The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-06-13
Cur family Stnsg.
BARBARA'S MISTAKE.
BY l. FIELD.

ted brightly with the two juniors"
who were with her. The assistant
principal in a place Boosting of such u ,
large and active high school as Ellis
easy, and Barbara Bennett often saw
dark shadows under her gray eyes
when she looked I'm her glass at night.
This evening she dropped few steps
behind her 1--WE admirers, for all of
Barbara's pupils were her admirers,
leaving them happy in their girlish
condolences. a pretty, p%eensive figure
man of six feet likes in u woman, her
goldbrown hair curling prettily over the
edge of her jaunty toque, her cheeks
like peachblooms, her lips curving into
II smile ut her own thoughts.
A ~low-seated, glittering phaton
swept by them, and Barbara was glad
that her keen-eyed companions were
flush at sight OF the gentleman who
held the reins. But who was his COM
panion, that slender, black-clad figure,
dark eyes?
1t was only a week ago that he had
left home, as he said, on business, and
had not his last words to her, fraught
with all tho meaning that his deep
voice could carry, boon ringing in hor
ears ever sinceY
The girls ahead uncOnsciously raised
their voices: "He came home with
her this morning" said one $50 our
Hannah said at noon, as lover-like as
you please. They say that he has been
engaged 7 some efor a long time"
panion, with the disregard for such o
trifing thing as grammar evidenced
often by high-school pupils, "for he
told brother Frank the other day that
he hoped to be married before another
year"
"I'm glad" continued the first, "for
my heart has been in my throat all
year for fear he would carry away Miss
Bennett, and that would be-"
Remembering the proximity Of the
lady in question, their voices dropped,
and, calling goodnight, they turned
the next corner and left her.
When she canoe intc. th.e warm air,
several minutes before, Barbara had
urawn a long breath Of delight at the
only to Kansas.
Warm almost as spring, the skies
blue and %cloudless, W. for fire-like
flakes of cloud which lay in the west,
where the sun was sinking, throwing
his long, slanting rays OF gold over the
world.
The gold was turned to lead. Tho
uCtuOy WAC SOhO. IluIiy lhtiludll ~
seemed a god to her. The thought of
his brown eyes, with their direct
glance, always gave.her' courage. OF
late, by every act and word, he had
seemed to give himself to her, and now
she had seen him bending over this
stranger with such solicitude that
even the school children talked of it.
And he intended to marry before
another year! What could it mean ?
When Harry Randall's uncle, Robert
Paxton, of the wealthiest men in
Ellsmore, had failed two years before,
dying soon after from the shock, his
wife, left with only her handsome
home, had turned it into q boarding
house, and Harry remained still an in
mate.
Barbara had come from the far East
to this bustling Kansas town, seeking
change and health, and it was in this
house n ut Mrs. PaXton's table, that
the brown eyes had found the gray
mes
AS behooves a maiden in her lonely
condition, Barbara had kept herself
shyly aloof from the handsome young
lawyer who was always seeking her,
yet seldom finding her alone though
1t often appeared that he had business
near the school house about the time
Barbara would be leaving it.
Upon he evening in question, she
slowly mounted to her room, where
good-natured Maggie, the housemaid,
was lighting a fire. She impaired her
news:
"Mr. Randle's back, Miss Barb'ry,
an he brought a young lady with him.
She put her arms round Mis- Paxton's
neck an cried an cried, an then Mr..
Randle took her arm an helped her
up stairs. Her name was Miss Palmer,
but I don't know who she is unless she
blongs to Mr.. Randle, an hat duz
look reasonable"
= When Barbara entered the lower
hall at SUI Ter time, she saw Harry
emerging from the parlOr. He had
evidently been watching for her, for
he brushed the portiere hastily aside,
and strobe quickly toward her.
Had she not avoided looking directly
at him, it Is doubtful if Barbara would
have SO coldly cut short his murmured
words of greeting, or SO wilfully re-
fused to see his Outstretched hand.
Her stately manner seemed to take
oil the, gladness out of the young
mans face, and he turned and passed
into the Qining-room ahead of her.
Barbara looked up and down the
length of the attractive table, sur
rounded by pleasant faces (for Mrs:
Paxton had mono but the pleasantest
people in her house,) but the Miss Pal
mer was not present.
Her survey stopped at the face OPP
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. her serious
Iy. She could see beneath his heavy |
mustache that he was biting his lib
n~ervously. She colored holly, dropped
her gaze, and did not again look up.
She encountered Mrs. Paxton on the
stairs q little later.
my DEAR" said the good lady, "my
niece, Gertrude Palmer, has como to
stay with me. The poor girl has suf-
fered a sad bereavement, and l sent for
her because she should not stay alone
In the house where her father lately
died. / want you to do what you can
to bring her out Of her melancholy
condition. She viii sleep in the third
story because it is q%uieter there, and
will use my w sitting-room across
the hall from your room. You must
help us In this"
Barbara consented, n In due time
was introduced TO the new arrival. So
m%ournful was the girl that Barbara
forgot the rivalry between them, or
put il out of her mind. Much of her
spare time during the first week was
spent in Miss Palmer's sitting-room,
but the latter mentioned neither Har-
ry's name nor her own bereavement,
That young man appeared unremitting
In his affantfnu IN hel, and in his Of