Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-02
THIRTEEN AT TABLE.
BY MRS. BURTON HARRISON.
copyright 1895, by Bachelor. johnson
and Bacheller)

and Bacheller)
l.
If anyone had told Felicia Charlton,
the year before, that she would be
spending this summer at Newport as
a dwcller in 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 &C.
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
up to womanhood under the wing of n
widowed mother scarcely 10 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 n subsistence for the two
and TO provide an education for Feliciu
that should enable her to be self-sup-
porting.
Lattcrly things had gone from bad
TO worse with the Charltons. They had
spent one year in the dcsolation of II
poor country ncighborhood. with rela-
tives, glad of the pittance their board
Il ffordcd; and at the end of it Mrs. Charl-
ton had to accept an offer, from a friend
Ct early days who was about to open n
boarding school, to act as her house
In T,1t ,,in
tered upon the celebrating career of
assistant TO a decnyed gentlewoman in
Baltimore, who made and sold the
pickles aud preserves SO renowned in
old-time Maryland cook books. And all
this while the girls high spirits had
never tagged. She had laughed and
prattlcf, and won smiles from the little
mothcrin her hours of darkest despond-
cncy. She had even conSed into mo-
nents of cheerfulness the broken
spirited lady who manufactured pickles
Ind preserves: and, while carrying on
her uncongenial work, lost no oppor-
tunity of looking for something better.
In this stress, TO Feicias credit be il in
scribcd, it did not occur to her to write
verses or II story, and offer them for ac-
reptance to tiist-class magazine.
Summer had come around again, and
he prospects of spending it in a piping
lot fiat, in the temperature of Balt
more, between June and October, and
II the company of Mrs. Ballantyne and
Ter gas stove, was all that presented it.
sci to Felicia's mental gaze. But in her
leart little bird kept singing. over
md over, the blthe tidings that her
nother's employer was TO take her old
riend on visit of two months to the
Mountains of Virginia, where Miss Ken
lnrd was wont TO return in her vaca-
ions to the household of parents who
ould give her food and drink and
heller. at least. How much better was
his than Felicia had dared TO hope.
resh air. fresh milk, shade trees on a
treen lawn, the Blue Ridge mountains
ncompassing their daily horizon
hat matter il the Kennards' poor old
lantation house were falling to rack
nd ruin, SO that there was a roof to
over Felicia's dear little mother, to
HON all these luxuries were promisedp
1t had not been without fierce ma
,rnal struggle in the little widows
reast that this invitation had been ac-
opted. That she should he taken aud
elicia left cost her gentle heart strange
angs. But Felicia. who had way
it'll her none could withstand, had
IMPLY forced her point. She had
hcked her mothers trunk, had gone
it'll her to the station, had parted with
Ter, to all appearances, Joyfully, and
hen, to save car fare, had set out to
ak over the burning bricks of the
hvement, on her return to Mrs. Bal
ntyIfes.
Just then little victoria had driven
ose to the sidewalk near her, and
ulled up. A young woman, charm
pgly dressed, had leaned forward and
billed her by name. Felicia, with
art of pleasant surprise, recognized an
d schoolmate, western heiress, who
ad recently married and taken up her
bode here in her husbands city.
Between the two girls had passed the
sual expressions of fervent greeting,
I'd Felicia. installed under the hood of
be victoria, was quickly on the way
it'll Mrs. Branham to her pretty bridal
pine.
What contrast TO it was presented
Y the dull and paltry sitting-room of
RS. Ballantyne's fiat, where, later,
hilst adjusting their modest tea table,
elicia tried to entertain her employer
18th her new budget of gossip. Blu.
10 dame, who had a touch of toothache,
d was not much in avmnotby with tbo