The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-05-14
MISS WORTHINGTON.
Chicago News.

New YOrk's most aristocratic man.
sions. The hands0mer of the two,
Maude Pierson, wore travelling
dress of brown merinO. and was
evidently resting after a journey.
In spite of a certain langu0r born
of fatigue in her velvet black eyes,
pallor of the clear olive skin, and
her unbecoming dress, the girl
was undeniaBly beauty of IA gor-
geous brunette type; Her COM
panion, passing pretty, was OF the
same dark tint, but smaller in ig-
ure, and tar from possessing Maude's
great beauty.
''Tell me about everybody
Maude said. 81 am fairly hungry
for gossip after vegetatiug nearly
two wears in that obominable cOun-
try hole with my aunt. She has
lett me $50, 1000, however: so that
the time was not altogether thrown
away
"Dead!n n cried her companion.
"You are not in mourning, and
why, Maude, you said you were
going to Mrs. RalstOn's this eve
ming"
$50 am. Aunt Maria has been
dead six months, and requested NE
not to wear any black, and to re-
turn to town in November. But,
Cora tell me the news. Who has
been the bslle of our set since |
lettW
"You concelted girl" laughed
her friend.
.Bab! What is the use of play
ing mock -mOdeSty between our
selvesf ! would be all idiot If |
did not know was handsome.
How IS Fred Seymour ~
Gone question at time, though
| can answer these two tOgeth-
er.. The belle has been the object
of Fred SeymOur's special devotion
since she made her debut last
month. Mrs. Hursey introduced
her. She is a niece, l believe, OF
old Mrs. Mortimer, who died three
years ago and left her all her
money"
.sBut who is she 7"
"Her name is WOrthington--
Esther Worthingtou.'
Mantle broke into harsh lan9h.
"Mrs. Mortlmer'S aiece n she
cried. swell, that,is rich Aud so
Fred Seymour iS in love with her "
"He is csl tainly very devoted.
Everybody thinks it will be a
match.f
"a match % erred Maude, in
another burst of mocking merrl-
ment. "Fred Seymour and Esther
Worthington! Well, we'll l tell
you,' she said fercely, "It will not
he a match. 1 will take her down y
"WhHt do you mean J"
"Will this belle be at Mrs. Raj
stOn's this eveDingV
"PrObab'y. But do tell me,
Maude, what do you know about
herp
81 know enough to cool Freder-
ick SeymOnr's ardOr,P said Maude,
sand be shall learn the truth. To
think of that girls daring to move
IN our set p
swell, as to that" Cora replied,
"being handsome, accomplished,
refined, aud heiress to double your
fortune, Maude, cannot see where
the audacity comes in, especially
as Mrs. Hursey has her for a
guest, and we all know how partic-
ular she is. The Seymours them.
selves are not prOuder than the
Hurseys."
"You wait until this evening"! l
suppose the gill thinks nobody
here knows her. I'll humble her !
She won't attend any more recep-
tious after I've told my story
"But what is your story n
"YOu'll hear tonight"
|Tell me now" Cora said coax
ingly.
hNo. Let me lie down awhile
and rest, or l will look like a ghost
this evening"
A very brilliant ghost it would
have been 10 resemble Maude Pier
sou as she entered Mrs. Ralston's
reception room q few hours later.
Looking across the crowded room,
she recognized her rival in a tall,
slender girl, who wore white lace
over peach -cOlored satin, aud orna-
ments OF tretted gold. Fred Sey-
mour was already in attendance,
apparently, for he was leading this
lady to the head of quadrllle just
forming when Maude entered. The
sjgbt stimulated anew all the venO-
nous hatred Of Esther Worlhing-
ton that had been reused by COra's
description,
A cold hearted, calculating wO-
man, devoted to dress, wealth aud
luxury, selfish to the hearts corr.
carrying the smiling face OF a belle
over bitter envy of all more for
tuuate than herself, Maude Piers0n
had never felt the touch Of woman
hood as when her hsaft opened 10
embrace the handsome face Of Fred
Seymour. An orphan dependent
upOn an aunt deg0ted 70 the tIvol-
ities in fashion; Mande's education
had been superficial, aud an undue
value had been gwen IN her
thoughts to TIE advantages Of
birth, position ahd fortune.