The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-07-04
0ar family Story.
A SELFISH WoMAN's CHOICE.

In the drawing room of q small
house-oDe OF q very long terrace In O
northern suburb of London-sat O girl
by the freight. The room, O long,
narrow one with filling doors, was
poorly and shabbily furnished. The
furniture and cheap ornaments, how
ever, had been carefully busted and
brushed. Evidently their owners had
endeavored to make the best of their
threadbare appearance. The girl lay
almost at full length on a low Amerf-
can chair placed straight across the
OF getting the greater amounto OF benefit
from the poor fire burning in the
CRATE. She was tell, slight and fair,
and certainly good-lOoking; and a
wealth Of chestnut hair crowned the
top of an exceedingly well shaped
head. The eyes, large and we'll
opened, looked dreamily into the fire.
The door opened and a lady entered.
Shutting the door softly, she stepped
with u gliding motion to the girl in
the American chair and stood looking
down at her. The relationship was
evident. The mother was the Image
as it were, into distinctly unpleasant
looking middle age. The chestnut
hair had faded without becoming
gray her eyes, large and we'll opened,
like her daughters, had a stony stare
in them and her mouth the same dis
cOntented and sarcastic drOop, ten
times intensified. Not q pleasant old
lady to look upon by any means.
The girl had not removed her eyes
from the fire on her mothers entrance.
She remained in precisely the same
position. apparently oblivious of the
fact that Mrs. Grenoble's stony gaze
was fixed upon her face.
At last the mother broke the silence.
VI hope, Paula, you have read the
letter carefully, and have come at
last to a sensible conclusion on the mat
ter"
(Which letter, and what conclu-
sion ?" asked the girl, with a sarcastic
infection OF her low, clear voice.
Don't be foolish, Paula" said her
mother, testify. "You know perfectly
well what mean. You have q chance
that not one girl in $1,000 has-the
chance of q rich, fortunate life, with.
out worries, without caresswithout-'
Love" said her mother, scorn.
fully. "What is love without money :
Or what Is love worth in comparison
with money? Love is q mere word
without substance, without reality,
without meaning. And you have the
opportunity of lifelong enjoyment of a
princely fortune-e5O,OO that will be
yours as long as you remain single
Naturally" said Paula, a CLEAN
OF mischief lighting up the WEAKNESS
of her pale face. "Most girls object
to the prospect of being an old maid.'
~ Ifofnr 70 ,nonN, Oa,o
very young, only just turned twenty.
Your whole life up to the present
moment has been spent in weary,
hopeless poverty; not the poverty OF
the very poor, who often want daily
bread, but who, the bread once gained,
have no appearance to keep up. Ours
Is the poverty of the well-bOrn, the
well-bred, the daily striving to keen
u shabby clothes presentable, our
shabby house and furniture from get
ting even more worn and threadbare.
Think what you might do with
that $4,000! The dresses you could
Ia to wear, the jewels you might
buy think how you would have the
chance Of travelling in foreign coun-
tries, or seeing places and things you
can only sigh and long for now in vain;
and then think of your life, married to
Charles Etheridge on his paltry a3OO a
year, with no prospect of its ever much
increasing"
When her mother spoke of the ESQ.,
600 Paula's eyes cleaned with a
strange light, and her mouth lost it's
sarcastic drOop and quivered with ex-
citement. At the mention of Charles
Etheridge's name she slightly brushed
her lips with the letter she held in her
left hand.
Well ?" said her mother, i~nterroga-
lively.
"Ah,"said Paula, lazily changing her
position in the American chair SO as
to a G her mother, "you were SAYING
something to me just now. 1t seemed
rather long. l can't quite remember
1t all. All, yes about the ESQ, 600 and
Uncle Dicks insane will. BY the way,
!! suppose he wasn't mad when he made
1t, was he ?? 1t couldn't be disputed or
anything. OF that kind, could it? What
. pity /! Fifty thousand pounds is worth
eyes" said Mrs. Grenoble, "and
composition you'll keep it, and send
Charles Etheridge about his business.
You'll be able to ride in your carriage
and"
"Dress like the Princess of Wales"
said Paula languidly. eyes, there is
something tangible about ready money
after all. Oh, to have something else
to wear besides this rag of a gown |!
Let me think. ! would have a tailor
made costume One tailor-made
costume No, I'd have half a dozen,
m for every day in the week, and a
tight-fitting jacket trimmed with
sable, and o plush mantle for the
theatre, and-and-oh, II l could only
be ~ and the girls eyes sparkled, and
Q %covetous longing look came over the
fair face.
Her mother, with o few more words
OF caustic persuasion, Gleft the room.
She thought she knew her daughters
character better than the girl herself.
She knew that the life of pinchinp
poverty had brought out all the worst
traits in Paula's disposition, and she
hoped to make capital out of them for
her own especial benefit. If Paula
accepted the condition of her uncle,s
will and lived single, she would
naturally live at home, and Mrs.
Grencble would naturally become par
taker of all the good things that Paula
with her money would be able to pro-
cure.
In the meantime Paula was living
back in the chair musing. Presently
she lifted the letter with the closely
written four pages, and went once more
over the well-knOwn lines. AS she
read her eyes darkened and softened
with a tender light, and the droop at
the corner of her mouth became less
marked.