The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-20

Eyes. md sverything-all about tho dog
and the difference between the Wentwortbs
and the Pelhams." too mp Peggy, dim
ping with smiles.
"Oh, l say now" began VIII.
Eyes. you may say now just what You did
then. ! liked it. ! liked IL; it was sensible
Oh, when 1 think that but for auntie and !
coming on ahead of tho rest. and without
II maid. and the hotel clerk writing only
Mrs. Smith and niece in the register. !
should never have had all these wonderful
experiences and never have known what n
friend my lilly could be. When / think of
all this | want to dance a Jig. just snch a
jig as they are PLAYING this minute and
up she jumped, this smiling Peggy, and
catching lilly in her arms. went Waiting
down the path with her toward the hall
whence fonted tie gay strains Of the Ian
GERS.
But what was that sound-that long
drawn, jubilant sound that suddenly rang
over and above the dance music?
In ra, tara, ta-ra-a-a-a, rang the clear.
piercing notes, and ont from halls and of
ficos and parlors came Il little flock OF folk
to see that most interesting of arrivals at n
summer resort-a coaching party. Tara.
tara, ta-ra-a-a-a, wound the coach horn,
and up the cafriaRe drive ratified a superb
vehicle. drawn bv four superb gray horses.
/ j HS lODR I'LL hhpllRhU yCu lIuRSTBll IL
showed the faces of the party atop of the
coach.
tits the Pelham team, and that's young
Berk Pelham holding the reins." said a by
stander.
Dora and Amy Robson, who had run out
with the others from the dancing hall.
caught Tom Raymond as he was passing
them and whispered:
Are they the Pelhams-Agnes' Pei
hams?'
"Agnes' Pelhams? Oh, oh,' eureled
Tom, nearly choking with suppressed
but where is Agnes? She ought to be here
to welcome her Pelhams."
She's gone to bed with a headache or
something. She came in looking dread
fully q few minutes ago."
II should think she miRht-she had a
blow"
what do you mean? But, look, look,
those Pelhams are speaking to that Smith
girl"
mo, they're not"
But they are, Tom-don't you see?"
mo, l don't see any of them speaking to
a Smith girl; but | do see Miss Pelham
speaking to-Miss Peggy Pelham"
Dora tossed her head impatiently.
"What a silly JOKE she thought; but, but
what was that, that tall young lady. who
had just jumped down from her top seat
on the coach, was saying?
1.-The minute / read your letter, Peggy.
telling me of this little dance, Berk and
planned to drive over with the Apsleys and
waltz a little with you. Twenty miles in
an hour and a half. Isn't that fine timer
And you're looking SO much better. Peggy,
for the salt air and away from our racket.
Mamma was wise when she sent you on
ahead with auntie; but wore all coming to
join you next week."
Tom. Iom, you wore not jokinR?"
Rasped Dora.
when I said that girl was Peggy Pei.
ham? Joking? No; it's a solid fact; 80
solid it's knocked Agnes flat. Oh" and Tom
began to shake aGain-''it's too rich; it's
too rich. Come over here away from the
crowd. you and Amy. and let me tell you
the whole story, and then you'll see what u
blow Agnes has had"
Never had a narrator a more excitingly
interesting story to tell, and never did mar
rator enjoy the telling more than Tom on
this occasions; but though his hearers hung
upon his words, those words were full OF
bitterness to them; and when at the close
he flung back his head and said. Isn't il
the greatest fun?" Dora, out of her shame
and modification, cried:
Yves, fun to you-to you and Will and
lilly, because you are on the right side of
the fun. but l-we-are disgraced, of course,
with Agnes. Oh. we've been just horrid-
hortid, and such FOOLS"
well, Il sortof forgot about you, that's
a faot-in Agnes-for it's her circus from
the start-you and Amy" giving his little
chuoklinR laugh-"are only humble follow
ors, pressed into service, you know, by the
ring master. The thing of it was. you
hadn't sand enough to stand up against
Agnes"
And lilly had" responded Dora in q
mortified zone.
ooh, Tilly. Tilly's a trump, always and
every time. She's on the right side of
things naturally"
f INoro onS hr,, ,oolo3 N ain loror
abyss of humiliation. they found it in this
last sentence of Toms, which showed them
plainly what poor creatures he thought
they were, naturally" to lilly.
Before many hours the story of that
little Smith girl was known throughout
the house, and mothers and fathers and
guardians heard with amazement that sc
serious a little drama had been going OIL
without their slightest knowledge unit
this climax. One mother, howeve~, Mrs
Robson. was more than amazed when she
! found what an influence Agnes had exc rted
over her daughter and niece.
Don't offer as excuse that you didn't dare
to tell me how things were going on fol
fear of offending Agnes Brendon," she said
Indignantly. Didn't lilly Morris dare te
tell her grandmother"
Everywhere it was lilly Morris-Tilly
Morris. the kind, the brave, the honest
Even Mrs. Brendon, who came at last to
know the facts, III her alarm and irritation
assailed her daughter one day in the pres
ence of the Robsons with these words:
, why couldn't you have behaved amiablv
and sensibly like the little Morris girl
l don't see where you learned suoh suspic,
ioCs. calculating, worldly ways of judging
-, people and t~hings?"
And then it was that Agnes turned upon
\ her mother and gave utteranoe to tn est
= bitter, brutal truths:
b 'Ive learned them from the older people
Eve seen all my life-the people who come
to our house. They judge other peopl,
that they don't know anything about il
just such calculating ways. They are al
ways talking with you about this one o
that ones social position, and they neve:
make new acquaintances without fndin,
out what set they belong to; and l wa
never allowed from n little girl to max,
acquaintance with anv children who's,
mothers were not In the right set-ant
amiability and goodness had nothing to d,
with it-nothing! nothing! nothingr'
THE END
Copyright. 1892, by tho author.