The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-12-18
miscellaneous.
A SISTERS SACRIFICE.

In small house at Bigham, Surrey,
Both their parents had been dead for
some years, havin; bequeathed to
their daughters a III Idest patrimony
upon which they were able to subsist
in comfort. Alice, the elder, was just
on the far side of thirty; Bob, the
younger, was now in her eighteen tn
year. There was thus a considera BILE
difference of age between them. But
the difference did not end here. Two
sisters more dissimilar in looks, in
character, in disposition, would have
been hard to find. The strength and
self reliance of Alice made themselves
apparent in every line in her face, in
every tone of her voice, in every mo-
ton of her body. Her blue eyes shone
with steady, fearless light The car
riage of her mouth was firm and
stanch. The squareness of her well
formed chin was full of power. Her
manner had the calm ease of perfect
assurance Her beauty was the beauty
of a capable woman.
With Bob it was different. Bob had
little strength and no self reliance.
Such a tender, anxious, appealing face
was Bob's. 1t reflected every ray of
sunshine, every passing cloud that APP
preached. In those brown and gentle
eyes often hundred varying emotions
would be born and die within the
hour, and as many smiles and CULVER
ings would rutfle her mobile lips. She
was pretty, very pretty; and winning,
very, very winning. Yet it was a
child's nature that gave its life to her
expression: twas child's sweetness
that charmed you in her look and
manner.
Before she was we'll eighteen Bob
had found lover. Some people ex-
pressed surprise that Ronald Armleigh
had chosen Bob in preference to her
sister Alice. And, indeed, it had ap-
peared for some time doubtful tow ard
which of the two girls his real atten-
ton was directed. First of all, Alice
had seemed to attract him the more.
This was what might have been ex-
pected. Armleigh was man of the
world, experienced and mature in
Judgment. He prided himself. not
without reason, upon his second sens 2
and his practical views. In his then
position-that of barrister just on the
threshold of professional and social
SUCCESSIVE had every need of a clever,
capable wife. That was exactly what
Alice's qualities fitted her for. And it
was by these qualities in her that he
seemed at first to be attracted.
But after little came a change.
Exactly what had caused it would be
impossible to say. Perhaps Alice had
repealed him by her cold demeanor
Perhaps he had grown alarmed by the
signs of masterfulness in her charac-
ter.
Or, perhaps, love had got the better
of prudential considerations. 1t was
probably one of these three. 1t may
have been all combines At any rate,
there it was. And soon it became ap-
parent that it was Bob, the winsom
child, not Alice, the capable woman,
who held the key of Ronald Armleigh' S
affections.
This circumstance discovered a new
side to the elder sisters character.
Till now Alice had been more than a
mother to Bob. Her love for the
younger girl had been touching
thing to see. In furthering Bob's in
terests, in promoting Bob's happiness,
In shielding Bob from harm and an
noyance, Alice had never been known
to consider herself. She had, in every
thing, yielded to her sister pure and
unmixed devotion. But from this
time forward all that was changed.
Alice suddenly began to treat her sis
ter-so the neighbors said, and so the
poor child herself felt-with positive
cruelty.
Perhaps there never yet lived wo'
man devoid of jealousy. And though
some may manage to conceal it better
than others, yet tits seldom indeed
that, upon adequate provocation arts
ing. they are able to conceal it alto
gether. No one could deny that, in
this present case Alice Baines had re-
ceived adequate provocation. To be
admired by handsome, fascinating
mana man who, all things consider
ed, was distinctly eligible party, was
of course, a tiattering thing. To have