Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-28
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.
MISS PERcwAL's ExCEEDISG GRE At REV ARD.
On the breakfast table. ON the follow
ing morning. Margaret found n letter
for herself and when she looked at the
envelope she knew that the letter came
! from the genuine Marion Percival. She
opened il, feeling but a languid curl
osity as to its contents hut soon,
despite herself, she grew interested in it.
| my DEAR MISS HARRINGTON 1t Is long
since heard from YOU. and | have several
| times thought OF writing to you; hut felt as
surcd that IL you were III. or had left Black
wood Grange, should have heard of IL, and
| delayed. Now, however, have some news to
communicate to you. and l feel | must not
| postpone writing any longer. I little thought
/ when you made your kind and generous Ofer
/ 10 me and my sister. to what results IL would
. lead. have to thank you for great many
/ things, and Indirectly for what, ii seems, will
| 81 told you some time ago that Mr. Bid
| dulph had several times visited the Hall. and
| that while there he was In many ways very
| Kind To Fanny and me. In the beginning OF
| October he came TO make longer stay, for
the hunting. We saw, or rather see, n great
deal of him, for he is still ut home. and the
! other day he asked me To- bc his wife. I con-
| Tess that had always admired Mr. Biddulph
exceedingly, from the very first time ! saw
/ him AZ Mrs. Picrcc's house. aud since I have
seen so much of him here my admiration has
grown To warmer feeling. | think he Is so
admirable I'm every way-such a polished gen.
tlcman' margaret gasped-" and at the same
time such u clever. intellectual man. II may
be fond dream OF mine but think he Is
perfect, and made for a woman TO love and
look mp to-
(Margaret's feelings ut this iuncture
overilowed; she uttered an almost pas
sionate Bah! that fopr which caused
Damaris to inquire what was the matter
with herr
| "a n.
me; IL shows his noble. DISTINGUISHED nature
because have 80 little claim TO be chosen. "a
few attractions for man LIE him hut ne
impossible always TO be logically accounted
for"
("That Is true. Good Heavens. "a
think of that man finding n worshipcr,I'
thought Margaret.)
You viii be able To understand my feel
ings, and will not weary you by enlarginl
a. he wishes for no deiay. ana us wishes ar,
law to me. You will come to our wedding
dear Miss Harrington. hope. aud 80 add
final kindness TO the long list YOU have airead,
conferred upon me. I must thank you once
again for the great happiness which has beer
procured for me by you and no other. and hes
you 10 believe me, very sincerely yours.
! "MAHiON PERCIvAI-"
Margaret was forced to put this lette,
in her pocket and attend tOother thing,
till the afternoon. She had also see
ond letter To- read-one from Laura
who had likewise heard the news. ant
who wrote in a strain of passionate iR
dignation against that designing lhth
wretch. Miss Pcrcival. She made tn,
engagement prcteNt TO urge Margare
yehemcntly and almost incOhcrcntly tC
come back to them" return To YOU
friends. and all will be forgiven" Mar
garet Thought. with sardonic smile
, Indeed. Mrs. Pierce's letter expressed
and almost said: "Iou have made sucl
mess of your affairs hithertO-yoI
have LET such a splendid chance go by
you have delivered over such nobl,
bird in the hand into the clutches of ;
little adventures whom YOU ought I,
lRve disdaincd-you have acted alto
gether SO wildly and unreasonably-
that the only, the least. taing you cat
do is To return To me. and let me take
you in hand for the future"
II was this spirit which infariateC
Margaret Laura's determined mainte
nance of the proposition that Margare
, world gladly have married Biddulph i
he had given her the chance of doing
so maddened her. for she regarded hin
! with even more contempt than was nee
essary. One of :he most irritating o.
} the small annoyances of this life con
, sists in having often to submit, will
{ terrible inward chafings, while one:
! best friends and weli-wishers max,
4 mountains out of mo!e-hills, persist il
regarding this person or that circum
4 stance as of paramount importance
Q and insisting that their victim think
/. with themselves. What girl of any in
c telligence has not been at some time o
: other of her life tormented by bein.
{ leased about some man who is SUI
], premely indifferent TO her, inferior &
{ her, and with whose attentions she
I supposed TO be agreeably battered
Such. in an intensified degree, wa
= Margaret's case now So far from in
ducing her TO think of returning {
J. Laura, that lady's letter begot in Mar
!, garet's mind ar obstinate determins
4 lion of another and an opposite nature
n Il will go to Beckbridge," she d.
cided. II tciH tell Mrs. LasceIles al
n will show Laura that / deSpiSe he
}. vulgar ideas, for / will take my ow
!, place rs mistress of my own house, an
5 Marion Percival shall be married fror
}. there as II she were my own sister
That is what win tell Laura when
!. answer her letter"
This was all she had time to decide i
a her own mind before going TO RupeI
! and giving up her morning TO him.
y was not until afternoon that she wa
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