Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-11-09
" ONE OF THREE" "
nv JEssE ToTHERorIL,
Aufl.or Of probation" Tie Welaclds,- 10
CHATTER Il.-CoNrINuyp


$50 am l." was the irrelevant re-
ply. "And you would go at Whitsun-
Tide. Have you written yet? Do they
know your Nance
Yes, Of course. VI. Percival. I
ngned myself. she answered. with
look Of surprise. II am waiting To
hear from Mrs. Iascrlles whether /
have to 60 over aud see her first"
ooh, indecd!' said Margaret, very
gravely. IL see. Well. 1 can not tell
you how glad am that YOU came.
suppose we must dress now. BE sure
you make yourself look very pretty,
Miss Pcrcival."
sprightly under the influence Of Marga-
rcts sympathy. said she would do her
best, and trippcd away. thinking:
81 wonder IL Mr.. Biddulph really Is
very much In love with her. | never
thought he was. myself. She thinks so.
though. that Is plain enough"
Margaret rang her bell. and gave her
maid scant attention as she attred her.
lhe young lady was almost entirely
Tree from personal vanity. She had other
faults less common To the feminine
character, and perhaps from their UNI
usualness moro Obtrusiyc and trouble
some, but from that one she was almost
wholly free. She was rs little given Ia
being solicitous about her appearance
rs II healthy schOol-boy. and she had
The same frank contempt for. or. rather
carclessness about dress. and whether
u became her or otherwise. rs such
boy has. But she had n keen nat
drnl sense Of beauty. and when she
was dressed and surveyed her own re-
1eection in the long cheval glass. n
pleased smile broke over her face, and
she said to her maid. who had been her
maid since she was child:
don't IP"
"Therc'l be- others ready To tell YOU
that, Miss Darlington" was her rctort.
with n little sniH. rs IL To say: elf YOU
are So dull rs to need such informa-
ton"
Indeed. Margaret did look very beau
uful in her shccny dress Of n curious
half green, half blue. metallic tint a
believe peacock Is the technical termS.
IL was puily. cloudy dress, and the
clouds were caught down here and there
by strange bright birds of small
size but sparkling with iridesccnt lus-
Ger, the hue of the dress varied and in
tensiiied like so many Jewels. One of
these fcathercd creatures was fastened
with n diamond pin into her hair. Her
maid put quaint-looking fan Of pea
cocks feathers into her hand. and nave
her herglovcs and bracelets. with which
In her hand. Margaret went down
stairs.
The drawing-room was lighted up in
readiness for the expected company.
but was empty, save for u boy Of fifteen,
who sprnng up ~ she came i'm, and adj
Vanced Co meet her.
Shall do?"
Tom stuck his hands into his pockets.
walked slowly and silently three times
round her. and at last said emphatic
ally;
"Stunning! No fellow need be
ashamed to open ball with YOU"
" How glad ! ann that can return
the compliment rctortcd MarVaret.
laughing. IL really am deeply CRATE
ful for your expressions of approval.
COmol sit down on this stool. and Int
ton my gloves and fastcn my bracelets
for mo-"
Delighted with the permission. Master
Tom sat down and bungled for some
time over the process. CHANGING up
every now and then into the face above
him. Margaret harrington was his idea
OF beauty and cnchantment; and II be
only succeeded In expressing his wor-
ship In somewhat clumsy school-bov
fashion, II was worship all the same.
And mingled with his admiration for
what he called her stunning looks"
was the deeper appreciation Of certain
points in her Charactcr-points vaguely
seen also by Mr.. Pierce, utterly I'M
known 90 his wife Tom was wont 10
say that " Margaret could not sneak
that when she said thing she meant
tt-that she was not n bit like n girl
that (tnal and supreme commentator
y was an awful pity she was not n bow;
" she had been. there would not have
been letter fellow goingr'
a. he slowly and awkwardly fastened
on her gloves and bracelets, he per
ceived that her eyes wandered. her
brows were knitted, she was absent aud
did not seem 10 SEQ him, her hand
dropped Imply.
'Iome. say!" observed the voutb.
EFF you don't stifIen your wrist n bit / !
can do nothing with you. What are
yyu thinking aboutr"
Margaret started. looked down at him
and smiled.
81 beg your pardon. Tom, dear. / |
was thinking Of something. am on
the eve Of taking great resolution"
''OhV' said Tom. And Margaret
added:
"Are you sure you won't break
down at supper. at the critical mo-
mout?n
II. nor was the confident reply. II
know Il OF by heart" he added, mys-
teriously; won't IL be n lark. iustP
There's the first ring. / shouldn't won
der II IL was Biddulph. should youp
He's sure TO be early"
Eyes, / suppose Il IS" answered
Margaret, with darkrning face.
And, In fact. in n few minutes Mr..
Biddulph was announced, and came
into the room.
CHAPTER III.
MAURICE nfDDULPH.
Mr.. Pierce's house was commodious.
for be was n rich merchant Of n rich