The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15

daughters a modest patrlmOngs upon
which they were able TO subsist in sim
pie comfort. Alice. the elder. was just
on the far side of thirty; Bob, the
younger, was now in her eighteenth year.
There was thus a considerable differ
ence OF age between them. But the diff
ference did rot end there. Two sisters
more dissimilar in looks. in character, in
disposition would have been hard to find
The strength and self-reliance of Alice
made themselves apparent in every line
of her face, in every tone of her voice
in every motion of her body. Her blue
eyes shone with a steady, fearless light
The carriage of her mouth was firm and
stanch. The squareness of her we'll
formed chin was fun of power. Her man
ner had the calm ease of perfect assur-
ance. Her beauty was the beauty of
capable woman.
With Bob it was different Bob had lit
tie strength and self-reliance. Such
tender, anxious. appealing face was Bob $
II reflected every ray of sunshine. every
passing cloud that approached. In those
brown and gentle eyes often hundred
varying emotions would be born and die
within the hour. and as many smiles and
quiverings would rufle her mobile lips.
She was pretty, very pretty; and winning
very, very winning. Yet it was a chid's
nature that gave it's life TO her express
sion; twas Il child sweetness that
charmed you in her look and manner.
Before she was well IS Bob had found
a lover Some people expressed surprise
that Ronald Armleigh had chosen Bob
in preference to her sister Alice. Ana,
indeed. it had appeared for some time
doubtful toward which OF the two glIls
his real attention was directed. FIRST
of all Alice had seemed to attract MN
the more. This was what might nave
been expected. Armleigh was man OF
the world experienced and mature in
Judgment He prided himself, not without
reason, upon his sound sense and his
practical views. In his then position
that of a barrster just On the threshold
of professional and social SUCCESSIVE had
every need of a clever capable wife. That
was exactly what Alice's qualities htted
her for And it was by these quantles N
her that he seemed at first to be attracted.
But after a little came a change. TX
actly what had caused 1t would De I'M
possible to say. Perhaps Alice had repell-
ed him by her cold demeanOr. Perhaps
he had grown alarmed by the signs OF
masterfulness in her character, or, per
haps. love had got the better of pruden-
tial considerations. 1t was probably one
of these three. 1t may have been all
combined. At any rate there II was. AND
il soon became apparent that 1t was BOD,
the winsome child, not Alice, the capa-
BILE woman, who held the key of Ronald
Armleigh's affections.
This circumstance discovered a new side
to the elder sisters character. Till now
Alice had been more than a mother to
Bob Her love for the younger girl had
been a touching thing to see. In fur-
thering Bob's interests. in promoting
Bobs happiness, in shielding Bob from
harm and annoyance, Alice had never
been known to consider herself. she
had. in everything, yielded TO her sister
a pure and unmiXed devotion. BUT from
this time forward all that was changed.
Alice suddenly began TO treat her SISTER
so the neighbors said, and so the poor
child herself felt-with positive cruelty.
Perhaps there never yet lived a woman
devoid of jealousy. And though some
may manage to conceal II better than
others vet tbs seldom indeed that, upon
adequate provocation arising, they are
able to conceal 1t altogether. NO one
could deny that, in the present case,
Alice Baines had received adequate provo
cation TO be admired by a handsome,
fascinating mana man who, all things
considered, was distinctly ehglple parIl,
was of course, hatterlng Inliig, ~, 10
have that admiration unaccountably
withdrawn, and then openly transferred
to a younger sister, under her very nose,
was equally, of course, proVoklhs. ana
Alice Baines might well have been eX-
cused any ordinary exhibition OF Jealousy,
There was, however, no occasion Tor her
to behave with such exceptional mean
Her meanness was two-fold. She
tried the effect of one sort first, and
upoR that proving a failure, she had
recourse 10 the OlneI. fJeI IISl lHtdi-
ness was a malicious attempt, worked
by an insidious process of suggestions
and inuendoes, to blacken Armleigh 3
character in her sisters eyes. Armlelgh
had not yet actually proposed to Bob
and Alice wished to bring II about that
when he did propose to her, as he was
sure soon to do, her sister should refuse
But this plan, very deservedly, the
neighbors said, considering its spiteful
and dog-in-the-mange Characterization
faf +
~ repeling all insnuations against her
lover, and went on by refusing to listen
to them at all. Alice then took a holder
course She stopped TO design of I'M
paralleled meanness. She strained every
nerve, used every aruice, every charm,
every subterfuge, to win Ronald Armleigh
back from her sister to herself.
Nobody had ever seen Alice Baines
really exercise her charms upon a man
before. And all who witnessed this at
tempt of hers were wonderstruck by the
extraordinary powers of fascination
which she could discover at will. Poor
little Bob's simple, commonplace talk
tractive brilliancy of Alice's conversation.
Armlegh listened to her with delight. He
was clearly impressed. An intellectual
man himself, he could appreciate intel
lectual talk, especially when it was SET
off by a sweet and musical voice. Then
too, the whole expression of her face
which usually had graced it was there no
longer. 1t had given way to a new and
radiant NlNdcliN. III H6T eyes, Wnen she
addressed Armleigh, shone a brilliant
something, which almost looked like a
challenge. To meet that look from such
a quarter and not to feel the pulse quick
en- and the heart leap, would have de-
manded superhuman restraint. Ronald
Armleigh had many fine qualities, but re-
straint of this description was not among
them. He was clearly being fascinated
by this new development in Alioe's charms.
What people" say is not always of
much moment They are given to speak
ing without knowledge and criticising
without judgment. But what people"
said upon this particular matter did
happen to have some groundwork of rea-
son and good sense. They asserted that
| if Alice Baines had taken this line in
the first instance, nobody could have
found fault with her It.would then have
| resolved itself into contest a outrance
between the two sisters for d prize to
which neither had greater claim than
the other. But to have acted as she had
done, to have taken no pains originally
to strengthen her hold upon Armleigh.
! to have let her childish sisters affections
become deeply engaged with him and
then, when he was on the point of maxi
| ing that childish sister happy by a dec
laration, to use every effort to draw him
! back to herself-at the risk of wrecking
| poor Bob's happiness and, perhaps. break
ing her heart-why this was as cruel