The Progress., 1893-07-22
BARBARNS MISTAKE.

She came down the stairs Of the
Ell.morc high school with a weary
look ON hor face. although she
chattcd hrigG:.y with tao two Jun
iors" who were with her The g--J-'-
Sut principal in a place hoa-tu- of
such large and active high school
a. Ell~more could not find her work
very easy. and Barbara Bennett often
saw dark shadows under her gray
oycs when she looked i'm her class at
night
This evening she dropped few
steps behind her two admirers. for
all Barbara's pupils were her admir-
ors, leaving them happy i'm their @i'l-
ish condolences. \ pretty, pcu~Iyc
girlish figure -hc wa-, just of that
smallncss which man of siN feet
likes in q woman, her gold-hrown
hair curlcd prcttily over the edge of
her jauuty toque. her checks like
peachblooms. her lips curving into
smile AT her own thoughts.
a low-scatcd. Slittering phacton
swept by them. and Barbara was
glad that hcr llcen-cycI companions
were ahead. So warmly did she feel
her face flush at sight Of the gentle
man who held the rcins. But who
was his companion. that slender,
black-clad figure, q Girl with pale
face and great. sad. dark cy'-2
1t was only week arc that IA"
had left home. as he said. ON bu~i-
ness, ANA had not his last words t.
her. Taught with all the meaning
,hat his deep voice could carry. been
,inging in her ears ever since?
The girls ahead unconsciousIy
.ased their voices: "llc 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 TO some
one for n long time.
That's her, then" answered her
companion. with the disregard for
such trining thing as grammar evil
denced often by high school pupils,
'for he told brother Frank the other
day that he hoped TO be married be-
s1re another year"
"Tm 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 came into the warm air
several minutes before Barbara had
drawn a long breath of delight at the
perfection of such winter as comes
only to Kansas.
Warm almost as spring, the skies
blue and cloudless save for fire-like
flakes of cloud which lay in the west.
where the sun was sinking. throwing
bis long, slanting rays of gold over
the world.
The gold was turned to lead. The
beauty was gone. Harry Randall
had 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 II.
And he intended to marry her be-
fore another year! What could it
mean?
When Harry Randall's uncle,
Robert Paxton, one of the wealthiest
men in EIlsmore, had failed two years
before, dying soon after from the
shock, his wife, left only with her
handsome home, had turned it into q
boarding-house, an5 Harry remained
still an inmate.
Upon the evening in question, she
slowly mounted to her room, where
good-uatured 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. and
then Mr.. Randle took her arm an
helped her upstairs. Her names
Miss Palmer, but / don't know who
she is unless she b'lOngs TO Mr.. Ran
die. an that duz look reasonable"
When Barbara entered the lower
hall at supper time. she saw Harry
emerging from the parlor. He had
evidently been watching for her. for
he brushed the portiere hastily aside
and strode quickly toward her.
Had she not avoided looking d.
rectly at him, it is doubtful il Bar.
bara would have so coldly cut short
his murmured words of greeting, or
so wilfully refused to see his out
stretched hand.
Her stately manner seemed to
take all the gladness out of the young
mans face, and he turned and passed
into the dining-room ahead of her.
Barbara looked up and down the
length Of the attractive table, sur
rounded by pleasant faces (for Mrs.