The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-10-21
FINDING A SOUL.

$780, $500 ~ ~ 0A ANNAS# INV SANCPtiAS
Mr.. Everdene," remarked the gay little
widow, Mrs. Chalmers, to a group of
three Of four pretty girls who were
leunging picturesquely on the velvety
Law n. Il suppose he finds it quite I'M
possible to break away from his loyal
~worshipers at the Springs. But he will
surely be here tomorrow, Mrs. Gard
ner thinks"
For my part, I shall not care If he
doesn't come ut ALL" declared Margaret
Ralston, with the faintest possible curl
of her expressive lips, and the slightest
toss of her graceful head, crowned with
its wealth of glossy chestnut hair.
WHY. Meg Ralston!' cried two or
three Of the girls in chorus, how dare
you say such a thing about the lion or
our set?' Why, everybody else is just
dying to see him"
"And l know a dozen wonm who are
madly in love with him. chimed in an
other; and
And that's Just why I don't care to
see him. interrupted Miss Ralston, IN
her calm, imperial way. "A heart
smasher! 0 lady-killer! a soulless eX-
quisite! Ball." her sweet. clear. voice
suddenly vibrant with a thrill Of strong
contempt. Il say, girls, have you ever
once heard of him in any higher capac-
ity than as an accomplished leader. OF
the german. a giver Of elegant theater
parties. and so on through the list of
fashionable functions? Did you ever
hear Of his doing anything noble, in
spiring-anything worthy Of a man?
I'm sure l never did; and that is why
the coming of Mr.. Hal Everdene fails
to rouse a throb of interest or curiosity
in my heart"
"Oh, nonsense. Meg: you'll talk very
differently after you have met him.
laughed little Dora Bright. II shouldn't
wonder if you'd be the first one of us
to fall down and worship at his shrine.
What do you say. girls?' turning with
roguish. sparkling eyes to her laughing
listeners.
If she doesn't. it will please me just
as WE'LL returned Mrs. Chalmers. mer-
rily: for l give you all fair warning
that | intend to subjugate this fascin-
ating creature: and if Meg really will
keep ont of the field my chances are
good. I'm not afraid of the rest of
you"
"A rich young widow! I should think
not retOrted Dora, with a Saucy pOut.
And. in the burst of girlish laughter
that followed. Il sound of a light stride
on the velvet sward beyond the shrub
berry was heard.
The retreating figure was that OF Il
young man of about twenty-scvrn
years. full of athletic grace. ami With
a countenance of such manly beauty
tEat few would fail to give it. unvoliln-
Il second glance. At this partic-
u'ar momeit that handsome face wore
an expression which would have made
Il fine study for III: ambitious come
dian.
We'll, Hal. my boy" he calculated to
himself. as he hSstCntd back to the
gat''S through which he had so lately
entered. since Your arrival is not en-
pected until tomorrow. you would bet
ter keep yourself in modest o~bscurity
until then. and learn to digest the un-
pleasant lose you have had to swal-
low. | wonder how many others hold
the same unfattrriHg opinion of NO
that she does? Well. the bitter dose
may prove good medicinc-an inviG-
Grating tonic which | sorc!y needed
Without being awar" of it. | suppose [
ought to be grateful to Miss Meg Rails
ton for administering it. All the Il
though. ! shall not trouble her with my
attentions. Lucky that her words
caught and held mo back just as | was
about to step into her critical presence.
Now | am quite prepared for The con
tnnlptouS reception that she means to
give me-
On the following day he presented
himsrlf ut the Gardner villa. With his
most impressive g,au of manner and
was received with open delight by al
save Margaret kHl$tnn. who treated ilim
ing would permit.
This did not apparently. ..:nWcvcr.
discomfort the handsome social flyorite
in The Ii asst. His II toward her
was marked by the most exquisite
courtesy when they CHANGED to n"et.
but he rarely sought her society. di-
viIing his attentions about equally be-
tween merry little Dora Bright and
the pretty young widow, Mrs. Chal-
mcrS.
Meg at first surveyed the situation
with supreme Indifference. but before Il
week had passed she knew that Il slight
sensation of pique was frequently dis
turbing the ven beating Of her heart.
After all, she was but Il girl of twenty.
and not so very different from the rest
of Womankind.
Mrs. Chalmers is as good MS her
word she nused. as she sat in her
room one night, after an exceptionally
brilliant evening il which Mr.. Hal
Everdene had appeared at his very
best: for she has evidently captured
the lion. for the present, at least. Mr.
);vcrdene was Certainly devoted to hel
this evening. and he is a most attrac
tive fellow, I am forced to admit. Some
how, he seems far different from the
portrait my fsncy had Drawn of him
before we met. II he only had a soul
a purpose, some grand aim in life, liz
would be nagl.ificont. But, pshaw
WHY should | care, when he is so utter
~ Indifferent to me? I had thought tt
dc spise him, to crush him with my
! womanly contempt for his idle exist
cnce. but, somehow. l cannot. Heigho
I wonder il Mrs. Chalmers is so very
| much p~rettier than l."
And Meg, suddenly forgetting he
lofty ideas about life anu it's high fur
poses. rose ur from among her silkel
| cushions and stood before her pink
| draped mirror. where she studied he
own pleasing image with a keener at
| tention than she had ever given it be
fore. s,, ,
Beautiful she was not: but the large
deep. crystal-clear gray eyes. the broad