Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-11-16

Blddulph's head. He has been quite
attentive to her ever since your birth
day. II she plays her cards well, there
is no knowing what may happen; but
YOU will be cut out. knOlC, and all nv
hopes will be dashed to the ground"
Margaret's color deepencd, and her
eyes flashed. Laura had never gone so
| far-ventured so openly TO state what
scheme filled her mind.
Really. Laura, ii your hopes are
that / shall be married TO Mr.. Biddulph.
the sooner they find the ground the bet
ter. They will never bc fulfilled. /
dcspisc him; and my chief reason for
doing what / am doing is that | may
be far enough away from him. Let him
marry Miss Percival If he likes. She is
much too good for him"
Coz calculated Mrs Pierce, faint
". "Goi With your last words you
insult meme who have LOVED YOU
like my own child. But / might have
known might have eXpccted-but
60! The world is full Of ingratitude."
Margaret burst out laughing, went
up TO her, and kissed her.
Don't fret yourself, Laura! 1 am
not so ungrateful as you think. But
know one thing. that it is time for me
to be going, and that see the luggage
going off. and the carriage coming
round. Goodbye, dear; and when YOU
write To me-, for heavens sake don't
forget that my name is Miss Percival."
She bestowed final kiss upon her
PROSTATE cousin, who was too deeply
hurt in her mind to be able 10 make
any reply, and, leaving the room, ran
down stairs into the hall. where Tom
was still awaiting her. He was going to
see her off. Miss Percival was 10 meet
them ut the station with her sister, for
the three travelled together as far a.
Leeds. Tom and Margaret cot into the
carriage, and the youth ~at beside her.
/ signing deeply occasionally. and saving
ut last in a dOleful voice:
4" Margcry, don't half like this
/ dodge Of yours
- Don't you. Tom? / am little old
or than You, and you must let me Judge
I for myself"
"Oh. Of course, and / don't agree
with all that the mater says about
madness, and folly and all that. All
the same, | wish you were going to
your own place, to do the thing prop
crly, instead Of sending those other
women To prowl about.
ooh, Tom, what naughty thing to
say!"
81 can't help il. It's what think.
And i say, Margaret. there's sure to be
a curate at this place you're going To-.
Don't fall in love with him-for my
/ sake. don'tN'
Margaret laughed.
did YOU ever know curatc who
wasn't already engaged To some sweet
Young creature very unlike me? I'm
not going 10 fall in love with ANYBODY.
Make your mind quite easy"
] When they arrived at the station and
/ had found their way 70 the platform,
/ they discovered there Miss Perciyal and
her sister, dclicatc-lOOking girl. with
whom Margaret had already become
acquainted, and whom she liked better
than Marion; and in ATTENDANCE upon
I them-Margarct almost rubbed her eyes
in her ingenious surprise Maurice
Blddulph. She pressed Toms arm,
who returned the sign of silent amaze
ment. and returned Mr. Biddulph's cool
greeting with frankncss which showed
at least that she bore no malice. She
glanced nj Marion and saw the height
cned color i'm her face, but took no no.
tice of il. She stood talking to Tom
and the elder Miss Percival until their
/ train came up. when there was n great
| hustle. and when they were all seated
and the train was on the point Of start
ing, Mr. Biddulph, addressing himself
in a pointed manner TO Marion. OBJ
served:
Il am sure il will be delightful in
that part of the world to which YOU are
going. Miss Percival. Don't be sur
priscd IL some fine afternoon 1 walk in
and ask YOU 10 give me n cup of tea at
kcttle-drum time"
Miss Pcrcivars reply was "a brilliant
blush which could not but be seen by
both Margaret and Mr. Biddulph.
"Silly. sentimental thn-, thought
/ Margaret, ut first. 81 don't think now
that she is half rs nice rs she was ut
/ first. and il il were not that it suits me
Z best To 20. | should be liz To tell her 10
! 30 To- FOulhaven herself"
/ Kinder thoughts prevailed. however.
rs the train rolled out of the station.
/ She remembered Miss Percival's many
conscientious scruplcs as to the pro-
| pricty. or even honesty. of their scheme
scriplcs which she, Margaret Barring
/ ton, had ridden over rough Shod. She
/ remembered how ut last Marion had
given in, unable To resist the combined
temptations offered by the prospect of n
\ long holiday, and the promise of ease
and luxury and fresh air for the sister
to whom she was so unselishly devoted.
/ Margaret could not forget these traits.
/ She thought IL pity that Miss Percival
was So sentimental, and about Maurice
/ Biddulph. who WAS such an unscruplous
| ilirt, and so utterly reckless rs to whom
he flirted with. and what the couso-
/ quenccs of his ilirtations might be. Be
fore they had travelled many miles out of
/ lrkford, she had resolved with n nat1efe
which was really surprising. or would
have been in any one else. that the kind
est thing tO do would he TO enlightcn
/ Miss Percival rs TO certain points in
MIR. Biddulph's character. Miss Per-
cival listened with an edifying dOcility,
/ saying nothing. but no doubt thinking
the morc, as Margaret discoursed upon
the need there was for caution in ac-
/ ceptug the attentions. or what ap-
pcarcd to be the attentions. of n man
like Maurice Biddulph. These prudent
counScis came oddly from person who
never had done, and probably never
would do, n cautious thing rs long as
she lived. Though Marion listened de-
murcly. il grievcs her biographer to have
TO record that, in discussing the convey.
sation afterward with her sister, she
aseribed Miss BarTington's motives in
beginning it solely to jealousy. -..-
At Leeds they parted, going 10 quite
different parts OF the station. The part
ing was entirely cordial. but, Marion and
Margaret breathed eaelra dsh of relief
rs the other disappeared from her sight,
and each respectively inquired of her
self; - ~
"Why am / doing this?",
"Why is she doing thisP"
CHAPTER VI +
BLACKSTONE GRANGE.
NH.-a-.sF. a.