Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-03-15
the various topics her brother and his

the various topics her brother and his
friend started.
Dinner passed off pleasantly. Paul
concluded that if Maggie was house.
keeper her dinner certainly did her
credit.
A week passed away, and Paul found
himself grooming in spirit oyer the
Misses Clements. Hc had wandered in
search of the picturesque with Nora,
had sacrificed gloves and boots in the
pursuit of wonderful boughs and mac
| cessible flowers. He had listened TO
Georgina till his ears fairly ached, and
he was divided in his own mind as to
whether the performer or the listener
deserved the most pity, He had ad-
mired Cordelia in every variety of COS
tune, in every effective attitude; had
seen her eyes raised, and the long
lashes of the dropping lids; and mar
veled at the whiteness of her hands, at
the profusion of her curling hair; had
considered her beauty, WEAKNESS,
and burden of spirit
But he could find but little time to
speak to Maggie. He saw the evidences
of her industry and taste in every de.
tail of housekeeping; knew whose skill
| directed the servants, whose fingers
| filed the flower vases, whose eyes
were everywhere. But the very per-
lection of all these arrangements kept
the little woman too busy for many
idle moments, and in the evenings the
older sisters were all-engrossing.
Two months had passed and instead
of June roses early fall fruits and flow
ers were abundant at Mossvale when
Paul Goddard passed again through
the village and called at DIR. Clements
Office.
81 am SO sorry" said Howard, as he
cordially shook his friend by the hand.
"All the girls are away, Uncle.James
invited them to pass month at the
White mountains, and they deserted
me-"
Then you are alonc?"
"Oh, not entirely. Maggie stays to
keep house for me-"
"Oh, Miss Maggie is here. Shall in
trudc if / stay day or two, Howard?"
''Intrude, Paul! Far from it. / am
not busy, and Maggie was telling me
to-day that time actually hangs heavy
upon her hands. You know she Yves
always running for the Others. So now
the little damsel has time to enjoy her
self, and we have had some lovely rides
| op1 6riuoc Moorrin done ~ 10 ha0
fully and her horse is very fond of her. I"
1t was true that Maggie was finding
many leisure hours while her sisters
were away, and Paul found that the re-
firing, modest girl was one of the pleas
ATTEST companions it had ever been his
good fortune to meet
1t was an amusement the young physi-
clan enjoyed to draw out the accom-
plishmcnts that had been Overshadowed
by her sisters loudly proclaimed talents
and attractions. He found that Mag
gle could sing, with sweet bird-like
voice, though she never attempted the
difficult songs in which Georgina was
supposed to excel She could play sim
pie pieces with feeling and expression,
and her fingers would fairly dance over
the keys in livelier music, that required
no wonderful talent or elaborate exc
cution.
And it was wonderful how pretty the
child-like face became in Paul God
dards eyes. There was charm in the
constant cheerfulness that kept the
| mouth c,,,i1iYrr anI 4.
there was beauty of expression iii
the brown eyes that mere form and
color can never give; there was an at
traction always in the exquisite neat
ness of dress that was never stiff and
prim, though so carefully arranged.
Howard Clements, who loved mis-
friend, and had hoped to secure him as
brother during his former visit,
opened his eyes wide in amazement
as the days wore away and Paul lin
gcred in Mossvale. During his first
visit Howard had hoped to see him
yield to the destinations of the elder
Misses Clements, and no maneuvering
mother ever took more pains than this
brother to display the talents and beau
ties of his sisters That anyone would
look twice at Maggie when in the com
pany of the others had never occurred
to Howard.
But in the light of Paul's evident adj
miration the brother began to contem
plate with different emotions the pos
sibility of losing his little sister. lie
had borne with perfect composure The
prospect of parting with the others II
seemed no great hardship, even wher
the separation involved the disappear
ance of Nora's masterpieces anC
Georgina's music rack. But to los,
Maggie was quite another matter.
"Who," Howard asked himself, il
dismay-"who would superintend TIL,
servants and keep the house in order
Who would wait with cheerful smile!
upon him when the duties of his pro
fession obliged him to ask for meals a
all sorts of irregular hours?"
Visions of Nora in paint-bedaube
dresses, Georgina with frowsy hail
and Cordelia in inert beauty presiding
over the household filed Howard
brain; and, while he lamented, he ad
mitted that "Pauls head was level" il
his apparent choice.
Maggie could scarcely believe sh'
heard Alright when Paul Goddard
pleaded for the gift of her love anc
promised all loyalty and devotion if sh'
would come to preside over his home.
But" sine said, you cannot really
love me-"
II really can and do" was the reply
but I'm so plain and so stupid
Howard said" She paused anC
blushed
"Well, what did Howard sayP"
Never mind"
"Tell me. That's a darling"
HE said, then, that | was sure to b,
an old maid, and after the others wer,
all married was to stay here and hell
him keep up bachelors hall. reall!
don't see," she added, earnestly, "hov
Howard will get along"