Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-07-30


Mignonne with wondering eyes, ''away
from Miss Vanderventer, sir ?''
Bother Miss Vanderventer - said
Philip rudely 1.-THE truth was, he and
Frederick had not agreed very well
that morning; she had expressed dis
pleasure at some trivial occurrence and
he, not being IN the sweetest of tempers
had taken umbrage accordingly 81
am glad to get away from everybody, /
am cross and disagreeable-don't mind
what l say-that's good child" and
so Mignonne went on with her drawing,
and he sat and looked at her in silence.
A sudden thought struck him after a
while, "Mignonne," he said, acting on
the impulse of the moment, did you
ever go to the theatre ?''
The great dark ewes looked up at him
eagerly. "Once or twice." she said,
with Jack"
Would you like to go with me
sometime. if Jack didn't mind ?''
The look on her face answered him,
and half-laughing at the pleasure which
shone in her eyes, he sauntered away to
arrange the matter with Jack. 1t was
Monday now, he was engaged every
night until Thursday, but then Freder-
lea was going out of town, and Thurs
day evening was his own-they would
go then-and 50 Mignonne was formally
invited.
Luckily, Philip Vanderventer was
not much at the studio during the in
tervening days, and he knew nothing of
the worry and bother of preparation
into which MIgnonne plunged, and,
when the night came, he little suspected
the surprise in store for him.
1t was few minutes before the de-
signated time that he came into the
little sitting-room, and JACK sat there
alone, dubious and unhappy.
What's the trouble, Chandran ?''
asked his visitor. ''You look a. though
you had lost your last friend What is
it ?''
Il am afraid 1 have" answered
Chandran, solemnly. Il feel so-don't
mind me, am low-spirited you see )"
and then Mr.. Vanderventer inquired
for Mignonne. ''Is the little girl
ready?" he asked. and Jack replied
with groan.
81 should think so''-he began, but
Just then there was rustic of drapery
in the hall, and the door opened.
81 am ready said Mignonne's
voice, and then Philip turned slowly.
Could that be Mignonne ?-Mlgnonne
of the short frOcks and long braids p
Mignonne, the ''lIttle girl ?''
it was Mignonne's face certainly ,and
Mignonne's shiny hair, but the hair
was no longer braided child fashion
down her back-it was gathered up in
"A glorious knot on the very top of her
pretty head, long, curling, golden-red
lock falling here and there over her
shoulders. The short frock was sup
planted by prettily-fashioned dress.
which, trailing behind her IN soft folds.
gave new statelIneSs TO her slender
figure, and, as she stood there blushing
and smiling as they looked at her, a
sudden unaccountable pain smote Philip
VandeTyenter's heart.
Mignonne was child no longer; he
had lost his little friend forever.
''Do you not like me as well 2" she
said, putting out her pretty hand half
timidly. Jack is disgusted with me,
but | am too old for short frocks any
more, the dreSsmaker said.''
plague take the dressmaker ~ inter-
polated Jack"
Il am quite nineteen, you know"
this rather detiantly, and so-and So
here L am"
"How beautiful she is" thought
Philip, as he took her hand for a mo-
ment, and then. with sudden anger,
''what a fool have been what a
fearful and wonderful simpleton ~
All that evening he watched the
lovely face under the pretty hat, like
one in dream. Not one word that
was spoken by the actors did he hear or
understand; he even answered Mig
nonne at random, and grew almost irri-
table when she laughed at his pre-occu-
patton, although he begged her pardon
most humbly minute after.
See" she said suddenly, at the close
of the first act, ''there is your cousin,
Mr.. Vanderventer, she is bowling to
you"
Truly, there was Frederick, languidly
waving her fan, and smiling down upon
him graciously-looking at his COM
panion meanwhile, through her eye
glasses, with certain sharp curious
admiration.
''How very beautiful she is ~ said
MignOnne, turning to him as he bowed
constrainedly to his cousin. "She looks
sucn a grand lady that I should be
afraid of her." and then, catching
sight of his disturbed face, crimson
flush mantled her very temples, and the
quick tears came to her eyes, 80 Mr..
Vanderventer," she cried, with a pit
eous quiver of her pretty lips. II am
so sorry L wish hadn't conceive can
90 home now, can't We ?"
He turned toward her sharply; not
understanding the sudden change, but
a look at her distressed face told him
how cruelty she had misunderstood him.
''She thinks L am sorry that L brought
her, now that Frederica is here" he
thought, savagely, and then he answered
her, under his breath ''Y on do not
know how unjust you are to Inc, Mig
nonne, in your thoughts.
"Ah, Vanderventer, how are you ?
Your aunt sent me to summon you and
your friend to seats in her box-by the
way, introduce me-" this last in an aud
ible whisper and Philip Vanderventer,
in singularly mixed state of mind
performed the introduction.
''Captain Merton, Miss Chandran,"
inwardly raging at the look of undis-
guised admiration on the gallant Cap
tain's face, and then he hesitated for a
moment. Should he go, or should he
not ?-after all, perhaps it would be
best to face the difficulty at once: a
brave front is best under all circuEn-
stances, and so, overcoming Mignonne's
timidity with a laughing "nonsense,"
he obeyed his aunt's beheSt.
''Miss Chandran, my aunt, Mrs.
Vanderventer my cousin, Miss Van
The worst was over with now, and he
breathed more easily. His aunt looked
a shade grimmer than usual, but Fred
erica was gracious in tine extreme. The
little shyDess and timidity in Mig
manner at first was simply
charming, and Frederick, looking at
her through the inevitable eyeglasses,
with her eyebrows raised trile, was
evidently favorably impressed.
"Why did you tell me such wretched
-.or,, o,i oba rhisr,arad IN her conscipnce-