The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-11-07

other idea. You take the bouquet,
and perhaps he will recognizeit."
Susan laughed, and her laugh was
so merry it was infections. ''No, no,
Fairy, that would never do. Why, I
should feel and look like a goose,
never had bouquet in my life; you
keep il to comfort you, all but this
queer yellow orchid. Inever saw one
like it, and perhaps il stuck it some
where very conspicuously it might
catch Captain Anthony's eye
"But, Sukey, dear, it is quite too
awiully ugly with that gown"
''And my hair" finished Susan,
without touch of bitterness in her
smile. "Thc uglier the better per-
haps he will notice this skirt. ! think
nothing could he more ollectually
warranted to attract attention.
Tho orchid fastened in, Susan hud-
died on her cloak.
Good night, my own darling. l
I shall he thinking of you all the time
go TO bed early, aud I'll wake you up
when | get back"
Susan was introduced to two good.
looking young men. One Of them
bowed and passed. The other put her
down for number eighteen. "By
which time / trust i shall be tucked
up in led, thought Susan, the phil
osopher. However, she got chair in
the hall next n girl with red elbows,
and satin bodice all ruoks, who
seemed ms partnerless as herself, and
who. being much younger, felt 1t far
more keonly. Susan always talked to
any girls who happened to be dull and
lonely. She remembered time when
she had been much too shy to venture
to bring out her drawing.block and
make covert sketches, as she did now,
with cloverness that made n look at
II sort of pictorial diary she kept n
much.prized privilege among her
friends.
"Rather slow work. looking on"
ha2arded Susan, whose keen eyes were
on the perpetual watch for any one at
all like Peroline's rapturous descrip-
tiou of Captain BrIdgenorth. "He
isn't so very good-looking, perhaps,
but he has something quite, quite dif.
ferent from other men about him"
She of the red elbows looked sur.
priscd but grateful, as she replied:
al think 1T is horrible. Every time
go ont 1t is just the same, and yet |
always want to come; | seem to fancy
that 1t will really be nice at last. y
al used to think that, too" said
Susan, cheeriully, "but it is a mis-
take. Home is the best place Cor some
of us.
81 know it's wrong" said the other
girl, hesitatingly, "but oh, | do feel
so dreadfully jealous of pretty people.
Look Mt that girl by the door with the
blue velvet bow in her hair; her
mother is very Ill, dying. they say,
and yet she is here"
was young, only about eighteen,
and was taking the harsh inevitable
cry hardly. Susan had iearnsd her
wn lesson quickly aud with serenity.
Take my advice" she said, cheer
fully, don't come TO balls unless you
are obliged. The little pin pricks one
has hurt, know. But if you arc com
PEELED to do 1t, make the best of it
try to enjoy the flowers and the
music. -
"Well, / call you downright won
derful, and if there were more girls
like you shouldn't mind things half
as much" She did not specialize the
things she meant. But Susan was not
attending; she was staring with oil
her might at a short man with fair
mustache aud an eyeglass. In his but
touholc there was an orchid, which
might have been blossom plucked
from the spray she wore upon her
badly hanging lace berthe. She
rushed to II prompt, and, MS it hap
poned, correct conclusion. The
orchid was SO peculiar. No one else
| had anything like it. Still, the con
clusion was something of blow tC
her. He was looking about and in
spectiuG the various couples curiously,
but evidently failed to find the object
OF his search. Susan and her frien6
were partly hidden by screen, and
with few rapid touches she sketchet
4
him rs he stood. A healthy, ordinary
young Englishman, quite common
| place, aud with no especial character
istic beyond nm attractive soldierly
alertness 1t was very good like
ness. for he kindly gave her ten min
utes in which to do it.
Her companion watched her pencil
admiringly." You have made hin
rather better looking than he is, sh'
commented.
Susan laughed softly. "Ihat is be
cause this portrait is to be present
to somebody who thinks Captain An
thony Bridgenorth is different from
every one else in the world, but | can
see it myself, so | have had to imagin
II little. But how white you look. ID,
you feel faint or ill?'
~ hardly know, am little giddy
| suppose it is the heat, or the flow
ers, or something"
Susan looked positively pleased
She had formed a bold scheme, an
| found au unconscious coadiutor read