The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-29
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last? No; I thought not. But 1t 10
really too good to keep, although
feel as If 1t ought not to be spoken Of;
she has been trying 80 long. poor
thing! And now she is succeeding In q
small way, and 1t is such an immense
pleasure to her, and no particular trou-
bic to anyone else. Really, there 10
nothing against her, you know. 1t was
only that she wasn't In. and now she 10
in, In a sort of way.
well. you know the Sampsons, Of
course. Very nice, quiet, old-fashion-
ed people, who had real genuine great.
grandfathers of their own, and, though
they are so quiet, have always an in
disputable right to be invited though
now they are getting older they don't
60 out so very much.
GLOW did know about it? Oh! never
mind how I knew about it. Don't, pray,
get to be an inquisitive girl, Helena,
beg of you. Those little stories always
do get to be known, to certain ex-
tent, though don't think they ought
to be talked about.
Moral? Oh, no! I don't want to be
caught moralizing; that's almost as
bad.
However, 1t seems that Mrs. Old
Stoke was going to give a very large
party, and she meant to bring out some
very nice people who don't go out very
often. She made special list Of these
herself. Pretty hastily. for she is
very busy woman. You know what a
very careless hand she writes?
"She wrote that list herself, and then
went out and left 1t ft< Miss Rousselle,
who, of course, had an enormous guam
tity Of writing to do. Mrs. Oldstocke
had put the names down just as they
came into her head, without any re-
gard to alphabetical order, and where
she meant Mrs. r. D. Sampson she had
hastily dragged her pen through the
name so that 1t looked like Mrs. R. d,
Lampson.
so Miss Rousselle addressed an In.
vitation to Mrs. r. D. Lampson.
Though she did wonder little, when
she gathered them up to send them,
how the name happened to be there
but as Mrs. Oldstocke had written II
herself 1t would hardly do for her to
ask any questions.
so the card was sent, and you can
Imagine poor Mrs. Lampson's delight
when she saw it. She must have been
astonished, for she had been irving
every known and unknown way of get.
ting herself recognized. But nobody
had ever seemed to take any interest
In her, and should have thought that
she would have given it up long ago
in sheer despair.
The fun Of it is that she has not
the least idea how she got it. If she
knew that that card came to her by
pure accident and was intended all the
time for somebody else | tremble to
think Of the effect it would have upon
her.
"It is to be hoped that she never will
know. OF course, she must never know.
poor soul.
But it was amusing. There was Mrs.
Oldstocke, all smiles and graciousness
as usual, when there enters all at once
Mrs. Lampson, who had never crossed
that threshold before, most sumptu-
ously gotten up, with a radiant face.
and actually whispering: oh! dear
Mrs. Oldstoclte, it was too lovely in YOU
to ask me-
TO Mrs. Oldstocke, who is so-well.
Mrs oldstocke could not imagine what
1t meant and had to ask Miss Rousselle
to find out.
Poor Miss RousseIe was fairly
frightened and no wonder. She could
hardly get breath to say: Why, Mrs,
Oldstocke, that is Mrs. Lampson, who
has been two years trying to get into
society. do hope this isn't my fault
The poor girl was Just ready to cry.
Luckily, Mrs. Oldstocke is very
good-natured, and she knows Miss
Rousselles value; she rarely does
make mistake.
oh. I've heard of her. said Mrs.
and she looked rather blank
for a moment. Then she said: Never
mind, my dear. one jay cant do much
harm in such a flock Of fine birds; and
she is a very determined, pushing
and she would be sure to get
In some time. She is just the one to
do it, and | might as well take the
blame Of it as anybody There's really
against her, believe
80 she took occasion to speak to
Mrs. Lampson and call her by name in
Mrs. Van Ratchem's hearing, and Mrs.
Van invited her, and then other people
did, and so the thing was done.
Everybody wonders how it came
about, but hardly anybody knows.
But take care you don't tell this
story to any of the girls, my love. It's
tos good to keep, as said, but then,
it's quite too good to be