Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-07-29
THE PANAMA HAT.

DuIllh', Out INC TACT tnat II was
small and attraCtivcly shod made
little difference in the force with
which it emphasized decision
Mrs Cloverdale was reclining In n
bent wood rocker, and her tiny foot
scarcely reached the floor, but at
that moment she had rocked far
forward and had brought down mar
row toe and high heel simultaneous
ly upon the cool Japanese mating
that half hid the parquetry of her
library.
"Onco and for ALL Molly, dear, "
she had said, mo Cndcr no cir
cumstanCCs will / ever give my CON
sent to your marriage with that
ne'er do we'll.
Although Molly know her mis-
tress we'll enough to understand
that it was quito useless for her to
plead further, her opportunities did
not cease with the coming down of
tho little foot. With a panied ex-
preston upon her rose leaf face and
tears in her voice she defended her
adored Andrew to the best of her
power.
"Oh, no, Mrs. Cloverdale, she
exclaimed, mot that! Andrew is
not n nc'cr do wcll. He il honest,
and he Is willing to work, but he
has been unfortunate. l am sure
that together we could get along
admirably. There is vacancy, you
know, i'll the stable since Barney,
tho second groom, left, and
Nonsense, girl" cried Mrs. Clo-
verdale, taking up n fan from the ia
BILE Mt her side and beginning to
sway it with some energy. do you
think l would permit you to marry
a stable boyR There is young Alex
ander, tho son of Captain Silvcster's
farmer, for instance. He would be
much more suitable husband for
you"
But / do not love him, objected
the girl in all innocence, just as
though love worc necessary ad-
Junct to marriage in these days.
Whereas I'm very, very fond of
Andrew, and he simply worships
me. We were rlaymates as children,
you know, and | can never forget
when Andrew riSkcd his own life to
save mine the time that fell into
the river and was being carried by
the current down to the rapids He
Is waiting for is answer now, and
do SO want it to be Yes. "
The girls mistress continued to
fan herself, unmoved by these en-
treaties.
II know what il best for you,
Molly she said. THE answer that
you will give il Nor Some day you
will thank me for insisting upon
it."
Then it was that the tears that
had been in the young woman's
voice began to flow, and, with a
handkerchief pressed to her eyes
and her young, supple frame shak-
ing with sobs. she left the room.
The relation that Mrs. Cloverdale
bore to her maid and companion
was, as may have boon inferred, not
merely thnt of employer. Servants
are not i'll the habit of seeking eli
Their counsel or consent from their
mistrcsses when they desire to take
upon their shoulders the connubial
yoke, ana had Molly's allegiance
been measured simply by the wages
of 60 Il month that she received,
she would i'll all probability have
sought the village parsonage with
Andrew by her side and have told
Mrs. Cloverdalc of the momentous
step she had taken when it was all
over.
Molly WAS IL native of tho Berk-
shire hills. She had been born on
the farm that had belonged to the
CloVcrdalos for generations. Her
father had titled its soil and her
mother had churned the cream Of
its Aldcrncy COWS into yellow but
ter, and then both father and
mother had gone the way of all
flesh, leaving Molly, budding little
pink and white beauty of IS or
therepbo
That summer Mr.. David Glover
dale of the old established firm of
Cloverdalo e Lowry, leather mer-
chants, brought to the farm his
young wife, and the young wife,
nf ~,
agreed with her somewhat elderly
husband that Molly must be taken
care of. While il was not an adop-
ton iii the legal sense of the word,
1t amounted to about the same
thing. Molly was given fair edu-
cation, and then she was taken into
the household az something II little
above high class servant.
with her beauty" said Mrs.
Cloverdalo IA the girl left the room,
"she might marry duke"
Then the pretty mistress of this
charming old stone house in tho
very heart of the Berkshires put
down her fan, distracted something
from between the pages of book
on the table by her side, rose from
her place in the deep bent wood
rocker, and passing out into the
hall, stopped for II moment to APP
IA parasol and snatch up
another object, which she deity
hid among the voluminous folds Of
the white muslin gown that she had