The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-30

beIOT6 bu6 GH0 Ok III WtGh esSNS ~"
two distinet parties in the house, where
heretofore there had been but one-two dis
tinct opposing forces. i'll,
On one aide were Agnes and Dora and
Amy, ON the other side were THY anu
Tom and Will. Dora and Amy we're not
naturally ill-natured girls, but they were
inclined TO BIO worldly and were greasiy
under Agnes influence. She had been 9
sort of authority with them Tor a gooa
while, perforce of her dominant disposition
and the knowledge she seemed TO possess OF
the worldly matters that were OF so maoh
interest to them. -,
"But l should think you would feel
ashamed to side with Agnes Brendon IN
persecutipg q poor little stranger, saiu
honest lilly a day or two after the tennis
affair, for Agnes had at once set to work to
carry Aut her plan of showing that she was
not to be forced, as she expressed 1t, Into
making acuuaintances she didn't like, and
had thus lost no opportunity of being
disagt eeable.
Dora flushed at Tily's words but she
answered coollv:
"Persecuting! Idon's call it perseout-
ing. to avoid O person one doesn't want 10
know" Eyes, but how does Agnes avoid
her? She stiffens herself w, and curls her
lirs when the girl goes by, as II there was
something communicating about her; ana
one night when we we're in the music room
and Miss Smith was PLAYING and Singing
Mrs. IrNuv lOr US, Akues oeho
ANY and made a great fuss and noise, uls.
tuvbing everybody in pretending TO hunt
M one of her own music books; ana when
asked her to be quieter she said someshlnR
horrid about low, common songs, ana
Mrs. Brady isn't a low, common song; and
the other morning, when Pete the iittie
dog, ran up to her OF the piazza, she
pushed him away from her in such a diss-
preeable manner-and so il has gone on
every day, and | think it's a shame, ana
such a nice girl as Miss Smith is, too. i
told grandmother all about it--the whole
story-and she says it is Agnes who 10 Wi
Gar and not Miss Smith, and that she never
would have brought me here if she had
known this a girl who could behave ike
TINT was to be in the house; and you can
tell Miss Agnes Brendon this II You ike,
and you can tell her, too, that she'll only
make us stand by Miss Smith s%taunoher
than ever, by prosecuting her as sne uoes.
II shall tell her nothing of the kind, and
there's no such thing as persecution any
way-that's ridiculous. Agnes is very ex-
clusive-the Brendons all are. and she
doesn't like to make acquaintance with
common people, that's ALL"
"Common people! Miss Smith isn't any
more common than you or |. Shss q very
ladylike girl-much more ladyllke and nice,
and nicer looking, too, than Agnes"
Nicer looking with those plain frocky
dresses, and her hair all pulled back With
out the sign of a crimp or curl!' and Dora
burst into a jeering laugh.
ooh, she isn't all fused up. know, as
most of us girls are, but her clothes are of
the very finest materials-Tve noticed
that" j..
And that stuffy old aunts clothes are Of
the finest material, ! suppose, and the little
yellow dogs coat is as fine as a King Charles
spaniel's." jeered Dora.
.Stuffy old aunt! she isn't stuffy in the
y.. GkoSo n lt$t1n lIufnch1nnaH fhAt'a
all, Grandmother has taken quite a fancy
to her" Dora smiled u very provoking
smile, as she said:
"Perhaps the Pelhams, when they come,
will take a fancy to her too and to her
pretty name of Peggy"
The hot color rushed to Iilly's cheeks.
and the tears to her eyes as she turned
away. She knew perfectly, we'll that Dora
was thinking: ooh, you grandmother is
only another old woman a good deal like
Mrs. Smith-what is her judgment wo,th?'
Dora was a little ashamed of herself as
lilly left her. Indeed she had been a little
ashamed Of herself for some time-ever
Asnes's side, after the tennis affair; but
once having taken that side, she was deter
mined to stick to il and to believe that it
was the right side in spite of some qualms
of conscience.
Her cousin Amy followed in the same
patn, anu Agnes SphTSu uo phllb " hCCp
them there. She felt that she could not
afford to lose her only allies. Every min
ute that had elapsed since she had flung
down her tennis racket in such anger
and modification, had but increased this
modification. and strengthened her resolve
to show those boys. and lilly Morris, that
she was right and they were wrong about
"that girl"
OF course, when she had set her face in
this direction, she was on the lookout for
everything unfavorable; and everything,
pretty nearly, was turned into something
unfavorable, so perverted and distorted
had her vision become. 1t was Dora, did
you notice this?' and Amy, did you see
that?" until the two began to find the in
cessant harping upon one subject rather
wearisoms. especially as the particular de-
tails thus pointed out had never yet de-
veloped into matters Of any Importance.
II wish Agnes wouldn't keep talking about
that Smith girl all the time, unless there
was something more worth while to talk
about" broke forth Dora impatiently to
Amy. just after the interview with lilly.
so do l." Amy responded emphatioally;
then laughing a little-"unless there was
some real big thing to tell"
But / don't wonder Agnes doesn't like
the girl, with lilly and Will taking up for
her, and making such a fuss" and Dora
Indignantly repeated Iilly's accusations.
Amy caught at the word persecution" as
Dora had done. and together they defended
themselves against these accusations with q
zeal and ingenuity worthy of a better cause.
They were in the full tide of this talk.
when as they rounded the curve of the shore
where they were walking, they came upon
Agnes herself, coming rapidly towards
them.
"Oh, girls, I've been looking for you
everywhere. I've got something / want to
show you," she exclaimed e%1citedly.
Come up here and sit down." and she lee
the way to a little cluster of rocks.
TIC BE CONTINUED.
Copyright 1852. by the author.