Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-11-27
MRS. DARBISHIRE.


! Thursdays" her rooms were filing to owe,
flow. Barn street was blocked with cal
riages. Lady George stood on the BIZ
square landing at the top of the stairs an
gave her hands so often that after tim
| it seemed no longer her own. The peopl
thronged up and up. The current appears
unending, and she felt almost as if the Gil
Gle must be complete, and the string @
guests must be revolving, as in a child
toy the figures that are gummed on tap
and go up to the mill move in endless sue
cession up and up and up.
Her tongue was tired, too, and so wa
her smile, but each was kept in activ
work. Glow do you do?" ''How do 20,
do?" "How do you do?' "Your son no
with you? No? am sorry" ''Wha
lovely fiowers!' "How do you do?" mo
almost cold" "How do you do?" "Yes
sitting" "Ah. Mrs. Keith; l scarcel,
thought you would get away. Dull; wa
it? What, none of the right people
Didn't suppose for an instant there woult
be-"
"Let me stand here for one moment.
want so much to know who some one i
who came in just before us. A beautiful
woman. Quite too lovely"
''Mrs. Venables, probably. Not Mrs
Venables? FairS Lady Fleet? No? Mis-
Adair? No? Then ! can't tell you till
see her."
"She is coming up now. There, with tn,
fair hair. No-in front of the Brabazons.
Lady George had the mischance to dro1
her bouquet and in the momentary con
fusion a name was lost.
The lady who advanced behind the un
heard name was fair to whiteness almost
Her hair was of peculiar shade of yellow
like pale sulphur. Her eyes were of tn,
lightest gray.
Lady George gave her hand and said
"How do you do?" The Brabazons occu
pied her with some elaborate explanation
about why they had been unable to dine il
Barn street, and in the meantime the lady
with murmured word, had passed on
Lady George looked after her. She we.
bowling to some one. She was bowling
again. and now again; apparently she hat
| many friends in the room.
Mr.. Brabazon was talking to Mrs. Keith
who as soon as he had moved away turned
to her hostess.
'sShe is handsome. hope your flowers
were not spoiled. | didn't catch the name ,
The lady was lost in the smart crowd
Neither did L. said Lady George blankly
"and | don't know her from Adam She
must be some friend of the girls. Joan
or Maud must have sent her card-my
memory is so bad. can't leave this; il
you come across either of my daughters
will you send her to ME, Mrs. Keith? Oh,
here is my husband. George, George. &c
into the room and tell me who the striking
looking woman with the yellow hair is"
''There are dozens of 'em. which,"
"I'll show you," said Mrs. Keith She
was interested.
The two moved away, but like the raven
from the ark, they did not return.
Lady George after ten minutes or so felt
that she had done her duty, and she left
the top of the stairs She forgot the I'M
known lady, and it was half an hour before
she came across one of her daughters
''Maud | had something to ask you and
| forget what. On, yes. Who isl can't
see her now-yes, there she is-that wom-
Ell with the yellow hair, standing by the
mantelpiece?"
''In white? don't know"
''But neither do l. thought you would
be able to tell me. Find Joan and send her
to me.''
1t was twenty minutes before Lady
Georges second daughter appeared before
her. By that time the lady had moved her
place.
81 know the one you mean" said Joan,
"but don't know who she is. She has
very curious hair and she is in white"
eyes"
"Well, don't know"
Mrs. Keith came up.
"Lord George doesn't know" she said.
81 can easily find out" said Joan. "She
has been talking to Charlie Vincent for
the last ten minutes; I'll ask him."
She moved away as she spoke.
Young Vincent was leaning against a
pillar and laughing heartily. He was the
butt for the moment of the chaff of two of
his friends Joan heard a few of their re-
marks.
HE didn't mind, don't you know-aw-
fully pretty woman like that Neither
would YOU"
''Said she met him at Nice, and dear old
Charles never been out of the country in
his life"
Vincent caught Miss Athol's eyes.
''You are going to let me take you down
TO support" he said to her.
81 will see later on" said Joan. Just
now I wanJ you to tell me something.
What is the name of the lady you were
talking to a few minutes agof"
He began to laugh,
SAT what?" SAID Joan.
"Well, the whole thing. These two chaps
have been chatting me like anything as it
is. You mean the handsome woman with
the fair hairY"
eyes"
81 was standing near her when she
turned and put out her hand She said,
Mr.. Vincent, isn't its' And l said yes,
and then she said that she hadn't seen me
for eyer SO long and | didn't like to pre-
tend that l did not know her, SO said that
it was rather long time, and then we
talked for bit.''
And you don't know who she ISL"
Never saw her before in my life. Who
is she?"
'Where did she think she had met your"
said Joan, without answering his question.
''Well, you SEE, that didn't come out till
quite the enc. She said it must be two
years since the days at Nice, and by that
time was 81 stepped in deception and
had allowed my "reminiscences of our for
mer acquaintance to go to such lengths in
order to coincide with hers, that had not
the face to tel! her that had leyer been at
Nice in my lie. She mistook me for soma
one else. knew that after the FIRST hall
.iozen words; but you see had woven
such tangled web that couldn't get out
of it, even if had wanted to. and those
two chaps say didn't"
Joan laughed.
"She is very handsome" she said, "but
Hm not quite sure that she is good style" >
"And you WON'T come down to supper"
"Not now"
II would ask her if knew her name"
said Vincent. Il must get Lady George to
tell me when see her."
AYou won't do that" said Joan, and she
left him with smile that he filled to
interpret.
Miss Athol went back to her mother. On
the way she passed the fair unk nown talk
ing to Mr. Brabazop.
81 watched that" Mrs. Keith was saying;
''she dropped her fan. Why. Joan, what
had Mr.. Vincent to tell you?"
Nothing" said Miss Athol. .The
mystery remains a mystery. She mistook
bin fer some one else"