Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-07-26
AFTER THE BALL
BY NARY PRESTON.

EIIt AuEti ttbldtG U1tSSAOuNIy dut
leave the boredom of our highl.
cultured civilization"
"You find Irritation pail on yol
then, Nellie? Take my word, yOl
would be trying your arts on tn.
first tawny chief you would NEE
in your island of savages. Yoi
want a few more sealps to dangle a
| your belt, you little female Nero
Pray, what was wrong fast night !?
The young girls were cousins, ant
tile frosty light ofa winter day sho
In through the plate glass window
and fell softly upon them as the,
sat in Laura More's boudoir.
| Nellie Lee was fair, sparkling
girl OF twenty; her life had known
nothing but luxury and fulfilled de
sire she had been given freely o
the roses OF life, and no harsh winC
had been allowed to touch her white
giriish brow; her home was in {
distant city, but she was spending
| the winter with her cousin; and In
|. the months which she had passed
since, her coming, she had seemed
to 6nd her chief delight In making
mems hearts soften under her sun
ny smile; and keeping her girlish
Icarelessness, she had often been told,
with bitterness, in accusing voice
that she wHs haartless, and took the
hearts that men laid at her feet as
amusing playthings.
"a Laura More was not at all like her
young relative. Her eyes were dark
and naughty, with a touch OF sad
ness in them az IL from past sorrow ;
her brow was thpughtsui; her red
lips, proud and sweet, often took a
sligt droop, as though her life had
known time when they quivered
with some mighty pain. No fiirt,
men call her; no heartless butterfly
trifler, but q noble woman, whose
every lover could swear himself her
friend.
Nellie's bright face was shadOwed
by very pretty frown as she tap
ped her slippered foot on the fender
while replying to her cousin.
~ mean it," she said Grossly.
"I'm tired of society-the society OF
men! / own used to like 1t, but
now as you say, it pals upon me.
L III tlE6u VI iliSAuS " oAAhC WHOu
/ want to yawn, OF simply giving a
reproachiul glance when want 10
box some idiots ears. It's all a
bore, Laura. Dead Sea fruit, my
cousin. Pm weary OF insane speech
~ and compliments and tender
haLd-clesps."
ga sad condition for the belle OF
last night to own TO this morning,
Neiiie,i' Laura replied with slow
smile. at am fully convinced that
something has happened at which
you are put out. Did Egbert Lorne
fiirt with some other pretty girl,
and do you object to being treated
as you treat others ?"
Nellie gave her fair head an i'm
patient toss.
"Egbert Lorne may fling his per-
fections In the East river, and /
wouldn't care" she said.
"Did Elmer Gray fail to lay his
homage at so fair a shrine, cousin ?'
"Elmer Gray made a perfect fool
OF himself, as usual" WAS the gra-
cious answer.
"Was il Vane Brandon who fell
short then? Did he not ask rose
bud from your boquet, which he
could weep over in your absence
dear? 1t was too bad OF him."
"Really, Laura, one would think
you had been listening" Nellie said
with knocking little rippleof laugh.
ter; "you use his own words and
/ gave him lovely bud ! wish
now that hadn't, but i WAS angry
at the time, you see."
"You showed your temper In an
unusual way, Nellie" Laura laugh.
ed. Is your anger always so good
natured ?"
But Nellie's pout was decided
thing now, and her slim foot was
beating tattoo OIL the fender which
would not have disgraced South
Sea Islander.
e 81 wasn't angry at Vane Bran
DON" she said, trailing an amount
OF scorn over the name. "I couldn't
become angry at hin-he's too stu
pid. 1t was at-well, l might as
well tell you. at Jack !''
HAS Jack been rude, Nellie ?"
Laura questioned, In n perfectly In
different voice, although her cous-
in's pretty face was slowly crimson
ing, Jack" was Lhura's half
brother, not all related 10 Nellie,
and very much in love with her
Nellie had sometimes
made this world n paradise, some
times a-the other place-for Jack.
While Laura seeing it all, would
alternately smile and sigh, hardly
knowing what 10 iorsee.
"Rude!" Nellie echoed, indig-
ranlly. i f}s.sg!dl, f9hcayd think SO! Why,
whole night -, And l had promised
him a dance, ahd he never came to
claim it! lie WAS SO fascinated by
that red-haired Miss Foster that he
made quite IL fool OF himself. All
the same, don't care-nuch =.
"Miss Foster is Il very lovely girl,
and her hair is Il rich auburn" Lau-
ra said, with quiet smile. II don't
see why Jack should not be civil TO
her--in tact, be devoted To- her.-
Jack has always admired Nina Eos
ter"
"Well, let him admire her," Nell
lie said, fretiully F; "Dut I'm sure 0i
lust one thing, Cousin Laura-ii
Jack ever asks me to dance with
him again shall not forget his
rudeness OF last night" Then after
a short silence: IL think OF going
home In few days, Laura"
Laura opened her dark eyes sur
prisedly.
~ dol" Nellie exclaimed. her
pretty eyes filing II don't want
TO stay any longer! Pun tired at
the nonsense OF my so-callod admir-
ers. | think Jack ought TO be
ashamed of him-eli! And ] nnI
going home on Saturday"
dear" L>ura said bending for
ward to lay her white hand ON the
pretty one in NeIlie's lap. II think
/ quite understand you; you are
angry at Jack, and he deserves il:
but you should not make us all sui-
fer for his misdoings, "Nellie, dO
YOU act towards him as woman
should towards the man she loves p
81 don't love him % Nellie
cried, angrily, and put up both jew-
eled hands and began TO sob. II
don't = not the least bit In the
world % she cried with unnccesSar-