Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-04-18

| SEANN SG Isl to want me. No
NGSh~ ~T%M/Z home seems to
NJ SEx| be open to me
MT%o~ anyw err
When papa died,
he told me Uncle Dallas would be
kind to me, and take his vacant place.
And uncle is kind, after his odd,
abrupt fashion. But Aunt Alicia doesn't
care for me, and the girls look coldly
on my shabby dress and pale, worn
lace. Evidently 1 am not cousin to
be proud of. If L were an heiress,
things would be very different!"
Poor little Rosabel The world
looked very dark to her as she sat on
the window-sill of the third story back
roam in the Dallas mansion, which had
been unanimously voted "good enough
for Rosabel Raymond" and watched
the dull reds and grays of the winter
sunset fading out behind the crowd
ing spires of the city.
How desperately she longed for the
snow-mantled fields, the black, leaf
less woods of the country! She was so
homesick, so solitary, SO alonel
vi, isoSaoel, are you nere!
1t was her Cousin Medora's soft,
sweet voice. She disliked Medora more
than either Augusta or Bell, although
she could not tell why, and she was
vexed that Medora should see the
traces of tears on her eyelashes. But
Medora pretended not to notice them.
'We were thinking, mamma and T."
said Medora, ''that you must be ter
ribly dull without anything to do, oil
these dismal days"
"It is rather lonesome, sighed Ros
abel, wondering at her cousins un-
usual thoughtfulness.
"And So" added Medora, with the
sweet smile that Rosabel always mis-
trusted, "when Miss Armitage told US
of the place in the china-painting and
flower-designing rooms-you always
were an artist, you know, dear-I ex-
claimed, in that silly, impulsive way
OF mine. The very idea for Rosabell'
You see, Miss Armitages protege-
Helen Hauvemonde-has gone to Rome
to prosecute her art studies, and there
is vacancy. Andthe salary would be
something of an object, of course, be-
cause"
"Of course it would be an object"
said Rosabel, quickly. "You do not
suppose that do not feel my depen-
dsnce here?"
and" added Medora, thinking it
best not to notice this outburst, "Miss
Armitage says you can obtain excel
lent board for four dollars q week
with widow lady near the Rooms,
and that you would save good deal
o" time and no end of car fares. So,
if you conclude to accept the position,
perhaps you had better come down
into the drawing-room and see Miss
Armitage."
If there was anything which Rosa
bel Raymond loved, it was her pencil.
Water-colors were expensive, and
drawing-boards came dear, and Aunt
Alicia thought it very unfeminine for
woman to set up an easel and pal
cite, full OF oil-colors, "like man."
so that her tendencies had, since her
residence in her uncle's house, been
literally starved. Here, at last, was
the much-longed-for opportunity, and
she rose with alacrity and followed
Medora dewn the stairs.
Mrs. Dallas and the Misses Dallas
were openly exultant when Rosabel
was gone.
$50 dispiriting to have her around
all the time, with her swollen eyelids
and pale facel" said Miss Augusta.
"And so shabby as she looked,
tooP' said Mrs. Dallas. "And how on
earth was 1 to provide her with q
wardrobe, when papa made such q
dreadful fuss over every dress that
came home from Madame Ficelle's for
my own girls?"
"Of all things, poor relations are
the most intolerable!" said Medora,
spitefully.
"But what are we to say if Mr..
Ballard asks after her?" blurted out
Bell, the most honest and least polite
of the family.
"Say? Why, the truth" declared
Medora. '"That she has left us!''
For the secret of Miss Medora Dal-
lass anxiety to get rid of her pale lit
tie cousin, whose mourning was so
distressingly becoming, was the fact
of Mr.. Hugh Ballard's admiration of
the white, stataesque face, the deep
larkspur-blue eyes, and the features
which We're as perfect as any cameo.
Miss Medora had marked Mr.. Ballard
for her own prey, and declared war
upon any unfortunate pretender who
| should come in her way.
"Perhaps," said Mrs. Dallas, hope
fully. "he'll never inquire about her
at ALL"
Don't you believe it," said Bell,
with . significant nod.