The Opelousas courier., 1897-07-17

&b. two faces lookin
G~W into each othe
ca NJ we're full of chs
" "You remembe
W what q beautifl
child Amy wasp Mrs. Grantley said
"the prettiest of all we saw, and W
were-how long, making a selection?
"Dear me! I cannot recollect,
said Mrs. Dinsmore. "We vlsite'
every orphan asylum and home W
heard of, 1 know. Yes, Amy was
perfect little beauty"
"And I was so careful in my direc
ton at every school where I hav'
placed her that she should be watched
and prevented from getting frecklet
or spelling her complexion in an,
way. She has been most faithfully
cared for, and now, my dear, when
come home, expecting to find a lovely
girl to introduce to society, I an
fairly stunned! Amy is positively
ugly!" ,,
Dinsmore, with a sympathetic shud
der.
"Of course, I must do my duty by
her," continued Mrs. Grantley, plain,
lively, "after giving her the best edu'
cation money could procure and al
the tastes and accomplishments Of {
lady. I cannot turn the child away
for what is really NO fault of her own.
OF course she would be a beauty II
she could! But it is a bitter d1sap'
pointment
And it was. Mrs. Grantley was g
woman of society, bound Up in the re-
quirements of fashion, lady manager
for a dozen or SO of popular chart
ties, patroness for many benevolent
schemes, keeping open house for balls,
parties, private theatricals and f%estivi'
ties of all kinds all winter, and lead.
ing society in a great measure at
Saratoga, Newport and some other re.
sort of fashion all summer. A child
less widow, with a large income, very
handsome, highly educated and re-
fined, she was a very queen in her own
circle for many years. Then, feeling
that her own beauty was w!ning, she
resolved to give q new charm to her
house, a new interest to her life, by
adopting a child.
The first, the most essential, requis.
tie in her eyes was beauty; the next
intellect, and with these she also re-
quired a child who was absolutely
friendless-one who would have no
unpleasant relations claiming &C.
quaintance at some future date, how
eve remote. It was not easy to meet
all these con ~litions, but the child was
found at last; she was very fair, with
q bloom like a peach blossom upon
each delicate cheek; she had fair, soft
hair that curled naturally, blue eyes
full of sweetness and delicate features;
her feet and hands were of aristocratic
proportions, and her figure slender
and graceful. A street walf, she knew
Of no home beyond the asylum where
Mrs. Grantley found her, and had no
relative of whom she had ever heard.
There was no difficulty about the mat
ter, and Mrs. Grantley adopted the
child, calling her Amy Grantley, and
delighting to exhibit her in the dain-
tiest of costumes to her admiring
When Amy was twelve years old,
proved herself an apt scholar
with a good nursery governess, Mrs.
decided to 60 to Europe.
She left her adopted child in q good
school. and correspondent with her
regularly, seeing with delight that the
mind ana heart expanded and
showed cultivation and sweet, maiden
~ beauty as her education advanced.
For seven years Amy remained at
a conscientious student, de-
in music, and showing always
gentle, lovable disposition.
In her heart there was one shrine
next her God, was one object
Of absolute worship-Mrs. Grantley.
She had never been deceived regard
her own position, knowing that to
her adopted mother she owed every
pleasure and every advantage she en-
Every action of her life was /
Influenced by her gratitude. Loving
study for it's own sake, she threw fri jh
Energy into every accomplishment to
her friend, her kind adopted
mother; she made music an absorbing
pursuit. because Mrs. Grantley loved
music, and her teachers assured her
her strong, pure voice must give pleas
Ire to any true lover of singing.
Year after year the strong hope of
Ter life was that Mrs. Grantley would
'oon return. and she might in some
way repay what she owed her. The
lay the summons came to her to- meet
Mrs. GrantleY in what was to be her
uture home, the child was almost i'll
NTH excitement.
Educated by a lady who considered
t a duty to check any vanity in her
Amy had never given much
bought to her personal appearance.
When scarlet fever robbed her Of her
urls and left q straight mass of pale,
laxen hair in their place, she thought
My of the temporary badness as an
inconvenience, and the { of the
traight hair less troublesome than the
urls. She did not heed the fact that
he same fever deprived her Of her ex.
uisite complexion, and left a sallow,
olorless one in its place.
Her second teeth were uneven. and
OF very white, though sound and
seful. She was graceful IN figure,
asy IN movement, refined in voice
nd tone, 9 lady in every impulse and
but Mrs. Grantley's ayst ex-
was;