The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-05-26

her fair face. in which the color came
and went fitfully.
Pm going like Cinderella to the
ball, granny. | shall either flee back
to you, ragged and friendless, or else
the prince shall bring me back in
lsplendor."
Old Betty left her obediently al
the gates of The Holliel, !, which were
Just upon the outskirts of the village
and Msrgery stole up the carriage
sweep
She avoided the hall-door, and
slipped round to lighted bowwin-
dow, which opened down upon the
terrace.
She peered cautiously in, and saw
the room was empty. She tried the
sash, and it yielded to her hand.
When she stood in the room, the
window closed behind her. she look
ed around her. This was the library,
and no doubt the special room for
the young master of the Hall.
She crossed TO the writing table
beside the great armchair on the
hearth. There were magazines and
papers lying about. and letter sd-
dressed to Philip B. Wodringion,
Esq, The Hollies.
She hesitated an instant, halt
drawing her own letter from its hid
ing place. Then with a hurried mo,
not yet-not yet, if ever" turned
and lifted the heavy portiere and
glided out into the hall.
The mask was tied over her face,
else, as she stood upon the hearth
rug beside Philips chair, she might
have been startled by the double re-
| Election in the mirror over the man
| tlepiece.
There was her own figure. and
there was one of the old Wodrington
portraits of powdered and bracad-
ed damsel seated at harp, whose
face might haye been Margery's own
for It's strong likeness to her.
But Margery never so much as
glanced at the pictures; she was
watching the dancers in the halt
She was evidently looking for some
one she might recognize.
Shepherdess and cavalier of the
old time were dancing the quadrille
together Persian slave ond Chinese
mandarin fiowery spring and Santa
Claus in all his snowy furs. The
latter was making his way up to
Margery, as was certainly more APP
propriate, when someone spoke be-
hind her
Surely, as master of The Hollies,
| may be allowed some claim-at
least to a dance .
II was all that Margery could do
10 repress start. She knew that
voice so well.
She dared rot trust her own senses
as she turned round and through
her mask saw Philip, unmasked,
close to her.
He wore court dress of the last
century, but as some two or three OF
his guests had, through mistake. ar
rived without masks, he had laid
aside his with quick sense of re-
lief.
This PLAYING at merrymakiDg irk-
ed him, as his grave eyes showed.
a Twelfth Night ball was always
expected at The Hollies, so its new
master gave it, if in secret unwilling
ly enough.
The evening had gone wearily to
him until this little moving holly
bush arrived to pique his curiosity.
The = 'Dryad of the Holly" people
were soon calling her in the ball
room. and no one wondered that
the master of The Hollies almost
took possession of her-Do one, that
is, except the master himself.
But he was presently asking him
self the meaning of it all.
Il am not a fool 10 let myself be
haunted so by the thought of Mar
gery," he was saying to himself.
.Margery. who refused me quite
coollv and easily last year-Margery,
the little maid of the mill, who can
have nothing in common with this
guest of mine. And yet trick of
gesture, a tone of voice, disguised as
it is. sets me to dreaming OF Margery
He murmured the name half
aloud, finding himself alone for
moment in the library-or thinking
he was alone. for he missed the
slight waving of the curtain over one
of the book-lined alcoves.
A moment ago Margery, standing
just where ne was now, had drawn
her undirecte1 letter from her cor
sage. had directed it in trembling
hand to Philip Brand Wodrington,
and had laid it, sealed az it was, up
permost among his little pile of pa
pers, and then hearing some APP
sound. she fled away to
the nearest pOr!iere. hoping to es-
cape, only to find herself curtained
into shallow alcoye and Philip
entering the room.
For an instant she could not resist |
the temptation to glance through the
gap in the curtain.
Philip was leaning back in his |
chair, reading his letters one by one. |
He had left Margery's to the last, |
probably because the disguised back
hand was unknown to him.
Bat he had broken the seal now;
4 smothered exclamation broke from
him.
Margery could follow him down
.he page as well as if she were look
ng over his shoulder.
my child" the letter said-"my
little daughter who will never know
ne-when you read this you will be-
eighteen, and you will have grown
lp a true child of the kind people
who have promised me to take care
of you-a girl who can work and
not fail or die, as | have failed and
I'm dying, when there is nothing
but work left for my helpless, unac-
hands. Now that you are
I'D enough not to be harmed by the
knowledge, you ought to know that,
Is the phrase goes, you are well borE
lpon your mothers side-a Wod-