The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-03-21


haven't seen you for a long time, though
meet your ex-t'idus Achates. Jack Ohm
sted, often enough. What is the trouble
between you two, anyway!
DO you mean to say that you've never
heard about that little unpleasantncss,
sted, often enough. What is the trouble
Dick?" asked Bob Ferrers.
Never. Girl in the case, l suppose.
Tell me about it. won't you? That is, II
you may Motive nothing to do. How
could / be occupied here? For unparal-
leled loneliness commend me to summer
hotel. where one is a stranger to all the
other people, and the other people are all
intimate.
But you know some of the crowd here;
in fact the leading characters of my story,
Eunice Barton and Oimsted.'
"Olmsted is well enough, but he's with
the Thorpes all the time, and L don't like
them. AS for the little Barton girl, ugh.
she'd take first prize in an ugly woman
show
'She isn't good looking. I'll admit; but
she's good little soul, retiring, modest,
and all that My chief objection to her
is THAI she is a Barton, and the cartons
are such uncommonly vulgar upstarts.'
Personal gossip in public places is some
While Dick Van and Ferrers We're dis
GUESSING her affairs. Eunice Barton sat IN
a vine-clad sGmmerhouse, within ten feet
of them. Surprising that the men would
walk she Kept perfectly quiet. IbelA
words hurt her. The truth is apt to hurt.
1t was small comfort to be Itlled good
little soul" She knew that she was home
~ and her heart ached at the knowledge.
Pretty women cannot SympathlZe with
her They do not know what 1t is to be
Stunned by men, or accorded word. now
and then. too obviously from pity: They
cannot realize that to the poor wall flow
er" a ballroom is Il place of humiliation
and torture.
Had Eunice Barton pleased herself she
would have lived the life Of 4 recluse; bat
her family could not understand her dis
taste for society. She was the only child.
and to them her lack Of beauty was not ap-
parent The Rartons lived in rented
house. ard lined IL the front room Of the
basement. They had risen above hors chair
sofas. but they succumbed TO the evil i'll
fiuence Of figured cOtton-back plush. I neir
ideas of decorative art excluded samplers.
but wax vase with wax flowers trnhhth
bell glass was to them thing OF oe'llty.
Any and every form of entertainment was
q party" TO them. They had heard OF
IS o'clock teas" but disapproyed of such
functions Tea at 6 o'clock. we always
have it, is early enough for me- Mr.. far-
ton was wont TO say. Eunice went 10 the
church sociable with her father or ner I'M
~ Other girls went with young M II.
f9iicc eyed them enviously. Th" ZoulE
men never invited her.
Every summer the Bartons spent foHr
y
when they were ready to start. Uncle doe
Barton made the same remark:
Now. Eunice keep your eyes open.
MAY catch Il beau while you're away no
knows"
Turicc almost hated her uncle when LIE
said that. She had heard 1t ever since
she left school at sixteen. and now she WAS
twenty-five. ., r
Al first She. too had had vague ideas OF
SOM ore who WIS to come and rescue her
and the other things she hated. linen 30
hone succeeded bitterness. She saw lh;lt
men did moi even dislike her; they were ao-
soluteiy Indifferent. She realized that Gle
longing for love. that Is the c"rSe of L tlle
blessing of a wonlan's heart. was des-
tined to be l1nfulfiilcd. and she hated other
She was at the X-Hotel because her
family liked the place. i5 was , NOISY a 9To
them it was the abode of all that was
fashinnah,a and magnificent. Their names
yer ror.ird FROM The hotel register into
focal papers, and once they had even oeen
nrip 81 in 3 New York daily. Mrs. Barton
hon ,ht numbers OF these precious papers
and sent some To friends; others she Kept
In :; trunk With her love letters from ar.
Barton. Eunice's first shoes, and similar
treasures. -,
been thinking over these things. The con-
yarsation she overheard was but crown
ing torture.
Ferrers They sat down ut t tn the cT RdS
tons. 1t was too late to retreat. so Eunlce
was forced to listen. :,
'.Those Rartons are worse than stupids,
said Ferrers; but. to do them justice,
If they are insufferably aggressive, it's all
for Eunice How they push that girl for
ward. Throw her at fellows head; you
know That's why Olmsted and l am
out
you quarreled about Eunice Barton:
Vane laughed as he spoke, and to Eunlce
the laugh seemed infinitely worse than
words. 1t was so scOrnful and contemp-
tuous.
Yes, it was about Eunice, indirectly;
You remember May Seymours wedding
You know that every one i'll our chufcn
knew it was 10 take place Tuesday, the
18th Of February, long before the cards
were out. Well, early IN January Mrs.
Barton wrote to Omsted saying that she
wished to him about something paruc-
uiar. OF course he went and what DO you
suppose the something was? She wanted
him 10 escort Eunice to Mays wedding.
She toll him she would engage carriage
which would call for him on the evening
in question. low was that for, an ambi-
tious mamma? Jack is quite the bright.
particular star of our church and he's pretty
well t[ed financially. All the la3thers run
H1CcT INN, Dut iio Oilt lIuu ever DtcD titIlc 81
omen about it rs Mrs Barton. Jack was
taken by surprise and could think of no
excuse; and. anyway, he's an awfully good
chan. 50 he said he'll be delighted to oblge
her. Then he went ont and kicked himself
."rhe day Miss Seymours invitations came
ont Jack received second note from Mrs.
Rarton reminding him of his engagement
60 accompany Eunice. Poor boy. he wasn't
| iiiI,elv to forget it! She added a postcript
tto say that carriage had been ordered
Isnd that it would call for him at 30
Io'clock. Jack wrote and thanked her.
"The Saturday preceding the 9th of Feb
uruarv Jack met Mr.. Barton downtown. You
Know, old Barton, pomrous and condescend-
Enr to every one including his superiors
lie shock hands with Jack. BY the way.
laid he my wife told me TO tell you if ]
taw YOU that carriage has been ordered
take you and Eunice to Miss Seymour
Eedding. Il will call for YOU ut 7::;G
EcInck Be punctual. my boy. be punctual
V"Sunday morning. OH his way to church
tunice stopped him. She seemed enlbar-
Used. Finally she blurted out that Jack
las very kind 10 act as her escort. but if
l did not wish to he need not. She said
L. felt mortified that her mother should
I've asked him. Jack is a gentleman. SO