Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-12-21

/ MY uedr FIOTIl6, you Tealiy make
yourself ridiculous with your assump-
ton of old age" said tall, gold hair
ed woman who entered the room lust
behind her.
This was the celebrated beauty, Lady
Norleigh, once Miss Talbot. She was
lovely though there were hard lines
now around the beautiful mouth, and
a restless look of WEAKNESS and discon-
tent in the large blue eyes-a curious
contrast to Fiolence's serene content.
Glow do you do, Alice2" said Hiss
barley, declining to argue the point. l
thought you were in London. What
brings you into these party ?"
"Oh, | came" said Lady Norliegh
hippantly, because Norleigh wanted
me not TO come"
Norleigh standing by laughed feebly,
and tried TO look as if it were a Joke,
in which attempt he failed. He was
that miserable-looking little man who
had lowered around Alice in this very
room years ago. Several unexpected
deaths having considerably altered
Miss Talbot's sentiments toward him.
Nevertheless he looked none the hap
pier for his double good fortune. Lady
Norleigh passed on in her diamonds,
lace and sstin-the cynosure OF all
eyes while Florric, in her sober black
gown placed herself on a bench, pre-
pared to amuse herself by watching
her girls amuse themselves, though her
attention wandered good deal to her
former rival.
"Auntie," said che of her nieces, sud
denly starting from An intent, halfsad
hslf-amused observation OF Lady Nor
leigh, 81 want to introduce-" the
name was lost.
81 think have had the pleasure Of
meeting your aunt before, Miss Oar
ley" said voice which in eighteen
years had never hed from Florrie's
memory; which even now brought
such rush of mingled pain and pleas
ure, such sufiocating heart-beats, that,
for a moment, the sedate old maid was
unable to speak. She shook hands with
the speaker as if in a dream, was dim
ly conscious of him sitting down beside
her and making trivial remarks about
the weather, the decorations of the
room and 80 on. Gradually she col
lected herself enough to look at him,
and to take in the changes time had
made in him. They were not many.
He was still handsome, but very much
older, both in manners and appearance
more so than even the lapse of years
accounted for, but Florrie decided that
she would have known him any
where. He did not stay long beside
her. and presently Florrie saw him
talking to very pretty woman, whose
youthful appearance, combined with
her exceedingly smart attire, proclaim
ed her Il bride. Whose bride? As
Florrie noted the affectionate admira-
ton with which Col. Peyton looked up
on her, she thought she had no need to
ask, and, indeed, almost at the same
moment her neice said to her:
"ls she not pretty? Mrs. Peyton,
mean"
She is very pretty" Florrie said, with
a smothered sigh. With profound,
half painful interest she watched the
lair young wife.
"Sshe looks good, !" she Thought, @ag if
she would make a man ,harpy. Heav-
en- bless him. Heaven bless hem both"
Col. Peyton, however, did not spend
the whole evening in attendance upon
his bride. He presently went in search
of Lady Norleigh, with whom he had
already renewed his acquaintance.
She was extremely gracious to him,
and smiled as brilliantly as ever, but it
was hard smile.
There was certain defiant hardness
now in her whole bearing.
Well" she said, rs they took their
places in quadrille exactly opposite
Florrie, chow do on find England af
ter so many years of absence?"
81 find it." he replied, $50 changed
that l am tempted to re.urn IS India
and never to repeat this experiment"
ooh, nonsense" she replied gaily.
81 suppose you did not expect to fnd
everything just as you left it."
'No," he answered smilingly. 81
was hardly 50 unreasonable as that,
but | was hardly prepared for so many
changes"
"Come now, what changes2' she
urged. "For my part | could almost
imagine that not an hour has passed
since" She paused and then said:
"Do you remember a ball here about
well. | won't say how many years
ago"
az do remember" he said gloomily.
And here we are all again" she
continued; "most of us at least. Here
am /, here are you, and there"-with
a slight change in her voice and a
glance at Florrie-" Florence barley"
His manner changed too
"Yes," he said, "Sbe is not changed"
you tlatter her." said Lady Nor
leigh aharply,
He looked confused for moment,
but went on undaunted.
"She looks as good, as sweet as
contended as she did eighteen years
ago. Hers is indeed a face to make
one feel the better for looking at. to
save one from believing that there is
no truth or faith left in the world"
"rhe meaning of this TRADE being"
said Lady Norleigh sarc lstically, that
you are conceited enough to believe
that Miss barley has been wearing the
willow for you all these years. Don't
] lonlr 81 ipppooOt and indictment Won