Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-16

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side.
"What have doner' she thought, in
dismay. "I'll see him this evening and
coax him into humor once more. He
surely can't be vexed with me for an
idle word like that"
All, little Blanche, it is not the well
considered sentence that does all the
harm in the world-it is the idle word !
"Such charming day we have had,
Mrs. Traine," said Blanche, as she
came in smiling and radiant as if the
worm, remorse, was not gnawing at
her heart.
EYES," said the blooming matron.
who was reading in an easy chair un-
der the shadow of the vines. 'But
what sent Mr.. Evering away IN such a
hurry?'
"Sent him away?"
"Yes-by the evening train. He
came home, packed his things, and
drove away as though there was not a
moment to loose. lam very sorry; we
shall miss him so much"
Blanche went slowly up stairs and
sat down by her window, looking out
at the purple glow of the evening land
scape as if it were featureless blank.
So he was really gone away; and by
her own folly she had lost the priceless
treasure of Gilbert Evenings love.
"And l cannot even write to him,
for do not know his address," she
thought with clasped hands and tear
less eyes. "Well, it is my own fault,
and 1 must abide the consequences as
best may"
So Blanche Penroy went home from
the gay, fashionable place sadder and
wiser woman, and the November
mists, dropping DER the brick and NOR
tar wilderness of her city home had
rever seemed half so dreary to her as
they did now.
Il suppose 1 shall be an old maid,"
thought Blanche, walking up and down
in the fire-lit darkness of her room, her
dimpled hands clasped behind her
waist. 81 never care for anyone now
as cared for-fOr Gilbert; and dare
say shall keep cat and grow fond
of green tea. All, well-a-day! life can
not last forever"
A dreary comfort that for girl of
nineteen summers.
She rang the bell with an impatient
jerk.
"Are there any letters, Sanderson ?"
Zone, ma'am; it came by the eve.
ming post, about five minutes ago"
Light the gas, then, and give it to
me-"
Blanche sat down by the fire and
opened the letter, suppressing yawn.
"Black-edged and Black-sealedI So
poor Mrs. MarchmOnt is gone at lastr'
1t was from the executors of Miss
PenrOy's distant cousin, formally and
briefly announcing her death, which
had taken pace in one of the West
India islands some months since; but
of which the melancholy news" as
the letter ran, had only just been re-
ceived. 1t was not entirely unexpect-
ed, as Mrs. Marchmont had been for
some years slowly fading out of the
world, victim of hereditary consump-
ton.
Leaving one child, son." slowly
repeated Blanche, leaning her cheek on
her hand and looking down into the
fiery culver of the white-hoJ Goals.
Poor little fellow he must feel nearly
so desolate as do! Only 1 have one
advantage have at least sufficiency
of this worlds goods; and this orphan
child must be thrown penniless and
alone ON his own resources, for if l re-
member Alright, Mrs. Marchmont for
feited all the wealth of her first mar
riage by her alliance with the poverty
stricken lawyer whose death plunged
her into such bitter mourning. That
was genuine love match, yet how
much grief and trouble it brought with
it. leaving one child, a son. Why
should / not adopt the stray waif and
make it the business of my life To cher.
ish and comfort him? l have no OBJ
ject in existence; here is one that
, Providence itself seems to point out to
me-"
Once more she rang the bell, with a
fresh color glowing in her cheeks and
I new light in her eyes.
"Bring In my writing desk imme.
diately, SandeIson, and get ready tC
take letter to the post for me as soon
as possible"
, The old servant Obeyed, wondering
) at his mistress unwonted energy, and
yet well pleased to see some of her ole
animation returning.
"She do look more like herself to
> night. do Miss Blanche than she ha.
for "A long tlme," he said to the house
keeper as he came down stairs aftel
obeying the summons. Il only wist
Miss Blanche would take a fancy Il
i, some nice. properly behaved yoHni
man; it doesn't seem right that sh,
should live all by herself in this bi,
house, so forlorn like"
The housekeeper nodded sagaciousl,
to old Mr.. Sanderson's proposition. Sh,
fully agreed with him.
. Only Miss Blanche was too willfu
" ever to listen to word of advice.
1t was very simple letter tina
Blanche Penroy wrote to her far away
cousins executors, dictated by the full
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