The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1889-09-06

bad. shrank back and forgot what she |
intended to say.
It was Mra Bernard who made the
next attack. Personally Mrs. Bernard
vas obnoxious to Miss Marllall, as any
woman with affected manners and an
artificial complexion must necessarily
have been; but that had nothing to do
with the conversation that ensued.
II am sorry to see that you wear black
Miss Marshall. You have lost some re-
lative. I presume"
Eyes, ma'am."
A longsilence. during which the clock
licked in a most obtrusive manner.
"Your mother, I suppose?'
II have lost my mother"
"Ah! recently?"
about twenty years ago-in fact,
when I was not q day old"
A deeper crimson dawned in Mrs.
Demands already crimson face, and she
retired from the contest. A suppressed
chuckle came from the farther end of
the room, where some of the gentlemen
were deeply absorbed in reading, and
again the clock licked with imperti-
nent emphasis.
II will never speak to her again."
cried Mrs. Bernard, tearfully, to the
ladies engaged in art work.
I'VE must make Mrs. Lane find out
who she is. We owe it to ourselves"
exclaimed two or three of the more in
dignant ones, justly incensed at Mrs.
Marshalls r%eticence.
It seemed, however, on Investigation,
that this was much easier said than
done.
miss Marshall came to me bringing
the best of references" said Mrs. Lane,
among them some friends of mine. i
have no right to inquire further"
But what does she do, Mrs. Lane?"
arose the feminine chorus. Good
heavens, what does she doc"
"She spends q good deal of her time
attending to her own business" re-
torted Mrs. Lane, who had learned the
use of the English language in the
course of several years conflict with an
ungrateful public, as boarding house
keeper, and again the assailants retired,
and there was silence for a space.
From this on the discussion ragged
with undated interest and accumulat-
ing 0 The gentlemen were
drawn into it in spite of their protest
and their earnest wish to befriend the
girl, who was alone and had no friends.
Mrs. Palmer laughed and said with fine
scorn:
$50 on, by all means. 1 have moth
ing to do with it. Miss Marshall is
a%bundantly able to take care of herself.
But I shall enjoy seeing the battle royal
at all events"
So Miss Marshall was utterly ignored
at the table, while the conversation
went on overhead, and all kinds of i'm
pertinent things were said ut hcr. When
she met any of the ladies in the hall
they were wholly unconscious of he,
presence. When she entered the par.
Tor the conversation came to a sudden
stop. and the assembled crowd dropped
of one by II until she was left alone.
Then she calmly took possession of the
piano and sang and played until SOM
of the people up stairs grew very rest
less and would willingly have beer
down in the parlor again.
One evening Mrs. May joined hel
friends, flushed and breathless from
rapid walking, and assembled the stair,
in q violent hurry.
"Tve found out something, at an,
rate" she cried triumphantly, "and
think it ought to convince us abou
that Miss Marshall, whether it does O
not"
what? wnat?Y arose the excited
chorus.
"Of course you all know that sh,
stays shut up in her room oil day, an,
then dresses up and goes out about
o'clock. Well, I had my suspicion
-"
$50 had t. said the chorus.
$50 for the last few evenings Iquietl,
followed her, and when she got dow
, by the corner of the Presbyteria,
, Church-now the first time I saw it
thought it was accidental, but acci
dents don't happen four times in sue
cession."
: aThat they don't" cried the chorus
with an air of deep conviction.
@Well, right at that same place
, every time, she meets a mani"
"a mani" cried the Mortified chorus
"a mainland takes his arm an
goes on walking with him for ever 8
!. far. I tried to follow them, bu