The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-18
BELLE OF THE SEASON.

u.
ing mllabies to my little one here, waiting
for Fred through the midnight hours, that
monotonous cry Of the buss men comes
TO me in my reyeries like cold wave,
causing my very blood to chill with re
morsei But come take this easy chair,
and III tell you all about it, for you are an
old friend and can trust you. Give me
YOUR hand. You know it was a way OF
piue when we were deskmates at school
To hold hands: somehow ! could study
better But my story.
After you left US Neil McCoull, a bril-
liant. rich young lawyer, came to board
with Us, aud read law with father. Just
At that time there seemed to be luli IN
the affairs Of the young people of the
town A new man in town spread Ike
wild fire. and he at once became the Oh.
served Of all observers, and gave material
for talk for DAYS after. All sought his
acquaintance Even those Of our sex
who had been put Oh the list of 'passe,
and had retired from the field, rallied
from their places of retreat armed them
selves afresh with mon smiles and re
entered the struggle. The anxious moth
ers, too. brought up the rear, urging
them on whit may be your last
chancc-mako well of it-you will be for
ever laid on the shelf soon and like oX-
pressions equally as encouraging.
But Neil was equal TO the emergency.
He at once ensconced himself in a strong
fort Of indifference, and kept the new ac-
quaintanccs under subsection by mild and
unrelenting reserve. He wasn't slow to
take in the situation
was a young and motherless girl IN
der the control of an old maid aunt, you
know
1t would have been a great shock TO her
poor nerves had received attention from
the uppish Young Americas Of the town,
as she termed them, as other girls OF my
are did. But ignorance was bliss with
me. | had never known anything about
such things and cared less. ! loved my
books, was retiring and shy in my dispo-
sition. Neil, living in the house with me
soon became a constant companion. He
was like an older brother TO me. lie
helped me with my studies and taught me
TO ride and drive This over attention OF
Nei's to such an unpretentious creature
as was quite Disguised the interested
daughters and anxious mothers Of the
town.
Time few. / was "a graduate with the
highest honOrs. Neil delivered the com
mencement address and diplomas. ] was
proud Of him, but he was more so Of me.
lie had always called me little sweet
heart. and had treated it as little joke
but on this occasion he kissed me sur
rounded by my laurels. Was ever kiss
like that! He read in my tell tale eyes
that which made his heart throb with
Joy. ! aftorward posed for an artist who
saw me on that night The picture is
labeled The Sweet Girl Graduate" and
received special mention at the Paris salon
last year.
\ year afterward father and ! were at
WGukesha for the summer Several OF
our society bellies were also there. Neil
had Joined us for short time One
glorious evening, just as the fire flies
were trimming their lamps for the falling
shadows. he sat with me at the base of
Crescent spring and read to me "The
Buried Life, by Mathew Arnold 1t was
his confession 10 me, and TO my heart
they were the most beautiful lines ever
penned by Il poet. AS he finished read
ing. voice in the pavilion above me said,
and so distinctly that J could hear it
" Who is his Miss Dortch Of your town
She is beautiful and sings like q night
ingale. but ssems Indifferent TO society?'
recognized the speaker to be Blanche
Doyle a New York woman who had spent
much Of her time abroad, and who had
realized a round sum from playing
roulette at Monte Carlo She was typi-
cal woman Of fashion-magnifcent figure,
blondined hair, cosmetics in proiuSion,
but rather coarse featured. Dancing came
as natural to her feet as the latest scandal
TO her lips To be stared at was the
height of her ambition, and TO be mobbed
by the men her acme of bliss; yet she
possessed tact, most potent OF social
qualities.
"Oh. she is one of the goody goody
girls. replied one of the bellies from our
town. The men cali her sweet, but con
tent themselves with admiring her fr1m a
distance, there nothing exciting in know
ing her better. She gets In with all the
old people, her slow ways suit them, she
wastes her smiles on the pauper, and Is
STYLED superior woman Dear mel These
superior women-how stupid they are
fOI my part prefer W iShViV 'hNoN S'ii''
conventional laws of proprety and have
good time.
When they had gone Neil began Ito
make comparisons in my favor, He said
| was truthful, innocent and pure, and
oh, his confidence in me only death could
break. He said good 10y 10 me that night,
but was happy, for | had promised TO
marry him ON my return home IN the
autumn.
He had gone. and two months more of
the summer How should ] spend it?
When that question entered my mind, the
tempter entered my heart, slowly but
surely The conversation ] had heard
still fingered with me IL believe I'll
show these people what stupid, indif-
ferent girl can do when she takes no
tion. There's nothing 10 be done but
make myself excessively agreeable to
people. have nothing better to do; no
harm can come from that, surely" /
thought.
A little later was sitting at the piano
singing Blanche Doyle camo up with
her gushing compliments. Much to her
amazement, received them gracefully