Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-10-31
A LITTLE RIFT.
DY T. E. DESCOURS.

"Am I to send Valerie's breakfast up,
Rex, or will she join us this morning?"
Yes, she'll be down directly, Kate;
she's got new gown or something,
and she is delighted with herself and
everyone else"
Mr.. Hamblin took up pile of letters
beside his plate and began examining
their contents; one In delicate fem
inine handwriting caught his eye; 1t
had been left by hand at the club, and
sent on immediately by the hall porter
An exclamation OF annoyance escaped
him as he cut open the envelopes; his
sister, however, was busy with the dis
position of the breakfast cups and did
not notice 1t.
WAS tho party a success?" she
asked; did Valerie enjoy herself2"
"a success? Yes, suppose So" he
answered without looking up; "thero
WINS terrible crush, and the air wan
positively suffocating with the scent
of the flowers, and the heat of tho
lights, 30 Of course, Valerie enjoyed
herselfl"
'Of course she did" said voice
from the door, and Rex hastily put
down his letter, while Miss Hamblin
looked up oxpectantly.
Valerie came slowly forward, un-
willing to lose any of the effect Of her
dainty costume even on this family
audience.
"How lovelyr' cried Miss Hamblin
with real enthusiasm as her sister-in-
law drew near her.
Tall, dark, with her soft hair fan
tastically caught on the crown Of her
head by silver dagger, while stray
curls escaped In all directions, with
her filmy muslin gown clinging round
her in its studiously simple elegance,
she looked like some delicate pastel
which had just stepped from It's frame
Isn't it charming?" she said, with
laugh, US she suddenly dropped into
her chair at the table. Don't you
like 1t, Rex?" she asked coquettishly
of her husband; and then, without
waiting for his answer, she addressed
herself to Miss Hamblin: "You should
have come with us, Kate; it was de-
lightful Oh, l did not think you Eng
lish, could say SO many protty things
as heard last night"
MISS 1uuipilu iduHhou.
II don't suppose many would have
come to my ears, dear, II l had been
there"
Valerie glanced half involuntarily at
her sister-in-law, and could scarcely
suppress smile at tho notion of those
middle-aged ears being the recipients
of such compliments as had reached
hers last night. Had anybody ever
made love to Kate, shc wondered?
Kate could never have been pretty;
even when she was young, ever so long
ago. Rex was not handsome, either,
and he was fifteen years younger than
his sister, but he had certain dis
tingue air about him which had fasci-
mated her the very first evening she
saw him at the British rembassy ball
at Rome. 1t had soon been all over
and done; in just six weeks from that
first meeting the Signorina Valerie del
Lucia had become plain Mrs. Hamblin.
Valerie's thoughts were apt to run
on by leaps and bounds, and, while
Miss Hamblin poured out her coffee,
she reflected with some complacency
that there were advantages In the mar
ried state, when it implied dainty
morning gowns like this, and dreams
of loveliness from Worth's, in place of
the one party frock per season, to
which all the ingenuity of a clever
maid could not always impart look OF
absolute freshness; besides, of course,
there was Rex, who was charming
and But she had arrived at this
stage of her reflections when she be-
came aware that her coffee cup was
being handed to her, and Immediately
she returned to the exigencies of the
moment and set about discussing her
breakfast and her party with equal
zest.
''Do you know, Rex" she said, "you
hurried me off last night without Civ
ing me time to say good night to
Guido?"
'Ah, your brother was there?" asked
Miss Hamblin, quickly.
Eyes; he was the life and soul of the
whole party, as usual! Do you know,
Kate, when we were children used to
say that when grew up would mar
ry him, because he was handsomer and
cleverer than anyone else / knew2