News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-11-29
Pretty Miss BrOadlands.
BY MARY n. PRESCOTT.

BY MARY n. PRESCOTT.
Some people seemed to think that it
was almost a pity Miss Broadlands
should be so literally endowed. "She
is so pretty, and she is so rich, they
said, a little sadly, and they appeared TO
owe her a grudge for having so much.
If she had been simply pretty, or simply
rich, it would not have been so hard TO
bear, and they could have forgiven her
more easily, Lovers? OF course they
were always about her. Sending flowers
and boDbons, writing verses, and dedl-
eating symphonies to her charms.
Quite natural that girl with for
tune should not lack suitors, a friend
said to her one day. Chow many do
you think you would keep, dear, if you
were as poor rs my girls %
Few, no doubt, she answered, gay
"; but the shaft went home.
She became more Indifferent than be-
fore; but this very indifference piqued
and pleased her admirers. Every one OF
them believed himself able to overcome
it; thew wanted all the more what was
ont of their reach; it surrounded her
with an atmosphere of mystery; they
could not understand her. Constant
Stanley. however, fattered himself that
he had penetrated her fine reserve, and
perhaps this was merely because Miss
Broadlands was nearer being in love with
him than with any one she had ever met;
since she half suspected that her person
alitv attracted him, ana not her purse;
that her money was but GrOss IN his
ewes: because she WIS more receptive to
his batteries, did not laugh at his half
tender nonsense, and toss 1t back to him
with pretty sarcasm and ralllery.
eff am ever obliged to earn my liv
ing" she said on one occasion, when the
subject of woman's wages and work was
under discussion, Il shall become q
nurse"
Heaven grant that I may be an in
valid at that time p said Constant.
"And l." put in another admirer,
twill be the attending physician"
''YOu could do something better than
that" Constant added aside; you could
keep house for me. .
''If everybody were only sincere, " she
thought, regarding him, land never
firted or talked to pass the time merely;
If money were not the root OF evil y
Miss BrOadlands was all alone in the
world, with her beauty and her money.
but she filed her splendid house with
company, or she passed the time at
come gay summer resort with friends;
sometimes she made pilgrimage to her
man of business, Mr.. StandhOpe, living
in neighboring city, In order to know
how she stood, she said. After her re-
turn from one of these visits at one time
it was observed by a few of the
sharp sighted that she no longer en-
tertained as freely as before; presently !
she sold her saddle horse. II am going |
to try walking" she exclaimed. ''The |
doctors think it is healthier for me.
''But you are the picture of health" |
said Constant, with a tender glance.
eyes; but an ounce OfpreventiOn, you !
know, is worth a pound of cure"
Presently it leaked out that she had |
sold a lot from her ample garden, and
one day the town was electrified to find |
the Broadlands estate under the ham |
mer. Miss Broadlands had gone away
some months before, and it was rumOred |
that she was IN a training school for !
TUmOr which was confirmed |
when she returned to enter a hospital of |
the city in the capacity of a nurse.
Those who had grUdged her her good |
fortune now said:
"She is so pretty that pity is thrown |
away upon her; beauty is dover enough. |
No doubt it is hard to lose money, but |
it is harder still never to have had any
to lose"
And her lovers?
''She is so busy" they said, eve can |
J. Sol
However, there were no more flowers |
heaped upon her, verses and symphonies |
were no longer inscribed to her name. |
She had passed out of fashion. But |
Miss Broadlands was not disconnected. |
Is was q new world of patients, where |
the was shining light. She had wearied |
of that other world of sham lovers and |
fashion. Here she was secure; nobody |
could be tempted to make love to her
ever again, unless his heart were in it.
Constant Stanley had been called
abroad, by the serious illness of his
father at q German spa, before the final
sale of BrOadlands, which place, how
ever, remained untenanted by the pur-
chaser, whoever he was. Her other
lovers had been weighed in the balance
and found wanting; how would it be
with him? Was he true enough to love
her whether her circumstances were
splendid or mean ? But he was scarcely
ashore before he sought her out; when
she had q spare hour he claimed and
filled it. Her room now was never with
out the flowers she loved best; sunshine
seemed TO have entered into the shady
places of her life all at once. Heaven,
after all her misgivings, had reserved |
this happiness for her Constant loved
her. "What a thing love IS, world
without end 20
When she walked in the park for
strangers turned and looked
after her, and people whispered,
Pretty Miss Broadiands; poverty
agrees with her wonderfully. There
was an air Of romance about her which
stimulated the imagination at this time,
as if she were keeping some delicious
secret in reserve. Constant Stanley had
been painting her as Guineverc, in his
picture intended for the approaching
exhibition.
Il will make that smile immortal,
he said, at one of the sittings; "the
light Of those ewes shall shine for ages
on nv canvas; that perfect bloom shall
bless the earth when you and I, dear,
are disembodicd. Come"-changing his
will you have done with
this hateful task Of yours ? 1 am jealous
of your patients. I shall go mad my
sell pr sently, in order to receive your
miuIstratiOHs.
"Husb p she said, smiling; 'yoa
talk like a mailman already"
"Bevitched by year charms, l shall
need but two more sittiugs only two. !
l wish It were a million; I wish we
might sit here together for ICONS, you |
and II painting, you posing. | have |
half a mind to rub the whole thing ont /
and begin again, Just for the love of
it over. Of keeping you here |
before ne. Do You know that you are |
moro beautiful than cver?" And he |
lrew his brush across the canvas as ho
poke. ObIiterating the immortal smil',
md light in the wide-open eyes, the
,Ioom upon the oval cheek.
"Foolish boy - she said, ''you will
urn my head If ] am beautiful, r.
lember that It cannot last. look at
Ia Mrs Bangs-she was a beauty IL her
ay; look at her parchment skin, at her
i'm, caYernous eyes, ut her shrunken