Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-09-10
A VICTORY.

Doris was troubled She and Mr.. Linley
were not engaged but he had been devoted
to her And now this girl-not a bohe-
milan like Doris, but young and fresh-had
stepped in between them.
And Doris wanted to keep him. That
was where the sting lay. She was fond of
him and she knew it. She had had no de-
| sire that other men should imagine that
| she was still free to choose. There had
never been any profession or even any pre-.
| tense of mere friendship between them
| She was too proud for coquctry or conceal
| ment. 1t had been plain to her as it had
| been plain to every one who had known
| them, that Edward Linley was her lover
| He had gonc too far to draw back with
| honor, and it had not occurred to her to
| expect dishonor from him, or to be on her
| guard against it.
| So far he had been trying to win her
and she had conceded passively, but frank
| ly and without pretense of resistance. Now
| it was her turn to win him. She must as
| sert her right or lose him, and she did not
want to lose him; she had looked the
| thing full in the face and learned so much
| If she could have found it in her heart to
| let him go, she would have been glad, but
| she had found that she could not spare
| him, so she had dried her eyes, set her lips
| firmly and made her effort.
She had done one of the impossible
| things n few women can do gracefully
| She had made acquaintance with the girl
and asked her to tea to meet Mr.. Linley
And the girl was coming in spirit Of
half contemptuous triumph, sure Of her
conquest, and not unwilling to give her
| poor pale rival chance of carrying defeat
with good grace. She was to be brought
by her maid, and called for by her mother
in the brouGham, which would mark the
difference between her chapcron guarded
| innocence and poor Doris emancipation
very effectively.
| Meanwhile, Doris was getting her room
ready, a pretty room-bTown and white
| for the most part. She was putting out of
sight the scraps of gorgeous oriental en-
broidery and bowls of red china which
gave color to it and leaving the tout en-
semble entirely pale and subdued.
Then she took off the colored shades
| from the lamps, and SO filed the room
with clear white light. Il was not I'M
| becoming to her. She had not dressed spe
! generally did, a long straight brown tea
gown, with white lace at the throat and
wrists. She had scarcely troubled about
| the arrangement Of her hair. 1t was I'M
rufilcd, that was all. Shc sat straight and
still in q high chair and read a book until
| her guests arrived.
| They arrived togethcr-that is, they met
on the doorstep. She heard her rivals
| laugh Of greeting and exubcrant dismissal
of her maid all the way up the stairs as the
hall door was opened. Linley was still an
sworing her rs they entered the room.
| Doris rival was u glowingly beautiful
| cirl-red Tipped, round faced and gorgeous
! ly dressed, with u great deal of rustic and
| perfume. Young rs she was, she had a
manner" but it was very young man
ner, almost opprcssively girlish.
Doris greeted her quietly and pleasantly,
| listening to her descriptions of how she
and her maid had been several times lost
on the way, and were only saved from
wandering up and down the dark street all
night by meeting Mr.. Linlcy. Only after
| seeing her guest accommodated with an
easy chair, u fire screen and footstool did
| Doris turn to Linley and say she was glad
he had been able to come. She had not
seen him for so long.
1T is long" he said--"over a week
| How quiet it seems here tonight. The
room seems to have moved farther out of
| town since I was last in it,
Doris did not answer him. Her other
| guest was the greater stranger and claimed
| her attention. She claimed "a good deal of
attention, talking fast and smartly to show
herself mistress of the situation. Besides
vivacity was one of the attributes Linley
had admired in her. Doris made tea and
waited on her guests. The other girl was
luxuriously >helpless-that was to show
that she belonged to the upper classes. -
But she patronized Doris quite prettily
and said it must be so nice to be useful
"She was quite sure she could never be
useful
OF course Linley said she made up for
that deficiency by being always ornamen-
tal-that was the inevitable answer to her
speech and manner. All the same, he was
painfully conscious that it was a vulgar
commonplace and that the self conscious
giggle with which the girl received it was
irritating. He looked anxiously to see
how Doris took it. She was sitting still
and straight in her chair, admiring her
| rivals beauty with sort of wondering
tolerance.
After they had finished tea Doris pro-
duced a cigarette case and passed it first to
her new guest, who gave little shrek of
horror.
'Not for the worldr' she screamed. 81
never did such a thing in my life.
wouldn't on any account"
rs the smell unpleasant to your" Doris
asked, pausing in the act OF offering the
cigarettes to Linley.
''Of course not. shouldn't like man
who didn't smoke, but don't think girl
ought TO copy mans habits-that's I'M
womanly," and she turned her big eyes on
Linley, inviting his approval OF her senti-
ments.
He had often approved OF them before.
In her mothers crimson Drawing room