The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-10-24
"Can't 1? Positively ugly. I call

II rather like that in a man."
do you?" with a shrug. 1T seems
to me you like everything about him.
Say. Mary" seating herself on the Ia
bic near Mis- Sylvester and gazing at
her with eager hope in her eyes. Il
see 4 way OUT of the difficulty. You
can't want more than a paragon, can
you? Why n o marry Noel yourself?'
Miss Sylvester laughs.
For one thing. because he has not
asked me. for another, BECAUSE
Somebody else has" cried Nelly.
Miss Sylvester bushes family and
mods her head.
Mo-! Not Charley Lyons?'
NO"
"Sir John Amory. then?'
Yes"
""Well, l am glad; that is il you
must be so silly as TO marry says Nell
with a sigh. Il suppose you like him,
but you will never be my Mary again.
Everything seems slipping from me-
even YOU"
She has one arm round Miss SylveS-
ter's neck by this time, and is running
her fingers through the unrutfied locks
of that rather stately creature. and
having hooked two small fingers In
side her immaculate collar is giving
her angry little jerks every now and
then. Altogether. indeed, she is doing
great injury to the calm perfection OF
her toilette: yet Miss Sylvester bears
it like a lamb.
Not all the John Amorys in the
world shall make me lose touch with
you" says she fondiy, smoothing the
girls short curls.
After ALL" says Nell( breaking into
a sudden laugh. you haven't been
over complimentary to your John. ~.
like a man who can bend all others =,
his will. and John could not bend a
fly. A man should be rich: John is not
so very rich, is he? n man should he
handsome-well. now. come; John Is
is noe handsome. is he?"
NO" confesses Mary Sylvester with
a laugh. land yet" cOloring warmly:
do you know, Nell. there are moments
when l think he is
This so delights the other. that for
getful of her troubles, and the strange
new determination working in or mind.
she goes o into a peal Of laughter.
"Oh! what 1t is to be in love! May
Heaven defend me from such a folly.
Well, there is one thing, Mary, to my
V he is ten times better looking
than Noel, with all his vaunted good
looks. Give me a kind man not a mon
ster."
MY dear Nell. Noel is the kindest
fellow
That's what the world thinks. |
alone know him. If | were TO marry
him. the very first thing he would do
would be to forbid my ever playing
the violin except in the privacy of my
own room, or to him with Il slight
grimace.
"All this is mere fancy"
'.Is it You should have seen his
face that last night at Lady Swans
downs, when they We're applauding
me. They literally burned in his head.
No, he has beliefs that date from the
Dark Ages. Women should be kept
in their proper place. A mans wife
is his chattel, and should never. new
er permit herself to draw upon her
the compliments of the crowd"
you make him out terribly illiber-
al, he
"You have found the very word l
have been seeking. He is illiberal.
Why should he be angry because God
has given me a talent, and other men
can admire it, if he cannot?'
Perhaps he is ~jealous-of h other
men,
Tell him that says Miss Fairfax.
with a malicious little grin. and see
how pleasant he'll be. A man who
brides himsef on his strength of will
to be the prey of vulgar emotion such
as that"
"Still-he might be. Nell" with a sus-
picion of embarrassment. Answer
me one thing. will you? And don't be
angry with the question. Lord Dart.
ford? You do not care for him."
How many times an | to tell You
that | care for nothing but my violin?'
To Miss Sylvester's anxious ears. how
V in spite of the careleSsneSs of the
reply. there seems to he a touch Of
consciousness in the short laugh that
accompanies it.
Il am glad of that" she says
steadily. watching the lovely mobile
face as she speaks. "He would be the
last-the very last husband n who
loved you would choose for you"
Not even the one who loves me shall
choose a husband for me-" says Miss
Fairfax. "A gown, q ribbon. even my
bonnet. if you will but not my partner
for life. | shall reserve the choosing
of hat troublesome. and indeed i'm.
probable person for myself"
well. don't choose hartford" says
Miss Sylvester. yravely.
DO you think Noel so very super
Tor to him? | don't. At least Lord
hartford has a soul for music. What
Il touch. When he accompanies me |
feel as though there were nothing left
to be desired"
There is Nell, a great deal"
"TO such a prosaic old thing as you.
yes. You are nearly rs bad as Noel,
But TO a foolish enthusiast like me.
Nothing l tell you-nothing. That
other night at the MoOres'! How he
rendered that 'Reverie.' / could have
cried"