Nevada County picayune., 1892-02-11
OLIVES STEP-M0THER.

vie, enthusiastically.
"lIumph." said Miss Jane Bar
rlngton. ''People didn't use te
talk SO of step-mothcrs in my day
But then, you see, retortec
Olive, with the air OF one who effec.
tually silences argument, There
never was exactly such a step, moth
er before"
"She's not ten years older thar
yourself, said Miss Jane Barring.
/ ton.
And that is the very reason why
she sympathizcs with me in all my in
terests and pursuits SO happily"
She married your poor, dear pa
fol home and to avoid the .necessi-
ty of going out as governess, ut
tered Miss Jane Darlington with
acerbity.
= 1t is false" cried Olive. "She
married him because she loved him.
"Humph - said Miss Jane Bar
rington. "iou're bewitched, | see.
You're under the glamour, if ever
woman was. But yoa'll have a
disagreeable awakening some day,
Miss Ogilyie; see if You don't. Per-
haps you haven't noticed"
Noticed what :" exclaimed Olive
with spirit, as the malicious spinster
paused a second.
"Oh, never mind" said Miss Jane
Harrington, tanning herself aud roll
lug up her eyes. "Im not one to
make mischief. If you have Mt per-
ceived it.
"Perccivcd WHAT" demanded
Miss Ogilvic. impatiently. "Oh,
how | do hate these mysterious hints
and dark innuendoes, If you We
got anything to say, Miss Barring
ton, do say it out and have done
with it. If not, I'll go down to the
river and see how the children are
getting along with their stone grot-
to. :"
Thus driven to the wall, Miss Bar
rington said her say, with relish
in the communication (which can
scarcely be described.
"As | remarked before, said
Miss Jane Darlington, Il am the
last one to promulgate idle reports ;
but it is quite plain to all disinter-
esting eyes that your young step,
mother, the charming widow, whose
deep weeds are so exceedingly be-
coming"
"Do go on, cried Olive, in agony
of suspense.
1t is quite the gossip of the
place, went on the backbiter, THAT
Mrs. Hayden Ogilyic Is carrying Oh
lively Irritation with Albert Stan
! field
With Albert Stanfold! lmpos
sible :" cried Olive, incredulously.
Just what | should have said my
self, said Miss Jane Darlington,
/ piouoiy, III | had not been an eye
witness to all her goings-oa with her
poor, first husband, not yet cold III
/ his grave, and -
BE SILENT cried Olive, spring
to her feet so suddenly that Miss
Jane Darlington started backward
and tumbled with more precipitation
than grace over square ottoman
GLOW dare you utter such sIander-
Gus falsehoods?- and to me, of al
other persons in the world, who owe
everything to her loving care, hel
more than maternal kindness, | de
spise myself for standing here to lis
ten to it. -
And she swept away With the roy
al face of a princess, her cheeks
dyed carmine and her eyes glitterine
like wrathlul stars.
Straight as an arrow she went tC
the suite of apartments occupied
Jointly by herself and her young
step-mother at the Crown hotel,
summer resort Of some celebrity
among the mountains that wall u
the blue waters OF the Cumberlan'
lakes.
The door was open, the soft Au
oust breeze blew the muslin wlndo"
draper.es to and fro, and a piece o.
embroidery lay on the table with the
needle yet sticking in its folds an'
the tumble beside it. All the tok'
ems Of a recent presence were there
but the room was empty.