The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-21

away at II mysterious something which
was wrapped carefully in O white
towel; after many dscouragements
and failures she finally appeared be-
fore her mother holding in her hand
the daintiest pair of little pink silk
shoes; she had taken an old pair of
slippers and had covered them with
scraps of silk like her dress; the toes
were ornamcnted with big pink bows
and pair of old paste buckles. In
fact, they were us pretty and dainty a
pair of shoes as u girl could desire; and
| If they did show on close inspection
traces of their home acknowledgements
Marion and her mother agrccd-who
was going to inspect them?
We will pass over Marion's arrival in
| New York and the warm welcome
| which Mrs. darkness gave her Marion
was too wcll-brcd to feel out of place in
the beautiful city house, although there
was much that excited her admiration
| and surprise. In few days she felt
thoroughly Mt homo, and she seemed
| to have so many thoughts and tastes in
common with Mary Hardness that the
two girls bid fair to establish friend
ship which would rival their mothers.
The dictator of New York society
was once heard to shy that if girl was
sufficiently beautiful and had the
proper people to introduce her, she
might go triumphantly through the
season, an acknowledged belle, though
she had not II penny of her own and
but one evening gown to her back; and
he cited in support of his theory sew
cral notable ladies, now millionaircsscs
and members of titled English families,
who in their girlhood days could
hcighten their charms with little moro
than one black lace dress of gentccl
poverty.
Marion's rich, statucsque beauty, her
freshness and her perfect simplicity
made her a favoritc at once;
and although her appearance at
the horse show was scarcely
greeted by that storm of ap-
plause with which the popular
novelist is wont to announce the ap-
pearance of his heroine rs reigninp
beauty, she did not pass unnoticcd. AS
the winter festivities advanced Marion
felt that she was living in n perfect
whirl of gayety, and tho rectory
at home was kept on the Qut ctcc of cx-
element over long letters concerning
her wonderful ooings. Yet to many
New York girl Mary and Marion
would have scarcely been going out ut
NIL; Tor Mrs. darkness was judiciuus
woman, and would not allow them to
undertake six or seven engagements, as
80 many girls do all through the win
ter. Then there were district visiting
and sewing classes and other things to
be done during the morning, so that
| Marion in many ways was quite as busy
with doing for others as though she
were still at home.
| When her visit was about half over
Mrs. darkness only son jack came
back from n trip abroad. Although
never much of a society man he did
not seem aversc to sharing the girls
pleasures. The night of the first
Patriarchs' ball came, to both of the
girls an important one, as being their
first ball. Mrs. Hardness, with rcndy
kindness, was anxious to provide Mar
ion with a beautiful new toilet rs hand
some as her own daughters; but it had
been Mrs. Leslic's one stipulation thnt
Marion should accept nothing more
than the love md kindness that made
her visit so delightful
There was q pang, such n pang In
b
beautiful tullc dress; her own silk
seemed old and shabby, and the little
pink shoes she had been so proud of at
home seemed shapcless and ugly beside
the tiny white ones that her friend
wore. She stihed her covetous long
ings very qui ckly, however, and took
herself we'll to tasl, for finding one
thing nniss when she had 80 much;
Nd lNt-+ = Gu
she had quite forgotten all her bad
feelings, and her face was bright with
anticipation OF the pleasure before her.
When the Hardness party entered
the ballroom Marion was observed
from every side; there were plenty of
tullc dresses and plenty Of pretty girls
there, but Marion's beauty was of such
q roma rkable style and was SO height
ened by the rich simplicity of her
gown that she soon foun d herself sur
rounded by 4 court of admirers, and,
indeed, had the greatest difficulty in
saving the two dances which she had
promised Jack darkness.
How late it was in the morning be-
fore they returned home will not saw
city people keep very strange hours;
and Marion was terribly shocked to
find how latc-or shall say, how
carly-it wns. 1t took her some time
to get over her excitement sufficiently
to go to sleep and 1t seemed as though
she had scarcely closed her eyes when
she awolte to find the sunshine stream
ing into her room and Mrs. Hardness
standing beside her bod. She folded
Marion tendcrly In her motherly arms;
there was something so gentle in her
voice TINT tho girl felt at once that