heart gave traitorous leap and threat
ened so alarmingly to go over to tn
, stranger that she swiftly summoned a
: her native caution. He did not love bel
probably-perhaps never would; and sh
was very proud. Even her fathers wis
must be set aside before her rights as
woman to be preferred solely for herself
But Launce went to CRANKY.
hardly know of anything on earth tia
wouldhave kept him from going. Vii
ginia had reigned mistress there onl
> since the previous autumn, but her tast
for what was artistic and beautiful ha
given the interior of the great mansio
| a Sfrikinp chnrm T,ovo1v niofrros 1.,or