The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-06-28
7ou see /! Why, half the old maids were

O"" cS HoA'SAy tuot HO Ouc COulQ nave
suspected any desire for unmeaning com
| pliment.
Her simplicity amused Lord Pelham
vastly. He glanced at her little uncon
scious face and after seconds hesitation
asked in manner that put her quite al
ease:
"Would you mind telling me why
Are pretty girls such enviable things ?'
Il think they are," said Lizzie aPm
so tired of being told how plain l am
every one seems to think / can help it
and can't, you know"
No" said Lord Pelham. 81 sup
pose not; yon weren't consulted about it,
were you? Well, never mind, Miss Nor.
ton, III tell you something to comfort
you. Eve got plain sister, and 1 love
her better than both the others put to-
gether," and he looked so kindly at her,
even with little amused smile on his
lips, that Lizzie's reserve melted quite
away.
Is she married ?'' she asked. in q
hopeful Tone
Married I! Yes, indeed, married the
very first season she came out, and such
plain little body you did never see P'
How did she manage it ?'' asked Liz
zie in tone of amazement.
Lord Pelham fairly laughed - he
couldn't help it. This girl, this plain lit
tie girl, amused him vastly.
I" OH he said, at last, ct suppose
somebody was wise enough to know that
beauty is only skin-deep, and my sister
jamie had an angels soul"
Lizzie sighed again; then, with re-
newed outburst Of confidence, she said ::
F" | don't think beauty is only skin-deep.
! think it's heart-deep. l would give all
| have to be pretty"
And as she spoke, such wistful, child
like look grew in her face that her COM
panion was touched.
L wouldn't think about it if were
YOU" he said, after pause "Try and
put it out of your head. There are plenty
Of things besides beauty you can have
Don't you sing, or play?''
!" sing little," said Lizzie. "But
please don't tell any one am SO afraid
Lady Wells will ask me.''
81 won't betray you," said Lord Pei
ham, more and more amused.
This naive little girl was something new
in his world. There was something about
her, too, which reminded him of his fa-
vorite sister. He felt that jamie would
have liked her.
He took her back to her mother, feeling
very much as if she were a little child
confided to his care
" Poor little girl" he was thinking to
himself. LIS she so very plain p
lie had really scarcely noticed her, had
asked her simply out of " compassion for
her loneliness" with no interest in her
personally whatever. She had amused
him, though. He smiled again as he re-
called her naivete
After an interval his thoughts recurred
to her.
By Joye !" he thought, "I'll take her
And very much to her amazement, and
her mothers surprise, she was escorted
on his lordship's arm to the refreshment-
room.
All her shyness was gone, as far as Lord
Pelham was concerned. She chatted
away freely, not for moment imagining
in her simple little heart that he was crit
ically considering whether she was SO very
plain.
81 suppose she is," was his mental re-
fection-"I suppose she is-and yet |
don't know. / wish she'd look at me
She may have eyes under these lids
But Lizzie was not yet sufficiently at
home with him to look at him. She an
swered his questions freely, and was easi-
ly led on to give graphic descriptions of
her home life; Of her brothers who teased
her, and the sister, a year or two younger,
who was longing to come out, and who
was such regular beauty.
$50 fair, you know" said Lizzie, with
a touching reflection upon her own dull
and freckled skin, "and with such lovely
large, open blue eyes,"
"By Jove!' thought Lord Pelham,
wish she'd look at me. I'd like to see
what her own eyes look like"
But this wish at least was vain. Not
even her gratitude-an shy Lizzie was
overpowered with gratitude for all his at
tention- could give her courage to look
up at him.
He remained near her, chatting, till the
carriages were announced, and even lin
gered to place her cape around her should
ers, and bid quite cordial goodnight to
her parents; but, after all, his curiosity
was not satisfied
"And so Lizzie did dance I" said her
elder brother next day, as the ball was
eagerly discussed.
"Dance % said her father, in high good
hum or =" should think so Danced with
Lord Pelham, above all"
eyes :" said Mrs. Morton, refectively,
Kit was very good-natured of him. /
heard him say something about compass
sion; he was sorry to see her so lonely"
Lizzie herself was so convinced that
this was the case that she was not the
least annoyed, only when she went up
stairs she staid moment longer than
usual before her glass, and. raising her
hea w lids, looked herself straight in the
face
"He's very good natured," she thought.
81 wish were not so very plain"
Lord Pelham's curiosity about those
eyes was singular. He found himself
speculating more unreasonably on the
subject, and wondering what color would
suit her face.
Almost any color, he was forced to ad-
NIT, would do. The dull, sallow skin, the
Informed nose and wide mouth, no eyes
conld wholly redeem them, and probably
the fringed eye-lids were compensation.
Well, well, what did it matter? He
supposed they should not meet again
Why should they? He did not intend
remaining in the neighborhood, and, had