The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-10-05
AgHINlA CUP d

70 me, anu t8Ke nus vacant place. ANT
he is kind, aftcr odd, abrupt fashion
But Aunt Alicia doesn't care for me. ant
the girls look coldly on my shabby dres
and pale, worn face. IT, were an heir
ess, things would be very different"
Poor little Rosabel!. The world locked
very dark to her as che sat on the win
dow sill of the third story back room il
the Dallas mansion, which had been un
aninously voted "good enough for Ros
abel Raymond" and watched the dull
reds and grays of the winter sunset fad
ing out behind the crowding spires oil
city. 5l
How desperately she longed for the
snow mantlsd fields, the black, le ,fless
woods of the country! She was 80 home.
sick, SO solitary, 30 alone!
20 Rosabel, are you here?"
It was her Cousin Medora's soft, sweet
voice. She disliked Medora more thar
either Augusta or Bell, although she
could not tell why, and she was vexed
that Medora should see the traces Of
tears on her eyelashes. But Medors
pretended not to notice them.
we are thinking, mamma and t.
said Medora, "that you must be terribly
dull without anything to do these dis
NAL days."
.'It is rather lonesome" sighed Rosa
bel, wondering at her cousins unusua
thoughtfulness.
"And 3d." added Medora, with the
sweet smile that Rosabel always mis-
trusted. when Miss Armitage told us oil
q place i'll the china painting and flower
deslgnlng rooms-you always were an
artist, you know, dear-I exclaimed, in
very idea for Rosabel!' You see, Miss
Armitagc's protege-Helen Hauyinonde
has gone to Rome to prosecute her
art studies, and there is vacan And
the salary would be something Of an OBJ
ject, of course. besides
.'Of course it would be an object"
said Rosabel, quickly. "You do not sup.
here?"
"And," added Medora, thinking it.
best not to notice this outburst, "Miss
Armltage says you can obtain excellent
board for four dollars week with a
widow lady near the rooms, and that
you would save q deal of time and no end
OF fares. So if you conclude to accept
the position, perhaps you had better
come down into the drawing room and
see Miss Armitage."
Ifthere was anything which Rosabel
Raymond loved, it was her pencil. Wa.
ter colors were expensive, and drawing
boards came dear, and Aunt Alicis
thought it very unteminine for woman
to set up an easel and a palette, full of
oil colors. like q man." SO that her ten
denotes had, since her residence in her
uncle's house, been literally starved.
Here, at last, was the much longed for
opportunity, and she rose with alacrity
and followed Medora Dallas down the
stairs. "
Mrs. Dallas and the Misses Dallas were
openly exultant when Rosabel Raymond
was gone.
$50 dispiriting to have her around all
the time, With her swollen eyelids and
pale facet" said Miss Augusta.
And so shabby as she looked tool"
said Mrs. Dallas. "And how on earth
was 1 to provide her With wardrobe,
when papa made such dreadful fuss,
over every dress that came home from
Madame Ficelle's for my own girls?"
of all things, poor relations are the
most intolerable!" said Mcdora, spite
fully.
''But what are we to say if Mr.. Bal
lard asks for herr" blurted out Belle,
the most honest and least polite of the
family.
"Say? Why, the TRUTH" declared
Medora. THAT she has left u.s."
For the secret OF Miss Medora Dallas's
anxiety 70 get rid of her pale little
cousin, whose mourning was so distress
angly becoming to her. was the fact of
Mr.. Hugh Billiards. admiration for the
white statuesque face, the deep Iarkspur
blue eyes. and the features which were
as perfect as any cameo. Miss Medora
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
a significant nod.
Bell was right. The very first even
Jug that Mr.. Ballard called, he inquired
for Miss Raymond. Medora dropped
her long lastles.
"Rosabel had cold, reserved nature"
she said. "She never seems to become
fond Of any of US, snd she has gone
"Gone where" Mr.. Ballard was per-
ElStent enough to ask.
'She said she would write and send
us the address," said Medora, drawing
on her imagination; "but she never did.
It 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
tainly against Rosabel Raymond; but it
would take more than the testimony of
one woman to make me believe her Ell
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.
''It will be BORE" he said to himself;
t'but Mrs: Whitworth Walkingaam is 9
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 rondollettas-and all
went merry as 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 off the carved shelf of the Jap
anese cabinet and broke it into three
pieces.
MRS. Whiteworth Walkingham will
commit suicidep 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
bis pocket. "If there is store in New
York, Brooklyn or Jersey City where
this precious toy can be matched, it