The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-11

payne ana glanced at an ola aQmlreR
half way down the table. A timid
little woman at the other end caught
the look and hated her for it. The
recipient was the girls husband.
And now tell me some delightfully."-
naughty scandal" Mrs. Marston said
to the horsey man. 1.-THE latest and
best you know"
Mrs Graham?"
sob, she's an old story
''Give you my honor-new edition"
Really! Go on
Warned off the bookstalls-"
well, I'm not a bookstall."
AS he paused. she thought, ''Marie
can't have found Sir John l wonder
if they have a good nurse. They
might have let me see her for just
one moment Children rarely take to
stepmother, but Daisy used to love
everyone"
$50 Mrs. Graham has even over
stepped the bounds of modernity,"
she said aloud
Taken the barrier in one stride"
bravo, am always grateful to a
woman who gives me something no
torious to talk about
AAO sue Thought WOuQCE IL SiAO
suffers much, wonder if she is con-
scious They said. mo better Could
that mean she was worse? How all
these people would chatter and wins
per if they knew the situation to-
night; not one of them would be sorry
yes, Hlda would, poor, frightened,
little woman. because her baby died,
although I do f1irt with her husband.
And my baby-oh, God! how happy I
was over Daisy! and now--it's my own
fault for leaving her, but how could
know she was going to be ill?'
Then she started and laughed.
II didn't catch VIII at you were say
ing. Yes; some one bet Leila's legs
weren't the same length; it doesn't
show when she's dancing, and don't
believe it. Some silly little boy asked
no, I can't tell you; that isn't a
pretty story"
The room with its brilliant lights
its sound of voices. and its laughter
faded from sight. In imagination she
was carried far away, to the little
bedroom next the nursery in the old
house. She bent over Daisy, who
slept and dreamt of mamma-the real
mamma, not her new oue-and she
Z; id to the cold, stern faces around
her: ''Have pity! let me kiss her once
i won't disturb her. I won't wake
her" Perhaps they might consent
and let her creep away having seen
her baby and kissed her, as in the old
happy days
She heard the guardsman ask her
question, and replied at random.
'Yes. l am going t act as GreSk
goddess; it's queer kind of play but
one can do anything nowadays, and
Lady Lane acts in it, SO that makes
the whole thing SO eminentIy respec-
table. She'll die of dullness, poor oil
dowd. Her husbands nice boy-he
got me into the show"
She stretched out her hand and
pulled an orchid to pieces, and the
room faded from sight again.
She stood near the little bed. Daisy
was awake and knew her. They
weren't angry; they were kind; they
let her hold her close, let her stay to
nurse her; let her soOthe her as only
mother, even the most degra led, can.
Charles forgave for the baby's sake
and let her stay just till she got well.
She pulled herself together and rose
to leave the room. In all her dreams
she never saw sad picture, save that
it was sad to see the child suffer. OF
course she was certain to get well.
AS the footman handed her the cof-
fee when upstairs, she asked care
1essly:
''Has Marie returned?"
s'An hour ago, mum, - he said.
She started with no letter for
me?"
''No, mum. She said not
''All rig hit. Mrs. Barker has
changed her mind and will take some
milk. Hand it to her, please"
So she couldn't hear that night.
The notion made her reckless. Her
fair, placid friend shouted some gos-
sip in her ears as is the manner Of
them and singer sat down at the
piano.
The song over, amid loud applause,
a footman opened the door to admit a
gentleman. He had asked to see Mr..
Marston alone, but the man had blum
dered 'misunderst TODD him, and an
nounced him as one of the evenings
guests.
Sir j Ohm Deane.
The painted, noisy wife of his old
friend rose to greet him, and she
knew why he was there as well as if
he had spoken.
He murmured some excuse and
drew her husband out of the room.
The whole place swan before her
eyes; she was struck numb Only
sublime pity could have forced him to
visit her again. Daisy dead!-she had
read it in the trouble in his face
Daisy dead, dead Her own little
baby cold and dead, and she not there
to hold her in her arms, to kiss her
just once more, to weep over her-to-
Her friend was speaking. She strug-
gled back to consciousness to hear
her say in her loud blatant voice:
.tEancv Sir John coming to visit