Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-03-24
A PECULIAR GIRL.
BY MRS. WILLIAM WINTER.

BY MRS. WILLIAM WINTER.
Rachel Landor began life by being
peculiar. Instead of the customary aud
orthodox yell with which the youthful
inhabitants of this planet greet their
first sight of it, Rachel remained per-
fectly quiet, only looking up into tho
nurses face with calm and questioning
gaze, which greatly disconnected that ex-
perienced matron-or, to quote her own
words, causing her to be 80 all struck
of heap, it was a blessed miracle she
hadn't dropped the uncannv little thing
then an there, an SO stopped her from
any chance of making any noise in the
world, either then or thereafter"
But tho baby thrived, and as her
young life advanced from weeks to
months, and from months to years, she
managed to keep up her reputation, so
early begun, of being unlike other chill
dren OF course, she heard a great deal
of this peculiar way of hers, and she
liked being made the subject of wonder
ing remarks and admiration though,
perhaps, that was not peculiar. Anyway.
She soon became imbued with tho idea
that everything that happened to her was
ally warm hearted, and not more selfish
than the general run of her sex and age,
she certainly developed remarkable
amount of egotism.
At eighteen she fell in love, quite CON
vinced that, though other girls might
have imagined themselves in love before
her time, there had never really been
any one who thoroughly understo d the
heights and depths of that passion till it
was exemplified in her George Murray
encouraged her in that belief, and de-
cared that he responded to it with fervor
and intensity which could only be ex-
perienced in the unknown recesses of
the male heart.
There was soon an almost bitter feel
ing of rivalry between the lovers as 10
which of them loved the more, and while
this feeling was at the height, Amy Riv-
ers came home from boarding. school.
Amy was the kind of girl that men go
mad about. She was small and slender,
with dainty hands, and feet of diminutive
size, and heart of similar dimensions.
She had a mass of fluffy blond hair, u
complexion of lilies and roses, and great
ohina-blne eyes, very soft and dewy, and
shaded by long, silky lashes, that gave
them an expression of deep feeling, such
as their owner had never experienced in
all her shallow life. For the rest, she
had great taste in the adornment of her
charming person, and her maid faithfully
carried out her best ideus.
Miss Amy Rivers very speedily settled
the curious rivalry that had existed be-
tween the lovers. She had not been
home week when George Murry ceased
protesting the superior depth of his at
tachment to Rachel. By the end of the
second week he never spoke of his love
at all, and looked bored when his fiancee
spoke of hers. By the end of the third
week he had almost ceased visiting Ra-
chel, and then on y on compulsion; and
by the end of the fourth week the whole
town was talking of his elopement with
Amy Rivers, and wondering if Rachel
Landor-who had fallen like one dead
when she learned of it-would ever rise
from the bed on which they laid her.
But Rachel didn't die. As she said, bit
terly, that would have been too simple;
and, being peculiar, she had to live for
something much harder to bear. Poor
girl 1t was really great grief, and
her suffering was acute; but, after her
custom, she made it worse.
oor,,,;,tad o,,oi,,st o,,,, ,,,,,,eo, ard 80
othar ho a &C. foIt smoh so JaaoIu
Horing said tbot sbe oIosad ber Iins
on the subject.
neonIe had forgotten Racial Tondnr.
and those Who knew hor sonatiroa,
failed to recognize the worn hnaanrJ
woman of twentv-fve who oertnimi,,
looked ten vaars 9lder. ond wbon ,,an,,i5,
smoke of her II was either with I1it,, or
contomnt.
nSucb n wasted life l-an only, cb;Id
,vorsbined hv ber n,rents wbouoro IL,
of orief Co.. her selfish oriof - r;aT
woman Too who niabt he In, 90 ,,roh ,o
,,ooJ ,ri,h bar boar5ad ,roaltLo ia III
ebont a nan who bod iiltod bar, T. n'as
wjoIad % anJ nd .banafn1 = sold har ori,;os' "'
and TtoI,, ann"l.h tI,o,, 80 80 n;a.Lt
d. u, y,ohoi IA ~ hoo- .hH7,, a. &c
sba bod ~ sLn I'D "Va nt to"a Lana .no nou %nu Co.
-, I, nc r''' -" oui1u' Ioi
ell, o"ii n ""S L'o M 10 I o'Ioiou care
ans not aIu LanH"l nI'iouoa @ al'd ilei iloiioy
naonIiar os ,,s,Ioi ''oi "a "%''ou' I' ouI, oeii!s
her own wnv and % 10 40 % tTot o,1;nk ~ nS' ytn Ln
felt she c3nld 60 in the % mmmmar m"rom that 1ne
host snitcd ber
Tho moor tho siok md tho s,efor;,,
knew her we'll Tbev did not think her
lifo wosted one What tbis noor am o
bittered, disannointed woman feIt in tbo