Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-11-02
"ANNIE LAURIE"
BYEMMA HOWARD WIGHT.


her piquant face, great brown eyes,
and short, dark curls running all over
her small head. She had always been
spoiled, beng the only child of rich pa
rents who idolIzed her; and the fourteen
years of her young life had glided by
without the faiatest shadow ever cross
ing them. Then at Rroughton Acad-
emy all the girls made pet of her, so
1t wss not surprising that she should
be 81 mewhst wllful and spoiled. The
Academy was a very select snd eXpen-
sive school on the outskirts of St.
Louis, and its scholars were mostly the
daughters of rich men.
One afternoon, in early June, the
girls were all ont on the wide, smooth
playground. Some were swinging,
others playing lawn tennis, and others
again prOmenading, schoolgirl fash
ion, with their arms about each others
waists, while the fresh girlish voices
rang out mingled with peals of merry
laughter.
There was one girl, however, who
took no part in any of the amuse-
meuts, but sat alone on one of the ras-
tic benches, with n book on her lap
and her eyes bent down upon 1t. She
was thin, pale-faced girl, with far too
weary and dissatisfied look for her
fifteen years. The only thing bright
Or pretty about her, for she was dressed
both shabbily and dinghy, was her hair
Of bright gold hue, and plated IN one
thick braid which fell below her waist
At little distance was group of girls
Of whom Madge Wilmer was the CEN
tre.
''I can't bear that girl" said Leila
Summers, a supercilious blonde, with
a cold look towards the quiet figure on
the bench; there is something so
sEeaky and sulleu about her"
Il do not like her, myself, answered
Maige "and there is certainly nothing
attractive about her, but / do not think
she is exactly sneaky; she is OF ner-
yOus, sensitive temperament, and you
know she is rather under a disaivan-
tage here. Perhaps under more favor .
able circumstances she would appear to
better advantage.
"What a little mOraIizer it is" said
Ada Waters, one of tine older girls,
laughing and patting Madge's curly
head, while Leila Summers spoke up
rather spitefully: "You needn't take
up for her So Madgie, for she is run
uing you pretty hard for the vocal mu-
sic prize"
Madge flushed, and tossed her curly
head.
'Let her, but she shan't beat me; my
hearts set on winning the prize, and it
will take something better than that
poor weak creature of Loula Parks to
carry it of from me"
DO you know what | overheard the
professor say to Mrs. Bronghton the
other day?" interposed Ada Waters.
Mrs. Broughton, who wants Madge
TO win the prize, was asking the pro
fessOr what he thought about it. "Why,
Madge will carry it off, of course he
replied, not because she has a finer
voice than Loula Parks, for she has
not-the latter has voice that, with
proper cultivation, would make her one
of the famous singers of the day-but
because Madge has the confidence and
self possession to do herself justice.
which the other girl, unfortunately,
lacks Those were his exact words,
Madgie, so, you see, you are pretty
sure to get the prize"
Aladge flushed crimson, and then
pouted, while the other gIrIs broke
out into indignant exclamation. The
idear "What utter nonsenser' "They
didn't see a thing in that Loula Parks
voice, while Madgie's was Iovelyl"
They never heard anything so alb
surd. Professor must have been iok-
ing, or Ada had misunderstood
him"
Very well, have it Just as You
please, only hush, " said Ada, stopping
up her ears.
al cant understand how her parents
can afford TO send her here at all, -
said Leila, "for they are quite Door,
and there Is a crowd of children be
sides LOula.'
al believe it is a rich old uncle who
sends her," said another of the girls;
papa knows him. and he says lie is
very rich, but something of a mlser,
and as queer as lie can be. He must
be trightfully mean or he would have
given the girl an outfit when he sent
her here, aud not let her be disgrace
to the school with her shabby clothes.
Papa saws, Mrs. Parks will not get a
cent of his money when he dies, for he
b. ! left 1t all to hnild some kind of a
queer place, a i he is crazy old
thing, IN certain. But look, girlsl
you know the old saying, Talk o. the,
etc There comes Mrs. Parks now 10
pay Loula visit"
They all looked; a shabbily dressed
woman, with "A pale, tired face, was
crossing the playground from the en-
trance gate, Loula arose and went to
meet her, kissed her, and then the two
turned and went towards the house.
Some of the girls laughed, but Madge
curled her lIp as she looked after the
two shabby figures, with the sunlight,
- oil
catching the girls golden hair. The
words Of the professor were ranking in
Madge's mind. She was proud of her
voice, about which she had been CON
st ntly battered, and though she and
Loula Parks were acknowledged to have
the finest voice. in the school, Madge
had never for an Instant supposed that
her own was inferior to Loula's, and
the professors words were ii great blow
to her pride. "But she shan't have
the prize, anyway" she thought with a
thrill of triumph.
A little later she had occasion t. go
into the house and to her room. As
she passed Loula's room, the door of
which was ajar, she involuntarily
paused as low, bitter sobs fell upon her
ear.
"Hush, my darling" Mrs. Parks was
saying, lyon may win it after all ="
No, no, 1t is impossible, mau.ma,"
sobbed Loula; lyon can't understand
how feel with all those cold, scornfnl,
unfriendly eyes fixed upon me. None
OF the girls like me, you know;
haven't single friend among them all.
and it takes away all confidence in my
self. 1t is so different with Madge
Wilmer; they all love her, and are
ready to think the best of everything
she does. Oh, msmma, how can give
up the hope of my life? L feel that it
is in me to lie great singer, and then
L could make money so that you
and papa would not be obliged to
htrnQQla so hard Do Won thinL