Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-07-28
ALTERED CIRCUMSTANCES.
Pick-AIe-Up.

Dusk, with fog for her mantle and
grimy raindrops for her jewels, passed
swiftly through the narrow streets OF
fashionable Mayfair. Within the
houses a thousand lights and glowing
fires flashed out TO greet her, while
sparkling silver and dainty china
twinkled a welcome TO the hour Oh
afternoon tea.
In the drawing room Of ITO Queen
street a delightful meal was being pre-
pared with more than customary de-
nberate care by a stout butler and a
slim footman, whose curious glances
at the immovable figure of young
girl standing by the fire rather him
dered the symmetrical arrangement OF
the Worcester cups, the Queen Anne
silver and the many dishes OF tempt
ing viands.
With her elbows thrust among the
photographs, flower vases, ivorles and
china which Uttered the broad mantel
board, and her face down bent be-
tween her two hands, Sybil Tamworth
stood unconscious of the servants i'm
pertinent glances. obliylous OF her lux
uriOus surroundings.
In the throbbing embers at her feet
Sybil was reviewing all her past lie
and striving TO match each dear, dead
scene with an equivalent which was
vet to come How could she think OF
tea and petits tours on the brink OF a
volcano? What did the ill-concealed
curiosity Of the servants matter, when
in three short days her name would
be on every tongue and her actions
the subject of ignorant jest in all
grades of society?
The muthns had grown tough and
flabby and her tea bitter and lukewarm
before the girl lifted her forehead from
her hands and turned with a rather
hopeless gesture from the dying fire.
Yet neither the sense of gathering cold
nor spelling tea had served to stir
her from her attitude, but rather the
feeling that some one had entered the
room.
You, Myral 1 did not hear you
come in. Have you been back long"
Il think I'm back only Just in time,
Sybil The fire is half out, the room
fun of fog and the tea-umh. how
nasty It's absolutely black.
Mrs. Linton rang the bell sharply,
ordered fresh tea, and then, while she
awaited it, removed her heavy fur
pelisse and long suede gloves. Every
action was brisk and light, for though
Mrs. Linton was tall woman she had
both grace and dignity Her face was
still handsome in outline, though the
widely opened dark eyes and some
what plainly dressed hair gave her
rather a hard expression. People who
knew her always admitted that in her
youth her beauty must have been OF
the striking order. and then invariably
drifted into speculation as to whom
she could have been in that past hey
day.
At present her social position was
good. her wealth assured and her din
ners and gowns perfection, while her
chaperonage of the pretty Miss Sybil
Tamworth, the only child and heiress
Of Sir Godfrey Tamworth, gave her the
final claim to popularity.
Myra Linton looked both prosperous
and happy as she leaned back in her
ample chair and slipped the fresh tea.
She was in marked contrast to Miss
Tamworth, whose delicate rose-leaf
STYLE Of beauty and fasclnatingly weak
manner had always made the friend
ship between herself and the elder wo-
man seem a little odd.
For time both women were silent,
and, as the gathering fog outside dead
ened the sound of passing wheels, the
stiffness in the charming drawing room
grew oppressive.
Mrs. Linton first broke the spell
"Well. Sybil, you're mot very COM
municative this event e. What have
you been doing all the hfternoon?