The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-08-15


from your lover?" whispered she.
"Ob, if / could only have a peep at
i'll"
"Nonsense !" said Lesbia, sharply.
But when she was in her own room
the tears gushed to her eyes
Was she really ashamed OF honest
Thomas Tarbox? and was it very
wrong of her? Why had she declined
for him Mrs. Delacroix's invitation to
her ball the next weekp OF course, he
was very worthy young man, but she
shuddered ns she thought of the
clothes he would probably wear-o of
his country.cut hair-among Mrs.
Delacroix's guests. Was she ashamed
of him?
Grace Burney was chatting merrily
with Miss aats-Burgoyne when Les
bia came down to the dinner table
that evening.
"The handsomest man 1 ever sawi"
said she. 'Don't you think 30,
Sophy?"
"Oh, handsome-yes!" !" said Miss
Stats -Burgoyne, who was great
heiress and little niece of Mr.. Stats
Won Staatsburg on one side and sole
daughter of the Burgoynes on the
other. "But it isn't his face altogeth-
er so much as his elegant manners"
"Do invite me to the dinner"
pleaded Grace. ~ must meet him
again"
"There's not vacant seat for the
dinner" said Miss Stats -Burgoyne.
"The list is full. But you're down
for the ball afterwards, dear"
"Oh, you darling !" chirped Grace.
"And Lesbia, too?"
"Certainly-and Mrs. Delacroix to
chaperone you," smiled the heiress,
graciously.
ooh, wish was old enough to go
into society !" said Ernestine, despair
ingly.
But" added Miss Stats -Burgoyne,
"there's no use. 1 mean to fascinate
him"
Grace tossed her head-one of the
Tennysonian heads, "brimming over
with curls" like veritable sheet of
sunshine.
81 fatter myself I've done some
thing in that way myself" said she.
"Only give me a chance, and I'll do
more"
"Girls, who is that you are talking
about ?" said Mrs. Delacroix.
''It's Mr.. Evelyn, the Eastern trav-
eler," said Grace. "He's to be at the
Staats-Burgoyne dinner ball. "Oh,
aunty, cant you get him to come
hefe?"
Mrs. Delacroix shook her head.
at isn't possible" said she. "His
stay is to be so short, and he is so run
after"
"But, aunty, when he knows I am
your guest! |" pleaded Grace. "Be.
cause l met him last spring at Tuxedo
Park. He WAS visiting the archeolo-
gist, Doctor Desson, you know, and
we got to be good friends"
''To-be-sure !" observed Miss Stats.
Burgoyne. "He's betrothed to some
other woman--a boy and girl en-
gagement, I'm told"
''Fie for shame" laughed Mrs. De-
lacroix. Flirting with another girls
property"
"All is fair" composedly spoke Miss
Staats-Burgoyne, Gin love and wa.
''The other girl must take care OF
herself" said Grace. "I mean to be
Mrs. Evelyn. Why, aunty. dear, every
girl in society is wild after Mr.. Eve
lyn"
'Dinner is servedl" pompously
spoke the English butler, opening the
satin portieres OF the dining-room.
Lesbia Field had taken no note of
the gay conversation transpiring
around her. She was still thinking in
perplexed way of the letter she had
that morning received.
How should she reply to it? In
what words should she make poor
Thomas Tarbox understand that all
her views OF life had changed since she
was district school teacher in Sacon-
ds County?
A sense of strange, sad guilt some
how overhung her. 1t seemed almost
as if Thomas Tarbox were dying and
being buried.
"Was it riglt?" she kept asking
herself. "Was it right?"
And all at once common sense an.
swered "No."
81 won't be so mean," thought Les
bia, with little catching of the
breath. "T'll telegraph to him and
tell him to come right here, and then
then he will see how utterly impos-
sible it is for me to keep my engage
ment. He was always sensible young
man, and oh, / beg your pardon,
Grace You were speaking to me?"
Speaking to you? OF course l
was," laughed Miss Burney, of the
sunny curls. "What sort OF brown
study have you fallen into-with such
woe-begone face. too?"