Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-11-16
A FREAK OF FATE.

Crash went the delicate china flow
er dish on the stone steps, and at the
culprit's feet lay heap Of beautiful
pansies.
ooh, Floral" she cried, in a low,
grieved voice.
A scarlet robe, dainty and perfum-
ed, flashed through the open door IN
angry haste, and paused beside poor
Nora.
II expected It'll" exclaimed high
pitched voice, despairingly. each
day sees my opinion Of you verified,
Nora. You cannot be trusted to
gather q few flowers or handle a vase
"Surely, Flora, you do not think L
purposely broke the dish?' asked the
brown-eyed girl.
Flora Fame shrugged her shoulders;
she had learned the trick from her
French master, and the action gave
her quite foreign air, she thought.
"What matters it whether you did
it purposely or not" she retorted
contomptuously. "fhose great. awk-
ward hands OF yours are forever do
ing mischief; they are perfectly use
less"
AS Nora looked at her sun-browned
hands she smiled sadly.
"True," she sighed, as she bent to
pick up the pansies, that seemed to
cling lovingly to her fingers. "True,
they are useless as things count III
your sphere, Flora; but we orc not at
the end of time yet, and my record
may read differently some day.
Nonsense! You will never be
ladylike OF graceful, SO do your best
with your other virtues, cri d Flora,
angrily, as the proud, quiet manner
of the other betrayed natural Dig
nifty she could not initiate. "Gather
more flowers and clear away that rub
bish."
Nora was looking at the broken
china with glad relief in her face.
II can mend this, Cousin Flora, "
she said; "and it can be used with
safety"
"The task will require gentler hands
than you have" said Flora, coldly
"but do as you please. Only, Nora
she paused at the door, looking
back over her shoulder-"you needn t
consider it worth while to come down
this evening. Mother thinks two un-
married daughters sufficient to eater
tain her guests, without"
"a penniless niece of her dead hus-
bands. I understand, interrupted
the girl. l am glad to be released; l
do not like useless things any more
than you do. "
Flora stared in amazement, but be-
fore she could vent renewed anger on
her hapless cousin she was gone.
Nora hurried away with the broken
dish and the crushed flowers. She
cared not to handy words with
naughty Flora She quickly gathered
more pansies, and completed her task
of arranging the table, besides giving
numerous little touches to the fruits
and ices. without which the whole ef-
feet would have been marred,
When all was completed she felt
free to seek her own pleasure on that
lovely summer evening. She took her
broad d-brimmed hat from its place be-
hind the kitchen door, and in her
simple calico dress, with its neat white
collar, hastened through the back gar
den out on the highway and took the
road to the village.
"The new doctor is society man, F"
she thought. 81 did hope that clev-
er, earnest physician might come to
Loneville and help the poor people !;
but instead we have an exquisite who
frequents lawn parties and firts with
silly girls. On, if 1 were only"
Nora was crossing a muddy place as
she arrived at this wish. Making n
quick spring to the dry side of the
road. she turned her ankle and fell to
the earth.
ooh, dear Flora is right, after
ALL" she moaned in despair, half COM
ical and yet painful. "Two miles
from the village and home, and unable
to novel"
After thus summing up her position,
Nora first laughed, then cried.
"POor little Merry" she sobbed,