Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-04-10
"Pshaw, father! I did not mean
church Christians; I mean society Chris

Well, what do you think of Augusta
Pennington for Christian2"
"Augusta Pennington! Is she here2"
| asked, amazed.
''No, she is not, but her brother lives
within two miles, and be has daugh-
ter about the same age as yourself. Mrs.
Pennington wrote them we should be
here to-day; they will doubtless call in
the morning."
Well, 1 did not care if they did. The
dresses in my trunks were sufficient to
inspire any woman with comfortable as
surance. The next morning l made
beautiful toilet, but neither Mr.. nor Miss
Lacelles called. Just after supper l
heard little stir and hustle on the stairs,
ripping laugh, the rustic of silken
robes, and, leaning on her fathers arm,
Miss Lacelles entered. She was beauti
full; saw that at a glance; tall and
pale and lady-like, reminding you of a
fair white lily. We soon struck up a
friendship--a girls friendship 1 mean.
Some one has said that there is no
friendship between the sexes, and some
one is mistaken, think, for the word
holds no safer friend for woman than
an honorable man. A womar's friend
ship is very likely to be the result of
convenience, contiguity, or of being, as
my father rather sneeringly remarked,
''the only Christian within hail of each
other" Mary showed me all her dresses
and told me her secrets, and / returned
the compliment, mindful of Burns's ad
vice to still 'keep something to myself
wadna tell to ony."
Life settled down into an unexciting
but endurable routine. Mary and L wis
tied each other and arranged our next
winters campaign, for had invited her
to pass the cold weather with me in New
York. One day, in the middle of one of
these pleasant chats, servant came in
and handed me card. The name on it
reused at once all the antagonism in my
nature. 1t was, "Geoffrey Gardiner"
Now it SO happened that the existence
of this gentleman was the one thing l
had kept back in my condolences with
Mary. So had now to explain who and
what he was. wanted her to come into
the parlor with me; but no, she would
go home first and dress; but she prom
ised to be back to tea.
I dlsliked Godfrey, yet was glad to
see him. My mental faculties were rust
ing for want of attrition. Father would
not quarrel with me, and Mary was my
only face card. could not throw her
away. Besides, I rather liked to see his
great, handsome figure in the room. He
was SO full of life that he seemed to
vitalize even the chairs and stools; they
tumbled about and got out of the way in
the strangest manner. / told him about
Mary Lacelles, and warned him that he
would lose his heart. He gravely told
me he had none to lose.
Imagine six feet two inches of man
hood without q heart
We waited !ea for Mary, but she did
not come till quite dark, and we had our
tea. She said she had been detained by
company, but l knew better than that.
She was dressed with reference to candle
light effect, and would not lose its in
fiuence ON her first appearance. 1 never
saw her look so lovely; her rose-colored
dress, with its broad shimmering bands
of white silk, wonderfully enhanced her
charms. Godfrey looked delighted, and
she gave him the full benefit of both her
upward and downward glances.
When tea was over, | left the room a
few minutes, and when l came back,
found Godfrey and Mary sitting opposite
each other, with the chess-board be-
tween them as an excuse for Irritation.
The move had been so rapid that was
astonished, and little angry, too; and
father did not improve matters by
Whispering, as l passed his chair:
"Checkmated, Olive!"
1t was not pleasant evening for me,
and it was the beginning of many un-
pleasant ones.
"How it came let doctors tell," but |
began to like Godfrey just as soon as he
began to like Mary. l called up pride
to the rescue, but it did not help me
much, and I suffered good deal in
watching Geoffrey's attentions to Mary,
and listening to her prattle about him.
thought her supremely silly, and l told
her so. She was astonished at my
petulance, but I don't think she sus-
pected the truth. Only father did that,
and he looked so. s'Serve you right,
MISS" that / longed for him to be a
woman for an hour or so, that might
talk back to him.
One day, after Godfrey had been a
month with us, riding party was pro-
posed to the top of the mountain.
Father and 1, Godfrey and Mary-that
would be the order, of course; and was
prepared for that; but there is a last
straw in every burden, and my last straw
was this incident: They were mounted
and waiting for me, when Mary dropped
her glove. From my window / saw
Geoffrey pick it up, put it on the hand
laid SO contidingly in his, and then kiss
it. After that l was not going to ride
for King nor Kaiser. sent a positive
refusal to all entreaties, and as soon as
they were out of sight indulged in a
good refreshing cry. / cried myself to
sleep, and woke about dusk with new.
born purpose in my heart which com
! fortad mo xrondarfulIv the <ey-nOte o.