The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-10-04
a CHINA CUP.

y III NJ IA OllllNA OUlS
"Of course they don't want me-" said
Rosabel Raymond sadly. Nobody seems
to want me. No home seems to be open
to me any where. When papa died, he
told me that Uncle Dallas would be kind
to me, and take his vacant place. And
he is kind, after odd, abrupt fashion.
But Aunt Alicia doesn't care for me. and
the girls look coldly on my shabby dress
and pale, worn face. III were an heir.
ess, things would be very different"
Poor little Rosabel! The world looked
very dark to her as she sat on the win
dow sill of the third story back room in
the Dallas mansion, which had been un-
aPimously voted "good nough for Ros.
abel Raymond" and watched the dull
reds and grays of the winter sunset fad
ing out behind the crowding spires Of
city.
How desperately she longed for the
snow mantIed fields, the black, le floss
woods Of the country! She was 80 home
sick, SO solitary, SO alone
20 Rosabel, are Won here?"
1t was her Cousin MedorA's soft, sweet
voice. She dislikeu Medor. more than
either Augusta or Bell, although she
could not tell why, and size was vexed
that Medora should see the traces of
tears on her eyelasl,es. But Medora
pretended not to notice them.
We are thinking. mamma and l."
eald Medora, 9Th It you must be terribly
dull without anything to do these dis
NAL days"
''It is rather lonesome sighed Rosa
bel, wondering at her Cousins unusual
thonghtfulness.
"And So" added Medora, with the
sweet smile that Koslbel always mis-
trusted, "wEen MISS Armitage told US of
place i'll the china painting and flower
designing rOoms-you always were an
artist, you know, dear-I exclaimed, in
that silly lmpu 'alyt way Of mine, 'rhe
very idea for Rosabej! You see, Miss
Armitagc's pro te.e-Hclen Hanvnonde
has gone to Rome TO prosecute her
art studies, and here IS vac ncy. And
the salary would be something Of an OBJ
iect, of course. bes,!e>'-
"Of course it w,i,id he an object"
said Rosabel, quickly. "You do not sup
pose t,'at do not feel my dependence
here2"
"And," added Medora, think ng it.
best not to notice this outburst, miss
Armitage says you can obtain excellent
board TOR four d'l.ars week with
widow lady near the rooms, and that
you would save 'lcal oftime and no end
OF fares: So if you conclude to accept
the position, perhaps you had better
come down into the drawing room and
Ssee Mis3 Arlnliage"
=. If there was anything which Rosahel
Raym9nd loved, it was her pencil. Wa.
ter colOrs were expensive, and drawing
boards came dear, and Aunt Alicia
thought it very ul!eminine for woman
to set up an easel and Il palette, full of
oil color5, like Il man." so that her ten
dencles had, since her residence in her
uncle's house, been literally starved.
Here, at last, was tn, much longed for
opportunity, and she rose with alacrity
and followed Me ipra Dallas down the
stairs.
Mrs. Dallas and tho Mis- ;es Dallas were
openly exuitaEt when Rosabel Raymond
was gone.
$50 dispiriting to have her around all
the time, with her swollen eyelids and
pale face!" said Miss Augusta.
"Ana 80 shabby rs she looked tool"
. said Mrs. Dallas. And how on earth
was I to provide her with W .rdrobe,
when papl made such dreadful fuss,
over every dress that came home frolu
Madame Ficelle's for my own girls?"
' "Of all things, poor relati sns are the
fully.
"But what are we to say if Mr.. Bal
lard asks for her?" blurted out Belle,
the most honest and least polite of the
family.
'Say? Why, the truIl," declared
Medora. "That she has left u.s."
For the secret OF Miss Medora Dallas's
anxiety 10 get rio of her pale little
cousin, whose mourning was so distress
ingly becoming to her. was the fact of
Mr.. Hugh Ballard's admiration for the
white statuesque face, the deep Iarkspur
blue eyes. and the features which were
had marked Mr.. Ballard for her own
prey, and declared war upon any unfor-
tunate pretender who should come in
her way.
"Perhaps," said Mr.. Dallas hopefully,
''he'll never inqu ire about her at ALL"
"Don't you believe it," said Bell, with
significant nod.
Bell was right. The very first even.
Jug that Mr.. Ballard called, he inquired
for Miss Raymond. Medora dropped
her long lashes.
"Rosabel had cold, reserved nature"
she said. "She never seems to become
AOliu ". any o1 US, STU SHo LAS gone
away"
"Gone where" Mr. Ballard was per-
sistent enough to ask.
''She said she would write and send
us the address," said Medora, drawing
on her imagination; "but she never did.
1t quite went to dear mammals heart.
Mamma regarded Rosabel as fourth
daughter But Rosabel never was in
clined to reciprocate affection"
Mr.. Ballard glanced at Medora with
an expression which she could not in
terpret, but it meant simply:
''If the girl is lying, she is doing it
very artistically. Appearances are GER
tainly against Rosabel Raymond; but it
one woman to make me believe her ei-
the, cold or ungrateful."
These reflections passed through his
mind as he was politely accepting Miss
Dallas invitation to accompany her to
Mrs. Whitworth Walkingham's musical
tea, the next day.
cit will he BORE" he said to himself;
'but Mrs. Whtwortll Walkingham is a
genius, and there will be sure to be good
music there"
There was good music there there, and
also delicious "orange fekoe", in the
tiniest of cups, each painted with sep
arate wild flower or bunch of grasses;
cake, ices and white grapes following the
barcarolas and rondo!lettas-and all
went merry as u marriage bell, until, in
turning to place chair nearer the win
dow for Miss Dallas, Mr.. Ballard 'siunfor-
tunate elbow knocked one of the price,
less cups of the carved shelf of the jap
anese cabinet and broke it into three
pieces.
Mrs. Whiteworth Walkingham will
commit suicide" cried Medora, clasping
her hands with simulated terror.
II swear you to eternal secrecy" said
Mr.. Billiard, laughingly, as he wrapped
the precious pieces in his pocket hand
kerchief and disposed them safely in
his pocket. "If there is store in New
York, Brooklyn or Jersey City where
this precious toy can be matched, it
sfall not be left unsearched."
For every one, Mr.. ballard said, knew
that Mrs. Wntworth Wallingham was
almost monomani,c on the subject of
her chna;a and he vas really more deep
ly chagrincd than he appeared to be.
"You can't match it," said Medora
Dallas.
And she proved to be right.
In his despair, Hugh Ballard went to
old Mrs. Alagal reau, who was exactly
like every body's fairy godmother.
"Whas ain l to do?" said be blankly.
"Do?" said Mrs. Megarreau, nodding
the diamond butterflies on her cap.