Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-12-18

the mirror, facing the Others, the train
Of her lace trimmed robe sweeping out
behind her close up to the glass, when
suddenly-no one knew how it hap
pened-thcre was a Mortified scream
from one of her gay companions, a
quick drawing away from her, and she
was left alone, a stony figure, with pale,
set face, whose horror-strickcn eyes
glared over her shoulder at the little
creeping flames gliding up among her
laces. starting from the wax candle
which had toppled over from the mirror
bracket. Before the terrified girl could
find her voice, Sara had sprung forward
and seized fur-lined cloak, which she
wrapped tightly about the burning lace,
and then Jessie was conscious of a
resolute voice bidding her: "Quick,
now! Lie down fiat on the floor! Don't
struggle, child" and the next moment
she was nearly buried beneath heavy
Turkish rug. A few moments later and
the danger was all over; her costly laccs
were crumbling rags, and the rich satin
was scorched and blackened: Worth
masterpiece was utterly ruined, but the
delicate white body it inclosed had not
felt even breath of fame. The kindly,
careless words uttered an hour before
had borne precious fruit for her: but
before she could recover from her fright
enough to speak her thanks, Sara had
quietly got herself out of the excited
group and was speeding home to her
boarding place. But she had not been
quick enough to avoid Mr.. Warren's en-.
trance, or to escape his agitated words
"Iessie, my darling, are you hurtg" and
all night her dreams were haunted by a
tall, manly figure, with a beautiful
golden-haired girl in his arms.
Next morning, just as she had sum-
moned up energy enough to think of
getting off to the office, she was told
that some one wished to see her in the
psrlor; and, going down, she was con-
fronted by Mr.. Warren, who caught both
her hands in an earnest clasp, as he said ;
''liss Ogden, how can | ever thank
you for last nights work? And why did
yon run away before we could speak to
you2 Jessie would have come with me
this morning. but she Is not fit to be out.
She sends you this note and some roses"
pointing to basket on the table. "And
my mother begs that you will let me
bring you back to lunch. She is long
ing to make your acquaintance, but she
cannot leave Jessie. ''Will you comet"
"But-you overwhelm me. I don't
want to go and be thanked. ANY one
else would have done as much as did. :"
"Did any one else do as much? No.
You mustn't be ungracious, and refuse
Cttr ooly o6 nf INT fnr oh
might be lying dead now--my dear
little sister!'
"Your sister, Mr.. Warren2 Why, 1
thought you"
A confused pause here.
Certainly my sister, At least, I al
ways called her so, though her mother
was my fathers second wife. Why, who
did you suppose she was, Sara2"
ooh, l heard some gossip there last
night about you being present with your
fdncee, and So"
"Woman- like, you jumped to con-
clusion. l have no fancee; but lately l
have begun to hope that l may find one
some day-that is, since I have been
learning what sweet, brave spirit looks
out from these clear eyes. But now that
you've turned out a real heroine, I'm
afraid I'm too commonplace and uninter
esting a mortal to mate with you. What
do you think, dear Could you ever
care for me ~
Miss Ogden evidently felt very little
doubt on that subject, and must have
signiied as much, for that very afternoon
she was being petted and made much Of
by her lovers family. And the next
time she stood in the dressing-room of
Mrs. Rossiter's elegant mansion the once
insignificant news gatherer and reporter
of fashionable toilets was quite unrecog
nizable under the bridal satin and pearls
of Mrs. Ernest Warren. And some ono
else chronicled her costumes for this
readers of the Rec0rd. Frank Lesties.
Three Queer Terms Made Plain.
The metaphor deaf as an adder has
a Biblical origin. In the Psalms we find
these words: "The deal adder stoppeth
her ears and will not harken to the voice of
the cha mer, charm he never SO wisely
These words, however, do not explain
why the adder should be spoken of as
deaf, but the solution of that problem is
found in an old tradition. In Eastern
countries if viper enters the house
snake charmer is sent for, who entices
the serpent into bag. But according
to an old superstition the asp stops his
ears when the charmer utters his incan-
tation by applying ono ear to the ground
and twisting its tail into the other.
"Going to my uncle's" had its origin
in pun on the Latin word uncus, mean
ing hook. At the present time English
have spouts down through
which goods are shot when redeemed.
Before these came into use, however,
employed hook to lift re-
deemed articles from their storage
places. lmpecunious Oxford students
came to speak of pledging their valuables
rs sending them Ito the uncus, and this
in time became corrupted into uncle,
and hence our present application of the
term.
The term "mare's nest frequently
puzzled me after came 10 know that
mares did not do their breeding in that
way. 1t is applied, as you know, to
ones making what is supposed to be
great discovery, but which turns out to
be all moonshine. An old-time writer
gives this explanation of its origin