The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-30

QeVOCeQ IIlenQ ne Is, OtIn. AAO 70 SPiN-'
isn't he? And richi Well, papa's fortune
is an insignificant one beside Philip Courte-
nays Yes, his wife will be a blessed WON
an, Beth"
Such sick, faint pain was tugging at
the girls heart, yet she was so brave, SO
game, that little country girl, all untutored
in the ways of the world.
But about my hair" said Edith lrrele-
vanity. UNLESS can match it so as to
wear it in two long plaits down my back
| la Marguerite-you know ! have so little
hair of my own-I shall certainly not 90 to
Buchcroft and them
Beth looked up inquiringly.
''Then what"
"Mr. Courtenay will be so disappointed,
because, You see he is a great admirer of a
| beautiful head Ct hair. He was the one
who first suggested the idea TO me Of going
| in the character of Marguerite. 1t was the
other afternoon when ne was calling here,
and AS YOU left the room he spoke about
| YOUR magnificent plaits and said you were
| an ideal Marguerite. Then ne asked me
why didn't wear my hair like yours. Of
course men know nothing about the
| fashion, but promised him would go to
the ball with my hair in braids, and also
prevail on you to accompany me at his
urgent request. Aren't you flattered?"
A sudden agitation sprang to Beth's
| face-swift vivid fash she could not re
strain-and then came quick, new light
| ness to her sweet blue eyes.
Philip had requested she should go!
How sweet it WIS! How her girlish heart
| throbbed with the new thought! Then she
smiled and shook her head in such a matter
| of fact way that Edith never could have
| guessed, in thousand chances, the storm
| of emotion that had rolled over her.
'Mr. Courtenay is very kind and thought
| full: but YOU know | have had no intention
whatever of going. / would like to go;
| butt
eyes, | understandable odd, old story
that Miss McFlimsey can sing so well.
| That should not stand in your way, Beth;
| because, if my memory serves me right,
you have pale green crepe that you got
! before your father died. 1t would do adj
mirably for Undine, and with your mag
nificent golden hair floating loose over
your shoulders, you would look the char
acter to the life"
A little ecstatic delight showed on Beth S
! face as she cried, eagerly:
81 do believe | could wear 1t, and am
afraid do want TO co.
And just that very minute, for the first
time. it occurred to Miss Bradford that
/ perhaps the attraction for Ruth Thornton
was-Philip Courtenayl
A look of jealous anger darkened on her
handsome face; then a companion feeling
of hard jealous fury filed her heart, as
she remembered as By a revelation, dozen
little admiring words Beth had said of
him, a dozen little looks she had seen Mr..
! Courtenay give Beth, and a dozen COM
mandatory things he had said of her and
especially of her wonderful hair.
Edith's cold blue eyes rested on the
great FURNISHED plaits hanging over Beth's
shoulders until their curling silken ends
swept the floor, with an expression of bit
ter hatred and envy. The thought sud
denly occurred to her how gladly she
would put shears to that crown of glory
and crop it close to the graceful head, and
with the thought cruel plan entered her
brain whereby she might destroy this girls
greatest beauty and further her own selfish
desires at the same time.
| "Unless YOU are consCientiously opposed
dear" she remarked, softly dropping her
long lashes to hide the look of wicked ex-
ultation in her eyes, what / want TO say
is that if you are willing to stay at home
have proposition to make which may
suit your tender little conscience. Let me
cut off your long Draids, Beth. and | will
| give you a hundred dollars for them
which will be certainly Of more practical
benefit in helping to restore your mothers
eyesight than the possession of such a MOI
of hair. can fastca thc plaits to a comb
under the peasant cap l wear, and as they
match my hair perfectly no one will know
but what they grew on my own head
There's plan for you TO accept or reject!
Edith raised her white lids TO watch the
changes in Beths sweet, mobile face
changes she saw, but was not sure sht
could translate.
While Beth sat there, with great thrill;
of keen, sharp agony at thought of losing
her woman's crown, of yearnlng desire tC
90 where she" would be, where he would
see and admire her glorious wealth o.
golden tresses-then, pitiful qualms OF con
science stricken pain. that she was so veal
and selfish as to hesitate second time be
tween her vanity and the almost certainty
of giving back to her poor mother The
blessing of sight; then one brief struggle
then victory.
Certainly, you can have my hair" sht
faltered bravely, with pitiful white face
"and thank you a thousand times for YOU
generosity"
Her generosity! Miss Bradford's con
science gave her tweak of sharp remem
brance. as though il had said-her supreme
heartless. cruel trcacherous selfshneSs.
But her end was accomplished and tina
was all she desired Beth would no Longer
be dangerous rival after she was shorn o
her browning beauty.
"Shall | have the village barber cut m!
hair when l so home this evening"" Betl
asked after pause, in which she had sub
dued suspicious lump in hel throat.
Dear me, nor cried Edith, starting
hastily to her feet. ''He would be sure t,
ruin it with his buneling. If you vii
come up TO my dressing room, Beth, L vii
cut it myself"
Without a word Beth rose and FOLLOWED
Miss Bradford up the stairs, striving val
iantly to keep back the tears which would
well up in her sweet blue eyes at though
of the coming sacrifice.
"Sit down in that low chair by the win
dow" Edith commanded briskly, while
get a pair of scissors from my work basket
The thick, curling ends Of Beth's gloss.
plaits touched the floor as she sank int
the designated seat and bowed her COLDER
head to the cruel blades.
Edith's cold, blue eyes shone with ma
licious satisfaction as she grasPed one o
the thick plaits and thrust the slim blade
into the silken LOCKS underneath. Sh
sheared it of close to the scalp and tosse'
it on ~ the toilet table at her side Sh
smiled grimly as she turned and seized tn
other plat, cropping il of with a savage