Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-11
a SOCIETY ITEM

A SOCIETY ITEM.
ibid We see the Cyclops Courie
Miss Abigail ?" queried old Simo
Sharpe, in quite fever Of excit
ment.
lie was leaning over the littl
green-painted gate, coatless and blu
shirted. Just beyond Miss Abiga
Byrnes paused in her task of tying u
heavy-headed August roses--a tai
angular figure, clad in brown-ant
white striped print and big yello'
sun-bonnet. Very bony, scant Q
smiles and hard OF feature was Mis-
Abigail, but gentle and generous as
child's was the heart under the ugl
calico gown.
"No," she replied, II haven
seen it-what's the news ?"
He responded with counter ques
ton.
"You remember Roger Kearney +?
ITO be sure. He went to th
city to- start big store. What o
him ?"
"They be a-saying down at tn
Corner that Just now when he hat
got his big store built. stocked ant
flourishin', he has gone and beer
burned clean out, every yard of silk
stuff and ivory buttons.
He paused, breathless.
Miss Abigail claspcd Ter THU
hands and elevated her pale brows IL
dismay--not st the peculiar English
and curious rhetoric of her narrator
but at the startling information i'm
parted. Lands sakes,!" she ejacu
lated. You don't say SO I"
SIMON nodded vigorously.
"Yes," he affirmed, with the ap
parent savage relish observable In
even phlegmatic natures when the
misfortunes of another is the subject
of discussion, lost everything, they
say Hadn't no insurance, neither
H'ain't saved a spool O. thread. No,
% much as hook, eye, nor darniu
needle left y
Miss Abigail promptly tied the
strings of her sunbonnet afresh and
let down her gown, which had beeG
pinned carefully up. I'm just run
over to Mrs. Evans's," she declared,
and borrow the Courier. She takes
II. News don't taste good at secord'
hand. anyhow"
And she went.
Leaning out of o picturesque, vine
wreathed window up at the rambling
white country house VI which Miss
Abigail was mistress looked pretty
Dorothy Stratton.
"Where on earth Is Aunt going ~
abe asked herself hewilderedly Is she
caught sight of the tall, flying figure
Leaving the roses only half tied
up, too ~ But just then o stray sun
beam lit the stone on D0rothy's
finger to dazzling flame. She forgot
oil about Miss Abigails hurried exit
Is she turned it now this way, now
that. and ended by kissing 1t 10 q
burst of rapture.
"You dear, dear little ring !" she
said.
You see it was quite novel to hel
yet-her engagement aud her ring.
This was only August. In May
she had not dreamed Of the existencs
Of such q person as Mr.. Paul Car
isle.
He had come down to Blue Berry
Hill In June, popular and success
ful young sculptor. seeking rest. iso
lation and country quiet. And thu
very first thing he did-he who could
have chosen last season from half-a
dozen brilliant society belles-was I,
fall head over ears in love will
Dorothy Stratton.
She captured his erratic artistic
fancy, and she pleased his instructive
sense Of refinement.
She was SO 1.-the and graceful. will
such round, marvellous curves o
throat and arms.
And she held her small, sloe blacl
head with such charming dignity
And what could be more winsom
than the face with its clear, colorles
skin and liquid gray eyes, and curves
black brows and grave, sweet, Grim
Son mouth
just how June and July passe'
neither Of these happy. foolish youDl
people could have lucidly explained
And the precise manner 10 whicl
be had spoken at last, the shy con
fusion of her answer, the partinl
with regrets, hopes. love unutterable
was still q mere mystic, enhancing
delicious remembrance.
But there was the ring, q glittering
tangible reality. So what wonde
Dorothy turned 1t up and down, ant
under aud over and kissed 1t In shee
JOY Of heart.
over at Mrs. Evans's Miss Abigail
sat. her sunbonnet united and pushes
back on her head, her spectacle
perched OH her accommodating
rigid nose. deep in the perusal OF tn
Cyclops Courier.
Too bad, eh ?" Queried Mrs
Evans, briskIy topping" goose
berries.
Yes" assented Miss Abigail
after all his years of saving-eh
what's this 2"
" What's what:" asked Mrs. Evacs
startled at her guests tone. She wa
staring straight at the sheet she held
her eyes very troubled and her mout
grimly set.
Dear, dear, Miss Brynes re,
claimed Mrs. Evans. in feeble alarm
do tell !"
But her visitor made no repl,
onlyroused herself with an effort, tie
her sunbonGet strings with an enc
getic jerk. and marched straight on
OF The house. the Cyclops Courier
her hand. Mrs. Evans stared afts
her a moment. Then she tapped ht
forehead Significantly, mutlered
single word, and went complacenil
On topping her gooseberries. Dor
thy, still sitting dreamily by the vim
Ercaihed window, twisting the brigf
circlet round aud round on her sill
arcwn finger, started as Miss Abiga
hanged the garden gate behind n
anq hurried up the path.
a heavy tread on the stairs. Il
ooor was tiusg vide, and she stake