Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-01-30

your very, most heartfelt opinion-about
Philip--the one only man l ever saw whom
loved"
Her heartfelt opinionl The unconscious
sarcasm pierced her to the heart, and it
was alarmingly near her quivering lips,
averted from Edith's eyes, to say that he
was the one only man she, too, had ever
loved or would ever love. Instead she an
swered quietly;
"Mr. Courtney ought to make you a
blessed woman, Miss Bradford"
"And it is to be hoped he WILL" Edith
laughed. "You have seen yourself what a
devoted friend he is, Beth. He is splendid,
isn't he? And rchl Well, papa's fortune
is an insignificant one beside Philip Courte-
nays. Yes, his wife will be blessed wom-
an, Beth"
Such sick, faint pain was Juggling 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 irrele-
vanity. "Unless l 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 OWL shall certainly not go to
Buchcroft, and then"-
Beth looked up inquiringly.
"Then WHAT"
"Mr. Courtenay will be so disappointed,
because, you see, he is a great admirer of a
beautiful head of 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 he was calling here,
and rs you left the room he spoke about
your magnificent plaits and said you were
an ideal Marguerite. Then he 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?"
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 COL
How sweet it wasl How her girlish heart
throbbed with the new thought Then she
smiled and shook her head in such 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 old, 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
nifcent 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 it, and am
afraid do want to COP
And Just that very minute, for the first
time. it occurred to Miss Bradford that
perhaps the attraction for Ruth Thornton
was-Philip Courtenay
A look of jealous anger darkened on her
handsome face; then a companion feeling
of hard, jealous fury filled her heart, as
she remembered, us bya revelation, a dozen
! little admiring words Beth had said of
him, 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.
Edth's. cold blue eyes rested on the
great burEished plaits hanging over Beth
shoulders. until their curling silken ends
swept the'hoor, with an expression of bit
!
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 a 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 braids, Beth. and | will
give you a hundred dollars for them
I which will be certainly of more practical
benefit in helping to restore your mothers
eyesight than the possession of such IA nor
of hair | can fasten the plaits to ii comb
under the peasant cap | 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 rejectp
Edith raised her white lids to watch the
changes in Beth's sweet, mobile face
changes she saw, but was not sure sh,
could translate.
While Beth sat there with great thrill.
of keen, sharp agony at thought of losins
! her WOman'S crown, OF yearnlng desire Il
20 where che" would be, where he woulc
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 certaint,
of giving back to her poor mother thu
blessing of sight; then one brief struggle
then victory.
Certainly, you can have my hair" sh
faltered bravely, with a pitiful white face
land thank you thousand times for you
generosity"
Her generosity! Miss Bradford's con
science gave her tweak of sharp remem
brance, as though it had said-her supreme
heartless, cruel, treacherous sellishness
But her end was accomplished and tina
was all she desired. Beth would no longe
be dangerous rival after she was shorn @
her browning beauty.
"Shall | have the village barber cut m
hair when go home this EVENING"" Bet
asked after pause, in which she had sui
dued IA suspicious lump in hel throat,
Dear me, nor cried Edith, startin
hastily to her feet. "He would be sure