The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-02
that HATEFUL GIRL.
NY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.

rro,vr,ght 1895 by Bachelor. Johnson
and BachellerD
Ss the world. IL IS just as We make II,
We see not the flowers II we SOW not the seed
always hated her-why? oh, / can
nardly say why; perhaps because she
was tan and breezy and piquant, be-
cause all the time / knew that her soul
was sick within her at the bitterness OF
her surroundings she yet held her head
ever SO high and always looked as II tho
whole world was lying at her feet.
eomchow, when the world was at my
feet. was always conscious that
never looked like it.
we had been children together, Ruth
Jeaffreson and i, not chums, oh no, for
She was the elder by at least couple
Of wears, and that counts when one Is
at the juvenile party age. lremember,
years and years ago, when we were ht'
lie bits of girls, some nine and eleven
wears old, that boy gave me wedding
sing out of a cracker. l put it on my
small lnger-and il was small finger,
for | was a frail little creature well ac-
customed to hear myself spoken of as
one that a breath might blow away
and said: Il am married now. 4 am
his wife" Some of the other children
laughed: indeed, L think they all
langhed except Ruth Jeaffreson, and
she looked at me with a pair of solemn
ewes. and then at the boy who had given
me the ring. She said nothing, but
suddenly felt myself turning hot and
nold. for Ruth's looks said little idiot"
as pIainly as if her lips had framed the
two uncomplimentary words. How
well l remember ,that night Freddie
Delamere was the boy, and Freddie
,Delamere had belonged to Ruth
Jeaffreson body and soul--well, al
xyays. 1t was only foreshadowing
of what would come later. i liked
freddie Delamere always, and Freddie
lDelamere liked Ruth. l think Ruth
was very fond of Freddie Delamere, but
abe did not want 10 marry him, and
Freddie went out TO Martinique and
died of some one OF those horrible
scourges that young men do die ofwhep
they leave their native land 10 carry
civilization into other climes. Poor
IFreddiel
II
son II IL had been only Freddie Della
mere. After all. no girl can help not
caring as much for boy as boy cares
for her when it happens once; but, Curl
ously enough, it always seemed TO hap
pen with her, and il always happened
that those liked Best seemed to be
irresistibly fascinated with Ruth. /
never could tell why, for she was real
ly not good looking, her profile was not
half as good as mine, although was
credited with having the biggest nose
in BlnnlShampton; still had good
profile, nobody could deny 1t. l was
fair--too fair-with n good deal of
smooth, fine, almost golden hair, and n
very pale. fine complexion. 1 looked
what / was, exceedingly delicate, and
my hands were small and slim and very
white. Twas very slim and slightin build
too, but 1 really was very interesting
docking. AS for Ruth Jeaffreson, she
was broad in the shoulder and small IN
the waist, and she carried herself with
a swing and an air that, TO me, was
most offensive. She was quite ordi-
mary in coloring, just brown hair and
n pale face, without good feature
dn it.; she had rather big eyes, ii is true,
big and dark, and sometimes she used
to look so somber that one almost pitied
her; then the next minute there would
come CLINT into her eyes, toss to her
head, and you could feel pothing-at
least no other girl could-but an out
ragged sense of impotent helplessness to
think she could take everything SO cool-
Nv as she did. i never could tell what
the men saw in her, but they did, they
all liked her--at least, all the men that
j liked liked her, and that was what 1
never could forgive Ruth Jeaffreson for.
There was Tom 0gilyie. Tom might
have married anybody in Blankhamp-
ton; but though everybody thought he
was going to marry Ruth, somehow it
didn't come off. Ruth went sailing
along In her old fashion, and Tom went
off TO India, and nobody heard any
thing more of him for dozen years at
least; SO far as Blankhampton was
concerned that was the end of him.
Then there was a big doctor down
from London-by big l mean great
specialist. | danced with him at sew
eral little private dances. He always
complained OF shis heart, told me he
ought not to dance, and that he could
not take more than half turn round
the room. apologized profusely, and
sslled me 20 take a turn in the corridor
Snstcad. But he could dance "a whole
waltz through with Ruth Jeaifreson. 1
suppose ] didn't dance as well as she
did, OF my step didn't suit him quite as
thoroughly. At the end of the second
dance heard him ask her il she was
ailScly 10 be going 20 the Parish next Gay
= @ ID