The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-04-12

Emmellne looked grim. Alice pIuSn-
ed scarlet. Adela observed, tartly, that
'.they didn't take much interest in
drawing-room gossip
mo, of course not" said Mrs. Wynd-
ham Jones' Being so entirely out of
society, all these things are new to you
But it's pity about young Kingsdale,
isn't it? He would have been such a
catch for Miss Alice, therer'
Alice's cheeks famed deeper than be-
fore.
Thank you. Mrs Jonesr' said she,
purposely emitting the Wyndham, on
which the old harridan especially prided
herself; Il am not in hurry to be mar
ried. -
THAT what all the girls say chuck
led Mrs Wyndham Jones. But, good
gracious, they can't deceive me! And
Frank Kingsdale is one in thousand!
They say Miss Montgomery troussea,t
is to come direct from Paris. Oh, well,
it's dress that makes her! She isn't pref
ty, only stylish And she must be full
five years older than Frank
Alice said nothing after Mrs. Wynd-
ham Jones had taken her departure
She busted herself with practicing a new
'.Nocturne," and gave the double Choir
US with great spirit.
The next day, at breakfast, Mrs.
Stafford looked very worn and hag-
gard.
"Girls." said she, I've i'll news for
you. I'm sorry l ever invested in those
Universal Banking shares. Ten pei
cent. interest seemed very attractive,
but ought to have followed your Uncle
Cannaby's advice, and let them alone.
The whole thing has exploded. We've
lost the six thousand pounds, that was
all we had to live upon, and whats
worse, we're liable to the sharehold-
| ersl''
''Oh, mother!' cried Alice; ''what are
we to do?''
I'VE must all 90 to work." said the
widow, piteously. Il will take few
boarders-Adela can help me; and you,
Alice, do you think, darling, you would
mind a genteel place in millinery OF
dressm9king establishment-some
that is light and lucrative?n
Mamma" said Alice, clasping hei
yant-maid, if only you will not look SC
white and terrifed?n
"Oh, if only you had married Mr..
Kingsdale!" sighed Emmeline, wiring
ing her hands.
at isn't worth while to talk about
that now," said Alice, quickly.
Mrs. FurbelOw, fashionable modiste
in Regent Street, agreed to initiate the
youngest Miss Stafford into the art OF
tirst-class dressmaBing. The girl was
pretty and stylish. Her customers liked
to be waited on by just such dimpled
young houris; and, besides, on account
of her inexperience, Miss Stafford came
chesp.
But poor Alice was indescribably
shocked on the second day of her ap-
premiership, when Miss Montgomery
swept into the showroom, with Mrs.
General Mordaunt and half-a-dozen
fashionable friends in attendance on
her.
"My niece has countermanded her
Partisan order" said Mrs Mordaunt.- =
She thinks that Pinet and Worth
charge deal too much. What we
want to know now is whether you, Mrs.
Furbelow. can undertake to have our
dresses ready for the thirtieth OF
March
Mrs Furbelow beamed and said, ''she
thought that she could. For wedding
outfit, of course, all other things must
give way"
Miss Montgomery smiled loftily. She
did look old and ball-worn, Alice
thought, for all her eyes were so large
and her figure SO imperially devel-
oped.
Yes" said she, 'I'm to be married
on the thirtieth of March. and l don't
care who knows it. / am not one OF
your green schoolgirls who want to
evolve everything into mystery"
And then she fell to turning over the
stuffs, and criticising the fashion-plates,
as a fashionable lady should.
A ST. ange pang rent poor Alice Stat
ford's heart as she stood there, arrang-
ing imported costumes on their frames.
Her eyes brimmed with tears. How
could Frank ever have fancied such a
bold, snowy, loud-voiced votarv of fash
ion as this?-Frank, who was so fastidi-
Gus, SO refined, so all that man should
be.
Suddenly she started. Ter 10. n heart
lay before her, easy to be deciphered as
an open book. Was she in love with
another woman's S affianced lover? And
the deep color glowed on her cheek and
her lip quiyered. On, why-why had
she not comprehended her own nature
before? Now it was too latei
1t was raw, snowy twilight when
she started to return home, with a sad
wind wailing through the streets. and
the gas jets fiickering behind their misty
glasses.
Never before had Alice Stafford been
out so late unprotected. and drunken
man. just arrived, at the gleeful stage
kof inebriation, who staggered down the
streets. made her heart beat with ter
ror. She uttered little scream as she
stepped hastily aside, and walked near
" into the arms of tall pedestrian,
wearing fur-trimmed overcoat above
the evening dress. which showed him TO
be returning on foot from dinner or the
theatre.
why, Aice!" he called out, cheerily.
''Is this really you? Alone, and at this
time OF night!''
Prank was all that she could
gasp: :.
If you don't want to walk with me, -
he said, Il viii not inhict my presence
upon you. But | viii keep little be-
hind. SO as to make sure that you reach
home safely. Night is the worst of all
times for a young girl to be out in Lon
don streets without an escort.
She looked at him with eyes of mute
pleading.
What is it, Alice?" he asked. why
do you look SO strangely at me?'
Because you speak so eoldly. Be-
cause you are so changedr she cried
ont, resoluteiy repressing her sobs. '.Oh,
why don't you speak to me as you did
once?''
He drew her arm under his.
Alice he said, If l thought that
you cared for me"
Il do" she exclaimed passionately.
''You know that do. But, oh! what
am | saying to you, the betrothed hus-
band of another woman?n
He looked puzzled.
This is quite new to me, said be.
"W hether l marry or whether / die