The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-05-22
MRS. 80 b
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.
Author of" Bottles Baby" Beautiful Jim,
Etc, Etc.
CHAPTER IA PIECE OF NEWS.

for her little dirnerS-came off. On the
appointed evening the house in St. Ewes
had put on gala-like aspect-and when
Mrs. Trafford's house was wearing its
gala-dress, it was circumstance to which
you could not shut your eyes There was
a charming arrangement in lieu of the
cosy fire of winter-time, which made the
fireplace and hearth look like a small
fernery an arrangement of looking
glass and growing plants, trailing Ivy and
soft delicate moss, to which Mrs. Traf-
ford gave good deal of personal atten-
ton and was in consequence greatly en-
wed by her friends, even those who were
the fortunate pOssessors of large conserv-
atories.
A few minutes before eight Julia
made her appearance in the drawing
room, where her mother had been all in
readiness for her visitors for some little
time.
"Do look all right, mother?" Julia
asked in her loudest company voice, for
publicity always had that effect upon
Miss Trafford, and the larger the COM
pany the louder became her tones. "Shall
/ do2"
''You look delightful, DEAR" returned
Mrs. Trafford in all sincerity.
Julia undoubtedly did look nice. Her
gown was one she had worn during her
visit to town and still looked very fresh
and pretty 1t was rose-pink, was of a
soft and gauzy material and was of that
fashion which is highly becoming to little
women Of spare proportions. 1t was cut
sufficiently low in the neck to show that
her throat was white, and the sleeves
were pulled and gathered and then were
tied or seemed to be tied with a profuS
ion of smart ribbons; she wore a great
cluster of blush roses on one side of her
bodice and carried a pink fan of fluffy
feathers.
ooh! that is all right" she said with. a
gratified shipper. There was long strip
of lOoking-glass placed between two of
the windows and Julia was still craning
her neck SO as to get side view of her
self when the door opened and Cox, the
neat parlor-maid, announced, Captain
Legard."
Now Captain Legard was young man
in whom Julia did not take a great
amount of interest; he had not been very
long in Blankhampton. and ever since the
first day that he had come into it he had
persistently and abjectly worshipped at
the shrine of Mrs. Lovelace. Therefore
Julia, after giving him her hand, found
she had nothing further to say to him and
went to the little bow window over the
entrance, which was the favorite outlook
of everybody in the house, because from
it you could see from one end to the
other of ST. Ewes, which was far and
away the most Interesting street in Blank
hampton.
Tn lT1t0 col -tn of fh0
door below and vision of radiant beauty
stepped out and disappeared into the
house-the Lovelaces. Julia sat down on
the velvet cushioned window seat and
breathed sigh of relief that Mrs Love
lace would be able to enter the room with
out finding her talking to or even sitting
near her especial adOrer. She had seen
Mrs. Lovelace more than once enter a
room, just flash her great black eyes
round and by mere glance take Captain
Legard away from anybody to whom he
might be talking at the time, and Julia
had no mind, il she wasn't as fair to see
as Mrs. Lovelace, to let her have that kind
of triumph at her expense.
The next moment Mrs Lovelace came
III followed BY her husband-and oh!
what vision of loneliness she was! l do
not know that Mrs. Lovelace without the
beautiful gown of white and gold brocade
which she wore, would have been such a
vision of loneliness as undoubtedly the
gown would have been without Mrs.
Lovelace. There was very little body to
it and so much train that Julia caught
herself wondering whether the skirt had
not been made before the bodice and the
dressmaker had fallen short of stuff. She
wore some beautiful diamonds and great
ruby snake upon one arm and without
doubt pretty, woman and gown together
made a beautiful picture.
She was rather a slender figure, and
fairly graceful, but it was her face that
attracted you most, it was such bold
little wilful face, with a pert upturned
nose, and a warm, dark, almost swarthy
complexion out of which her black eyes
blazed like pair of live Goals. Yes, I'M
dOubtedly Mrs. Lovelace was a pretty Wo-
man.
And her husband? Well, he was
somewhat colorless person, good-look1ng
and particularly patient in disposition,
else he would never have put up. with
so strong favoring of Legard in his
daily dish.
Then the door opened again and Cox
announced, "Mr. O'HaganW and there
walked into the room, or I should say
shot into it tall and handsome man,
all bushes and confusion, although judg-
ing from his appearance he had need for
neither.
GLOW do you do, Mrs. Trafford? l
hope Pm not very Later" he asked breath
lessly.
"Oh. no! you are not nearly the last,
Mr. O'Hagan," she answered kindly, and
then Mr. O'Hagan feverishly got through
his greetings to the rest of the company.
1t seemed such an ordeal to the poor
fellow, who had literally an impeachment
in his speech, not a stammer or stutter
or splutter but an actual catch in his
Jaw as if the muscles wanted oiling, and
this combined with extreme sensitiveness
and nervousness made on-lookers wonder
why he ever distressed himself by going
to dinners or any other kind of parties at
ALL
Next to come were Canon and MIS-.
Berkeley Now Canon Berkeley was just
then first favorite with the great spiritual
TT L. II sxrs,1 rr1af