The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-17
THIRTEEN AT TABLE.
M MRS BURTON HARRISON.
(Copyright 1895. by Bachelor. Johnson
and Bacheller)

(CopyTight 1895. by BAcheler, Johnson
and Bacheller)
l.
If anyone had told Felicia Charlton,
The year before, that she would be
spending this summer at Newport as
dweller i'm one OF the most famous of
the new houses that are the glory OF
that favored resort, she would have
laughed in the face of the recounter OF
such fairy tale--that merry, heart
some laugh of hers--for Felicia well
deserved her name.
But the event least expected had oc-
CURED. The gay, pretty, poverty
stricken southern girl, the daughter of
AN ancient line, who during her 10 years
OF life had never known any but the
hard rubs of fortune; who had grown
lp TO womanhood under the wing OF
widowed mother scarcely Is years her
senior, as lovely to look at as was Felicia
herself, but for the traces left on her
face and form by care and by thought
how to make IA subsistence for the two
and TO provide an education for Felicia
that should enable her to be self-sup-
porting.
Latterly things had gone from bad
20 worse with the Charltons. They had
spent one year in the desolation OF
poor country neighborhood, with rela-
tires, glad of the pittance their board
afforded: and at the end of ii Mrs. Charl-
ton had TO accept nm offer, from friend
cf early days who was about to open a
boarding school, to act as her house
keeper. At the same time, Felicia en-
tered upon the exhilarating career of
assistant To decayed gentlewoman in
Baltimore, who made and sold the
pickles and preserves so renowned in
old-time Maryland cook books. And all
this while the girls high spirits had
never tagged. She had laughed and
prattled, and won smiles from the little
motherin her hours of darkest despond-
cncy. She had even coaXed into mo-
ments of cheerfulness the broken
spirited lady who manufactured pickles
and preserves; and. while CARRYING on
her uncongenlal work, lost no oppor-
tunity of looking for something better.
In this stress, to Felicia's credit be il in
scribed, il did not occur TO her to write
>tictS VI a anu Chti loi ~
ceptance 10 a first-class magazine.
Summer had come around again, and
the prospects of spending il in piping
hot fat, in the temperature of Balti-
more, between June and October, and
ia the company of Mrs. Ballantyne and
her gas stove, was all that presented it
eel to Felicia's mental gaze. But in her
heart little bird kept singing, over
and over, the blithe tidings that her
mothers employer was to take her old
friend on a visit of two months to the
mountains of Virginia, where Miss Ken
nard was wont To return in her vaca-
Ions to the household of parents who
could give her food and drink and
shelter, at least. How much better was
this than Felicia had dared to hope!
fresh air, fresh milk, shade trees on
green lawn, the Blue Ridge mountains
encompassing their daily horizon
what matter if the Kennards' poor old
plantation house were falling to rack
and ruin, SO that there was roof 70
cover Felicia's dear little mother, TO
whom all these luxuries were promised?
1t had not been without fierce ma
te-nal struggle in the little widows
breast that this invitation had been ac-
ccpted. That she should be taken and
Felicia left cost her gentle heart strange
pangs. But Felicia, who had a way
with her none could Withstand, had
simply forced her point. She had
packed her mothers trunk, had gone
with her to the station, had parted with |
her. to all appearances, joyfully, and
then, to save car fare, had set out to
walk over the burning bricks of the
pavement, on her return to Mrs. Bal |
lantyne's.
Just then little victoria had driven !
close 10 the sidewalk near her, and |
pulled up. A young woman, charm
ingly dressed, had leaned forward aud |
hailed her by name. Felicia. with a
start OF pleasant surprise, recognized an
old schoolmate, western heiress, who |
had recently married and taken up her
abode here in her husbands city.
Between the two girls had passed the
usual expressions of fervent greeting.
and Felicia, installed under the hood OF
the victoria, was quickly on the way
with Mrs. Branham to her pretty bridal
home.
What n contrast 10 il was presented
by the dull and paltry sitting-room OF
Mrs. Ballantyne's fat, where. later,
whilst adjusting their modest tea table,
Felicia tried TO entertain her employer
with her new budget of gossip But
the dame, who had touch of toothachc.
and was not much in sympathy with the
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