The morning call., 1892-01-18
MISS BDITH'S CONQUEST


bazaar project on foot was 10 make up the
fund necessary to build new schools for Up
stead Parish Church, the church scholars
being in the unpleasant predicament Of
pursuing their studies in such & crazy 0ld
place that it threatened each day 10 tumOle
down and crush the young students as they
gathered the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
That was the Ostensible reason Tor hoid
ing the Upstead Bazaar and Fancy Fair
But traitors in the Upstead camp wills
pered that there was another reason-even
3 mightiar Oue-fOT getting up that bazaar,
viz. 10 give tie young ladies OF l pstead an
opportunity f0T displaying raYIshng
tOilettes and enjoying unlimited filtration.
And. OF a surety, tie zeal which the Up
etead fai7 ones showed IN promoting the
bazaar, IN working articles for IL, IN buying
articles for it, In N RkiDg numb Tless jour
news 10 Burlington, tie nearest large town,
CD missions connected with IT, IN meeting
nerpetualiN at one anCtheT's houses aud
discussing il as theiTueedes flew; that zeal,
say, was greater than one would have eX-
pected such gi3dy Young things TO manifest
only I'D tie cause or education ana WIN The
object Of "eleYatiDg the masses
These Door dear schoOl-chlldren. !" cried
FlOssle Middleton Of this Grange. OF
course they must have new sch0ul-room.
Oh. what lun tie bazaar Will lie! W nat
lovely dress / shall have for It! 1 quite love
these children for wanting a SchOol-rOOm."
The weather was lovely summer The
bazaar was 90 be held in the large grounds
Of Up,tead RectOry. The three Misses SImp-
son. the reCtJTs daughters, naturally Occu-
MED q prominent place among the pro-
m0teTs. And for visitors 10 the bazaar?
Oh the Upstead ladies had no fear that
there would be any lack Of visitors. 1t was
70 be a one-day affair Gan Improvement IN
that respect upon most Of lis kinds and
though Upstead was but small place, was
not Burlington three miles OFF, And was
not Burlington a garrison town? Were
not those daShiug fellows, tbs Royal
Scots Carbineers,. qqaFieIed theIeT ana
might they not be seen any morn
ing OF the week marching through
its streets, wiki their bagpipes playing, or
their way 10 drill outside The town, and
marching back TO barracks 1t midday? And
we're not the young ladies OF Burlington
constantly exercised in their minds whether
10 admire the elegant and gallant officers OF
the CaTbineeTS most as they marched
through the streets with their men IN the
mornings in al the destinations Of military
braidiugS and sh0udeTed weapons; or as,
later III the day. they lOunged III the same
streets in mutt, with their nigh snOv-Whte
collars, perfectly fitting clothes, Killing hats
ana Misunderstanding little canes? Burning
ton bad promised 70 support tie Upstead
baZ3ar-that is 90 say, the most important
part Of Burlington, The Royal Sc0;s Gar
biBeers, had promised. on, they would
certainly come. Most happy 10 do anything
10 he D." The young ladies OF Jpstead
went on working for the bazaar, and talking
OF it, and buying for IL; and al last the time
for opening Il drew near. And, 10. they
could think Of no one to perform that ceTe-
mony.
I'VE must have Parsonage to open il, -
said the young ladies'. "A titled PeTSOnaEe,
II Dn5ash will ma 2 fAILHTa II not UTgll-
eTlT opened!
But every one Of Importance for miles
round happened 10 be away; failure seemed
inevitable and ell the IaIr-promUIers went
into mourning.
But suddenly their mourning was turned
into the lyeLpst joy; for the Earl If Peters
court arrived on a visit TO his place near
Ups,ead. Jpstead knew him not, Tor Il
was his first visit 20 PeterscOUTt since his
accession, some months before, 10 the title,
but Il knew Of MIN.
As matter u fact he was young. single,
rich, a peer; as a matter Of faith, he was
handsome, charming, delightful, talented,
the glass Of fashion and the mold OF form
Re arrived a PetersCOurt, near Upstead
4 daring spirit on tile Bazaar Committee
suggested: ASK him to open it," BE was
asked, humbly aud respectfully, in a com
mittee letter, IN which tie object OF the
bazaar aud the peTjOus position OF the
parish sChuOl children vas dWelt on. de
consented, In polite note, to their request,
and the committee fell into rapt1Tes
II was lthe day before tie grand bazaar
and fancy fair to be held In the gro funds Of
Upste Rectory.
Al about O'Clock In the afternoon Miss
Edith Brunton, one of the leading spirits
OF Cpstcad and among the most jealous Of
the bazaar promoters, was IL the drawing
room Of Lakewood Villa. Mrs. BTuntOn,
an elderly widow, and Of late years a con-
fr.ry Low ha~ cCfo vaopr cr7o -
the windows. Beatrice Brunton, or 10
yeors older than Edith, sat working az the
other window. This was the whole family
considered very nice people in Cpstead,
where they had lived a year and more.
Tie disparity in years between Beatrice
and Edith Has accounted Tor by Mrs. BTun-
ton having lost three children, who had come
between them, in infancy. Her husband
bad held a high military command Ia India,
AMI the fatal climate had wltncred the three
baby lives.
well, mamma and Beatrice, you really
think l shall do. You think ! shall make a
useful aud attractive stakeholder II
doesn't much matter, though, whether you
think so or motor the mirror tells me the
same" and Edith BruntOn twiIled round
and dropped low curtsev TO her lovely re-
Fiction in the glass. That's TIE best Of a
fancy fair; you may put on anything you've
a mind TO and not look conspicuous or out
Of place"
The dress she wore was an exquisite In
dian SILK, slight and SOFT as gauZe, made
artisucaly with a saque back; aud with
her great fantastic plumed hat she GER
talnly was wonderful picture.
Frank Lyndon says he knows he shall
spend all his money st my stall" she
laughed; but he needn't be frightened |
shall waste very little Of my sweetness on
him and his brother officers; there'll be
higher game T. bring down"
langu'diy. You let your spirits run away
with you, my darling. What do you mean~
Mamma, you know well enough what
mean. You know Lord PeterscOurt opens
the bazaar; / think it not improbable that
the cigar-divan under my care may prove
attractive T. his lOrd>hip."
"What nonsense you talk, child" said her
mother, looking admlTlngy at her.
you know you don't really think so,
mamma You know you quite approve, Of
my having registered a solemn VOW to make
captive Of Lord PeterscOuTt As l said
yesterday to Julia Croker, it IS NY turn
now. BeatTi has had her turn-a much
iOllier one than will fall 10 my share-years
ago In India when papa was alive and we
we're rich aud important. Beattie had the
gayest OF times then, and might have car
RED out her career brilliantly. | was r
small child In England In those days, but l
wish nay turn had come then-Or that those
days could come again. / think it's very
hard that my turn came when pala had
died and mamma had turned imm0yable."
81 would rather you did not discuss me
with julia Croker OF any one else" said
Beatrice with gentle dignity, looking Up
from some embroidery she was finishing.
'Oh, dear mel | have no wish to discuss
you, Pm sure. You're quite sufficiently In
my way as it is. I often think It's a little
hard for a girl to have to 60 about with a
sister so much older than she Is. 1t makes
people think me older than I am. just
fancy You are 25-quite an old msidW
Beatrice said nothing. She rose, stepped
through the open French window. and went
away into the garden with her work.
There goes my lady in 8 temper, 1 sup
pose" said Edith.
81 think, my darling" remarked the dot
ing mother, that you tease Beatrice good
deal about her age"
'Of course, l am always in the wrongl !