The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-01-15
MRS. HAZARDS PURSE,


whether anything lay before her be-
sides the dull monotony of life which
seemed wearing her out. Companion
to an old lady-well, it did not seem
such a hard life, after all, to others.
A good, luxurious home, n liberal sal
airy, ligh; duties; yet-oh, yes-yet it
was SO DULL Other girls. not so
pretty, had been wooed and won, and
she had not one lover.
81 suppose shall die nm old maid"
sighed Sybil. "Theres no romance
in store for me-"
"A1iss Stanton, it's nine o'clock,
and Polly's cage isn't covered yet" !"
cried Mrs. Hazard, from her inner
room.
Sybil sighed. The parrot was part
of her prose. There were the parrot,
the canary and the poodle.
''I ought to rejoice in the canary"
she said, bitterly. "If 1 were like
other girls perhaps I should, but 1
only long to open its cage and let it
CO."
She oversight herself next morning
and awoke to the consciousness that
it was late. Sybil dressed herself III
haste and bounced into Mrs. Hazards s
dressing room.
| In the middle of the room she stood
petrifed with astonishment. Mrs.
Hazard was holding audience with n
young gentleman-a very handsome
young gentleman.
"No matter, Miss Stanton" said
Mrs. Hazard: "It's only my nephew.
Fred, this is Miss Stanton"
And Sybil escaped to the adjoining
room.
"She's pretty" said Fred to his
aunt.
"She's very good-that's BETTER"
said Mrs. Hazard. "I'll see you at
breakfast, Fred"
And Mrs. Hazard retired to her
room, leaving her newly-arrived
nephew to amuse himself as he chose.
He prudently betook himself to the
garden.
That was the first of it, not the
last of it. The nephew. sort of
rolling stone gathering no moss, had
been sent to Aunt Hazard, to be done
something with-to be recommended
somewhere or get into something
good.
A puzzled mother, with many other
responsibilities and very small in
come, had suggested this in an inc j.
herent letter which accompanied her
eldest son. And there was nothing
for it. rs Mrs. Hazard said, but to try
to help that ridiculous Lefty, who
never knew her own mind even when
she accepted Fred's father.
Fred stayed at Mrs. Hazards, and
she, with rich woman's influence,
soon placed him where-if he had
perseverance and ability there was a
prospect of good career for him.
Now there came new face into the
household-a new step, new voice.
The dull, quiet evenings were over.
Chat and laughter filled the little par
lor. Mrs. Hazard woke out of the
lethargy, which, being quite alone
with each other, will fling about the
lives of women and declared herself
ten years younger.
She went to the opera with Fred,
taking Sybil along. She gave little
party. She grew astoundingly gay,
and as for Sybil-well, the world wa,
growing very bright to her, not SC
much because Of the opera-going.
little poetry had at last been brough
into her life. Fred Halliburton hat
begun to make love to her.
There are men who feel their way
to womens' hearts, slowly, cautiously
prudently. Fred was not one OF them
His looks, his manner, said from tn
first: ~ love you, and I mean t,
make you love me-"
This wild Fred, always lookin
hsndsomer than other men, won hi
way very easily and naturally wit
Sybil. II he was not gravely sensibl
0 and sedately prudent. Sybil liked hir
. all the better. She had had enoug
9 OF gravity and prudence.
. It might have been better for he
!. 10 have admired the professor, VII