The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-03-31

ground. she had no Soothold. nothing
by which to cling. and no tangible OBJ
stacle to overcome. She was simply
slipping down the steep incline; and
each attempt to make . stand and have
it ont resulted in worse discontinue.
How can you have It out with : person
who denies that you have cause Of
How can ron batter to
pieces with your fist an India-rubber
ball that gives you no solid part to
pummel, and only yields to your blows
and returns Immediately to the old
form? When Miss sparlxies, poor dear
all in angry tears and vivid fusl Of
eager scorn. besoug:.t Mrs Grahame
TO tell her how or why OF where she
had offended, that lady put ON her
iciest look and answered. primly: you
have not offended M, Maria Have !
made any complaint"
NO" said Miss Sparkles, vehement
ly; land ! only wish you had! 1t would
be more satisfactory TO know what had
displeased you than 10 be treated with
this odd coolness so unlike your for
mer self.
Am TO be taken 20 task for my
manncr?- asked Mrs. Grahame, in re-
ply. DO you hold that to be very du.
tiful or respectful thing to do from you
to me, Maria?"
And poor Miss Sp arkles, baffied at
each turn and every endeayor, felt
there was nothing for It but silence.
patience, and doing her best to re-
cover the affection she had lost--iost
she could not tell how.
Some deaths are mercifully swift,
and others are us painfully slow and
N'he moral follows the
physical law, and in the death offriend-
ship are repeated the same conditions
as those which surround the gradually
weakening vitality of the body-or
those which cut the tie between breath
and spirit with a. stroke as sudden as
q lightning flash. Ever influenced by
Mrs. Anne the old lady's love for her
favorite gradually died, till at last the
psychological moment came-the times
were fully rips, and Oracle might be
effectually introduced. Destined to be
the successor, there now only wanted
tuC OItdolOh.f MioS hR8f htttr Lhaob w
dispossessed, but she must be put in
the wrong, and in name, made to
cut her own throat 1t was only lit
tie thing The largest events general
ly 30 hang on little Things and trag-
cdies which fill the world pring from
init a circumstances no bigger than a
mustard seed. Among the domestic
duties which Miss Sparkles had hith-
erto performed with such signal sue
cess was that Of the care Of the linen.
Mrs. Grahame had o fine stock of
linen, and4was as prou1 of it as good
housckeeper should be. During the
danghter-like epoch of Miss Sparkles'
management no reasonable fault could
have been or ever had been found with
the manner in which she had fulfilled
her charge. But now, when Anne's
niece Oracle came in as the successor,
suddenly, eric! cracl as the French say,
the keys of the linen closet were de-
manded, and the care of the Ii men was
handed over to the newcomer.
SHOW have | deserved this?" said
Miss Sparlzles, flaming, as was not UNI
natural II have done my duty. Why
do You dispossess me?"
THAT is my affair." said Mrs Ora
hame. Surely can do what ] like
with my own?"
Well, the bright-eyed little girl bore
this her first snub direct in favor of a
rival with as much patience as she
could command-which, truth TO say,
was not an overwhelming amount.
She did make it rather uncomfortable
for her rival, and show her temper
with perhaps less discretion than hon
esty-.less prudence than sincerity.
At all events, she gave the occasion
that was wanted, and put herself SO
much in the wrong that Mrs Graharne
found the fitting bundle for the shaft
she wanted to throw, and gave Miss
Sparlsles her congo.
So now, turned out from the soft,
warm nest on to the bare and prickly
perch, the poor little girl was cast INTO
space, and if she fell to the ground al
toge ther, neither Mrs. Grahame insti-
gat ID by Anne, nor Anne influenced by
greed and jealousy and the worst form
of ncpotisn., cared. 1t was the fashion
in the house to speak of Miss Sparkles
as ungratcful, wild-tempered, neglect
tul, impossible. 1t was the fashion to
pr tend that all and sundry had borne
many things because of her furious
pass ons- because of her neglect OF
duty; and that they were all well quit
of her, an incubus as she had become.
And Oracle took her place gallara,
and played into her aunt's hands, as il
was intended she should.
In the neghborhood where this little
story was enacted lived a wealthy man
not only little, but u great deal Older
than Miss .Sparkles. He had always
admired this bright, vivacious clever
little girl. with her ready wit and UNI
firing helpfulncss her good humor,
general ability, keen perceptions and
perspicacity. He had admired and
loved her, and In some sort envied his
neigh Dor Mrs. Grahame, for the posses
sion of such pleasant little singing
bird for whom he, too, would have been
fam to find suitable cage. But il
never occurred to him to disturb exist.
ing arrangements, and he kept himself
wv AiE w diAoN
to segret. to desire, to plan. When,
however, the pretty girl was dispos-
scssed, and so unfairly and so uncere-
moniously treated, he reconsidered his
own position and hers, and thought il
over within himself, wondering If II
would be posi- ble-if it would be wise
If it would be right. But, nothing
venture, nothing win, aud at least he
might sound Miss Sparkles herself, and
hear what she thought about the mt
ter. Would she. could she? He was thirty.
five years older thanshe, but he was III. Z
and hearty, and at sixty he matched
her twenty-five with not too bad a
grace. AT alf-cvents he loved her, and
was willing to give her his name and
his fortune, il so be that she could love
him and content herself as his wife.
And when he asked her, the little
girl, bruised and sore and desolate as
she was, unprotected, friendless, home
less turned to him with that gratitude