Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-08-15

they were to meet her At . luncheon party
given by their friend, MIA Hals, the doc
tors wife. They looked out thsir bsst Oh
lace ruffies and collars and cuffs, and put o.
their handsomest mantles and most ire
proachable bonnets and went forth in quit
a little pleasurable tremor Of excitement Z.
meet her.
Mrs. Hales drawing was full whel
the Miss Harveys arrived, Tor in thes
hospitable regions luncheon Is not light ant
airy nothing to which you are invited to SIT
down to II life with fragmentary delicacies a
an excuse for meeting and conversing in tn.
middle Of the day. 1t Is rather q good, sub
stantial. :ensible repast, commencing witt
soup and snding, after many intermediate
courses, with grapes worthy Of being offeret
up at the shrine Of young Bacchus
Accordingly. wise hostesses take the op
portunity II wiping of the scores agains
them by inviting just as many to these mid
day feasts as they would to a late dinner
which has It's conveniences in the winter
season. when the PERCEPTIONS character OF thu
country in this part Of the county IS taker
into consideration. So now Mrs. Hale hat
called in a large number of the incest peopi'
she knew to come and eat luncheon and lool
at Mrs Kesterton-
The Kestertons were in admirable time
they timed their arrival with such exquisit.
punctuality that, though the luncheon wa
announced the moment after they came, ant
though they were the last corners, not
single dish was kept waiting for an instant
Still, if they had been few minutes earlier
their kindly hostess would have been better
pleased. She did so much wish to introduce
the beautiful Mrs. kesterton to two or three
Of her old friends--notably to her dear
friends the Harveys.
But it was impossible. Luncheon was al
nounced, and Mrs. Kesterton swept of in 6
pansy-colored velvet dress, the outlines de
fined with feather trimmings of the same
shade, on DIR. Hale's arm.
little hunt did not amount TO a
@buzz'-of admiration followed her. It pro
ceeded from the assemblage of ladies' and
was called forth-"extracted' from them
in fact-by the way she had embraced every
one in the genial apology she had made fol
not having come two seconds sooner. The
perfect GU: and fit of her dress had something
to do with it The Miss Harveys were 81
taken with her profile and back views, a
she slid into the drawing ROOM and was ther
wheeled off into the dining-room by her
host, that they quite felt that they had beer
culpably negligent in not having called or
her before
Really culpably negligent" Miss Harvey
whispered to her hostress next to whom she
was setting: "and am sure Cynthia feel
the same Cynthia was the second Mis-
Harvey, the staider and more thoughtful,
and, perhaps, shade the less popular OF
the popular sisters.
Miss Cynthia is quite struck with Mrs.
kestertOn's beautiful FACET can see that;
she has hardly moved her eyes from Mrs
kesterton since We sat down," Mrs Halo re-
joined in high good humor. Mrs. Kesterton
had been specially engaged, days before
other people were invited, to shine at this
luncheon. Therefore, Mrs Hale was na;ur-
ally well pleased that the graceful attrac-
ton which she had secured should be q
prominent object of attention and topic of
conversation
-Ah, Cynthia is an artist, You know, =
Ms Harvey said with pride. @Self-taught-
in her youth, poor dear, We hadn't the means
of getting instruction for her-but a real ar
tist, assure YOU She always sees more in a
face than do, reads off tie bad and the
good that speak through the human coun-
tenance like book"
"She can only read what is good in that
lovely face, am sure" tho hostess replied,
warmly; End Miss Harvey agreed warmly
with her, and again expressed the opinion
that she and her sister had been culpabiy
negligent in not having called on Mrs Ke5-
terton before this.
But at least the pleasure of an introduc,
ton to the bewitching stranger was prom
isei to her as soon as Mrs. Hale could get
the opportunity after luncheon And Mis-
Harvey. contented with this promise, turned
her attention to her immediate neighbor
during the rest of luncheon time, and be-
came immersed in local politics.
1t was winter when this agreeable little
reunion took place at Mrs. Hale's hospitable
house, and that lady was utilizing her privi-
lege, and the occasion to the utmost, BY hav-
ing an afternoon AT home to follow tine
luncheon Several young ladies from the
surrounding country houses had been invited
to bring few songs and a little music"
ard their brothers and cousins, if these gen.
tlemen could be persuaded to come home al.
hour or two earlier from shooting for the
sake of hearing Mrs kesterton sing. These
in itatiops had been frsaly responded to.
Soon there was quite a little crowd in Mrs
Hales drawing room, and as it was thickest
round the popular beauty, the opportunity
of Icing introduced to the latter, which Miss
Harvey SO ardently desired, was lost to hei.
Mrs. kesterton sang well. and received all
the plaudits which her singing called forth.
sweetly and unaffectedly. Miss Harvey
ventured to remark to Mr.. Kesterton that
@he must he very proud of his gifted wife,
on which he reused himself from day
dream and generously declared that he was
very proud of her; she was a real
trump. She did what she wanted to do AMI
didn't care what any one thought OF her
She'd snap her fingers in anyone's face who
went agen her-that's what she'd do; and
why shouldn't she' she'd got beauty and
brains and laundering good banking &C.
count"
Nj Kesterton's manner and diction struck
Miss Harvey as Icing odd to say the least
of it Indeed, though he looked well, dressed
well, and stood well, Miss Harvey could not
help arriving at the unpleasant conclusion
that the charming woinan's husband was not
, gentleman
II was not eli the party was breaking up
md Mrs ksstcrton was departing that the
Introduction to her was effected for Miss
Harvey In the haste of the moment Mrs
Hale forgot TO mention Miss Harvey's name;
put Mr.. keSterton's reception of her was as
,oriial a if Miss Harvey had been duchess
81 hope to see you soon, and often at the
Lake house" she said quite effu-ively in her
eagerly energetic way, warmly shaking
hands with half n dozen people simultane-
Jusly. Then summoniny her Lion" as she
called her husband, she swept away out Of
the house with graceful velocity, and the re-
naming guests burst forth into eulogies II
her beauty. grace, and unaffected vivac-
ty."
Not all tho remaining guests, though
Miss Cynthia was strangely silent Miss
Cynthia looked strangely scared Miss Gym
thia was most strangely unsympathetic.
Il hope-I pray with all my heart | may
never see the woman and her evil spirit
gain" she sail, when her sister forced her
10 give expression to some sort OF opiu-
.on respecting the general object of interest
You surely can't call that distinguished
looking husband of hers her evil spiritf
Mr.. Hale asked bllthaly. while the others
laughed and jested. and declared that poor
Mss Cynthia was as piquei as man might
have besn by having ben overlooked by the
beauty
To all thi, jestiny Miss Cynthia turnsi a
weary ear, and privately begged her sister
to go home at onca.- admitting that she
was strangely upset By something
II they had followed the popular beauty
home. they would have seen her cast her
smiles and careles,nesS as completely as a
snake does its skin, a soon she had flown
up stairs and iocksi her bedroom door be-
hind her. And they would have heard her
mutter, as she clasped her hands over her
eyes, and her head On the pillow:
Leave me-leave me-leave me, | VIII
kneel AMI pray 20 you 70 leave me-
Didn't please YOU today | held my
Tongue Ii ln'r Sr,aaE L, any IN a hut an al