The Opelousas courier., 1891-06-20
SALLY'S SPHERE,
BY n N r. JOHNSON.

Inc band was playing out On the hotel
piazza. The little steamer Idlewild came
putting in across the blue lake, and
( gay colors flashed along the carriage
drive Or darted to and fro il the tennis
court.
Sally stood at the front window OF
her room, peering through the curtain at
the scene below, and %anxiously awaiting
Mrs. Sutherland's ummon to go down.
Two days before she had stood in the
hot kitchen of an old farmhouse care
fully ironing the dress she now wore.
Through the open window she had
caught glimpses of the men at work in
the hay field, and once when she paused
in the door a moment, Jonas had waved
his broad-brimmed hat to her.
She remembered how admiringly she
had watched him pitching up the heavy
fork-fulls of hay, and how grave his eyes
were that night when he called to say
goodbye Then looking down again on
the well-dressed groups below, she re-
membered with sudden disapproval that
he had seated himself to talk to her in
his shirt sleeves, with his old straw hat
pushed back on his head.
Sally Merrill's short life had been a
double one. Outwardly it had always
been bound by the narrow horizon of a
country neighborhood, where she had
grown up, a homely, practical girl,
whose good nature and high spirits aade
her eyerybody's favorite. But through
the books old Miss J~eWsberry loaned her
every week, she had found her way into
a different society. She went to the rus
tic gatherings with Jonas and enjoyed
them, but between times dreamed of the
romances she had read, and fell in love
with the white handed heroes.
Half the time when she went about
the house, sweeping and busting and
putting it in order, in her imagination
she was trailing majestically down long
bathrooms, or making witty replies to the
groups of admirers always around her.
She vaguely felt that she was destined to
realize some of these experiences some
day.
The little looking glass above her
Washstand showed nothing beautiful to
the face smiling SO hopefully into it.
Sally was SO accustomed to seeing the
small, honest eyes reflected there, the
pale hair, the commonplace little features,
that it nev occurred to her that she
was not even what people call pretty.
Now she heard Mrs. Sutherland's
knock at the door, and shaking out the
daintily ironed folds of her white muslin,
hurried to open it.
The quietly attired old lady, who
stood there with serene face and soft,
white hair, had been a life long friend Of
Sally's mother. She had been ordered
to the lakes by her physician for a change
of climate. Not wishing to be alone,
and remembering Sally's bright face and
pleasant ways, she had invited her to be
her guest for a month. They had ar
rived but a few hours before.
This was the first time Sally had ever
been out of sight of the hills that sur
rounded her old home.
Now the sunset was reddening the lake,
and the music of the band foated en-
etrancingly along the hall. With Mrs.
Sutherland's hand on her arm, she passed
down the broad staircase to dinner, feel.
ing that the life she coveted wa within
her grasp. The opening chapter Of he,
romanee lay spread out before her.
Mrs. Sutherland wondered at the way
the little country girl adapted herself to
su 70 lndings. None Of the bashful ig.
norance she had expected, showed itself
in look or tone. She did not know that
for years Sally bad dreamt she stdwelt In
marble halls" She did not know how
much OF the world, Of sentiment, and
ambition, she had learned from those
rows of fictitious social lights, on Miss
Jewsberry's bookcase shelves.
Mrs. Sutherland found a number OF
old friends among the guests at the
hotel. They thought it odd she should
choose to chaperone such a plain, insig.
nifcant little body as Sally at a fashion.
able summer resort; but then. whatever
Mrs Sutherland chose to do, always
passed unquestioned, in the set where
she held acknowledged supremacy.
A week went by. Seven days SO full
of new delightful experiences, that Sally
lay awake at night,to dream them again.
She would have enjoyed it all, has she
been merely q spectator of the gsyety
around her, but she was always included
IN the party, when Mrs. Sutherlanda
friends picniced across the lake, or made
excursions en- the little steamer.
One morning she came in from q walk
with some children along the pier, and
went at once to the shady corner of the
piazzas where she had left Mrs. Suther- |
land busy with her crochet-Work. She
saw a gentleman talking to her, whom
she had never seen before. and was about
to pass on, when the lady smiled and
beckoned to her.
This is the little friend I was telling
you about, she said In d hurried under
tone as the girl approached. II want
you to be particularly nice to her.
"Ah, Sally she continued, as she
up. 81 have had a delightful sur
prise this morning. NY nephew Sydney
has Just come. Allow me to introduce
Mr. Lambert, Miss Merrill
He arose to return her bow, and place
! chair for her, but she would not Sit
down. III promised to take Miss Moore
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