The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-05-25

linen teorR1e looked cautiously a.
: Olivia; there was yellow rose in hel
bair. All the girls, even Adele, bat
yellow roses in their hair. Mr.. Ellis
{ worth had yellow rose in his button
! hole. Other gentlemen had similar
: boutonnieres.
, George was slightly bewildered; but
her keen appetite for supper after al
her opens exercise assuaged her curl
osity, and she contented herself tc
; await the explanation OF this complica
|, tion of yellow roses until after she
should have devoured her oysters and
salad.
The affair had taken place simply,
bu5 satisfactorily. The girls specially
interested had fastened to their tea.
Adele came rather late. She wore an
ivory-colored gown, with gold orna-
ments; she looked very beautiful, In
her dark Lair. ha1f hidden by the heavy
braid, was a yellow rosebud. She
took her place not far from Olivia. On
the table opposite Olivia was basin
of yellow roses. The young lady drew
it toward her, after Adele entered, and
said, in nonchslant but distinctly au-
dible voice. yellow roses seem to be
the fashion tonight" With these
words she took one from the vase, and
stuck it jauntily in the braid of her
hair. The girls near her did the same.
Then Olivia ordered the basin to be
passed around the table, so that all
present might select flower.
At the instant that the sentence had
passed Olivia's lips Adele flushed
quickly. She did not raise her eyes
Immediately; but when she did she
looked fully into Olivia's face, then at
Matilda, whose hslf-suppressed laugh
had reached her. Then she dropped
her eyes again without allowing them
to transmit any expression of surprise,
or anger, or suspicion. But the quick
flush faded into painful pallor. She
looked for few moments as if she were
fainting; but no, her spirit rallied. She
went on with her tea. She even, as the
waiter, not noticing the bud in her hair,
held the basin to her, took from it a
rose, and placed it in her bodice. She
left the table when several others left
1t, so as not to attract observation, and
went to her own room.
The plot had succeeded. She had
been set face to face with her own folly.
When George rushed to Matilda to
hear how the joke went off," all Ma.
tilda said was, "Hush, don't you see
her?" and glanced toward Miss Riley.
But when Georgie few minutes later
went TO find her sister, whom she
missed from the parlor, she had diff
Guilty in bringing any answer to the
locked door of the room which the
sisters shared together. When Adele,
after delay, opened it, there Was no con
cealing the fact that her eyes were red
with weeping. She had evidently
been shaken with some tempest of emo.
UIUn.
"Oh, Addie |" cried the child, "what
is the matter? What has happenedp'
She caught sight of two yellow roses
"A bud and a fower-tossed on the floor.
"Oh, my darling Addie my beautiful,
splendid, noble sister! what have they
done to you? Oh, I'll kill them every
one; indeed I will," cried George, for
the whole truth flashed on her instantly.
Adele was the victim of the plot. "And
I'll kill myself too," cried George.
1t was now Adeles turn for excla,na.
tion. "Be still, be still my child; don't
talk 30 wildly. Nothing has happened;
no one has done anything to me- I was
tired, and l cried. felt tired, that's
all. Oh, feel so tired of all the world
tonight" And here Adele, seeing that
George was quite hushed, flung herself
into an armchair, and burying her face
in her hands, went on weeping.
George stood pefectly still, as if pet.
rified-petrif1ed as to motion, but not
petrified as to expression. Across her
mobile child face passed a conflict of
feeling-sorow, indignation, pity, and
at last resolve. From this last senti.
ment, resolve, her manner changed en-
tirely; something of womanly air
took possession of her childishness. She
came to Adele like little mother.
Come, my dearest, you are tired
out, and l must see you lying down to
rest before l go downstairs. We |
children"-here the small head gave its
habitual scornful toss-''are to dance |
first; but you must be downstairs at
10. ! know you will be rested by that
time, and want you particularly, for
my sake, to come down"
All the while she talked she was ca.
ressing Adele, and between the caresses
she unfastened her ornaments and un,
.aced her gown. She brought the robe
lie chambre' "For you are to be down
1t 10, so you cannot undress entirely.
iarling. But just lie down on the silk
'overlet," which coverlet she proceeded
% unfold and to spread on the bed.
Adele ceased crying she was passive
to Georges will. And George having
'een her sister quite in restful atti.
ude, and having made her solemnly
promise not to shed another tear, and
lot to think of anything that troubled
Ter, turned the lamp-light low, and
vent downstairs. She danced "the Ian
iers" for which she was engaged, and
hen went out alone into the cool, sweet
light air OF the moon. lit piazza. This
'iazza was one of the pleasure haunts
4 the midsummer nights it made,
Nth some detours under pavilions of
n ornamented rt.yard, the complete
ircuit of the hotel.
George walked slowly along the
iazza past two or three groups of girls,
ntil she came to the angle that turned
pom that portion of the portico which
he gentlemen used after dinner and
fter tea for smoking. There were a
ew young men there with their cigars.
.mong them was Mr.. Ellsworth. To
i'm the child went boldly.
"Mr. Ellsworth, please could you
ONE with me minute to the Blue Pa
ilion ?"
He could not refuse; indeed, he flung ,
way his cigar with all politeness, and ,
ut the little hand gallantly upon his |