The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-09-15

uOOk Ouc anu hIeS NndTlOuUe smith the
other-two of the beautifullest-bere
they are, indeed you shall see them:''
and she opened the boxes in which they
were deposited, and presented them to
the grieved eyes of Miss Cecilia.
She stood aghast. The turbans were
very respectable turbans indeed; but to
her disappointed and eager desires they
appeared worthy of Mohammed the
Prophet, or the grand Sultana, or any
other body, mortal or immortal. that
has ever been reputed to wear turbans.
And this contamination of perfection
she had lost! lost by a neck! missed it
by an accident, that, however, crafty
ing she had thought it at the time. she
now felt was but an inadequate COM
pensation for her present disappoint-
ment. But there was no remedy. Miss
Gibbs had nothing fit to make a turban
of; besides, Miss Cecilia would have
scorned to appear in any turban that
Miss Gibbs could have compiled when
her rival was to be adorned with a con-
struction of such superhuman excel
lence. No! the only consolation she
had was to scold Miss Gibbs for not
having kept the turbans till she had
seen them, and for not having sent for
greater number of turbans. Towhich
objurations Miss Gibbs could answer:
THAT she had been extremely sorry,
indeed, when she saw the ladies were
bent upon having the turbans, as she
had ordered two entirely with Tx sr,to
Miss Cecilia's accommodation; and,
moreover, that she was never more sur
prised in her life than when Mrs. Cos
ling desired that one of them night be
sent to her, because Mrs. GoslDg never
wore rturbans; and if Miss GIBBS had
only foreseen that she void have
bounced upon it in that way she, Miss
Gibbs, would have taken ca'e that she
should never have seen it q al, y ETC.,
ETC., etc.-all of which Thereafter may
believe, if he or she choose
As for Miss Cecilia, she was i'm
placable, and she flouncel out of the
house, and through the streets to her
own door, in a temper OF mind that
rendered it fortunate, as far as the
peace of the town of B. was con-
cerned, that no accidnt brought her
IN contact with Miss Charlotte on the
way.
AS soon as she gothic her parlor she
threw off her bonnet and shawl, and
plunging into her armchair she tried
to compose her mint sufficiently to take
a calm view of the dilemma, and deter
mine on what line If conduct to pursue
whether to send an excuse to Mrs.
Runaway, or whether to go to the party
in one of her old nead-dresses. Either
alternative was irsupportable. To lose
the party, the game at Loo, the distinc-
ton of being seen in such good society
it was too provoking; besides, very
likely people would suppose she had
not been invited; Miss Charlotte, she
had no doubt, would try to make them
believe so. But then, on the other
hand, to wear one of her old turbans
was SO mortifyinfi-they were so very
shabby so unfashionable-on an occa-
sion, too, when everybody would be SO
well-dressed. o, it was aggravating
vexatious in the extreme! She passed
the day in election-chewing tn
cud of sweet and bitter fancie&;
recalling to herself how well she
looked in the turban-for she had
tried it on; figuring what would
have been Miss Charlotte's Nor
LITIGATION if she had been the disap-
pointed person, how triumphantly she,
Miss Cecilia, would have marched into
the room with the turban on her head;
how crestfallen the other would have
looked; and then she varied her occu-
patton by resuscitating all her old tur-
bans, buried in antique bandboxes deep
in dust, and trying whether it were pos
sible, out of their united materials, to
concoct one of the present fashionable
shape and dimensions. But the thing
was impracticable; the new turban was
composed of crimson satin and gold
lace, hers of pieces of muslin and
gauze.
When the mind is very much en-
crossed, whether the subject of con-
temptation be pleasant or unpleasant,
time flies with inconceivable rapidly;
and Miss Cecilia was reused from her
meditations by hearing the clock in the
passage strike four, warning her that it
was necessary to come to some decision,
as the hour fixed for the party, accord
ing to the primitive customs of b -,
was half past seven, when the knell of
the clock was followed by a single
knock at the door, and the next mo-
ment her maid walked into the room
with-what do you think?-the identi-
cal crimson and gold turban in her
hand!
''What beautyr' cried Susan turn
ing it round that she might get a COM
plete view of it in all its phases.
''Was there any message?" inquired
Miss Cecilia, gasping with agitation,
for her heart was in her throat.
mo ma am" replied Sue, "Miss
Gibbs girl just left it; she said it should
have come earlier, but she had so many
places to go to-"
"And she's gone, is she, SusanP"
eyes, ma am, she went directly
she said she hadn't got half through
yet" -.
Every well, Susan, you may 90; and
remember, I'm not at home if ANYBODY
calls; and if any message comes from
Miss Gibbs, you'll say I'm gone out,
and you don't expect me home till very
late"
Every well, ma am"
"And, l say, Susan, if they send here
to make any inquiries about that tur.
ban, you'll say you know nothing about