Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-06-27

y erence whatever : to to
the others. For the world is not al.
together stocked with Venuses and
Hebes, whatever the romance writers
would like to make US believe, and
there is no reason why plain female
cannot be heroine in spite of her
looks.
But we have not mentioned the most
important fact of all. Miss Dubarle
had forty thousand dollars of her own.
And that was, without doubt, the
reason that her relatives sent her pres
sing invitations to ''come and visit
them," and dispatched cases of wine
and hampers of game and boxes of
new books down to Dubarle Farm; and
little girls worked hideous pincushions
and tides to decorate her rooms; and
young men wrote acrostics for her
birthday, and everybody listened
politely to her speeches, however pro-
lix they might be. For rich old
maid is worth cultivating, and it
wasn't at all likely now that Miss Du-
barle would ever marry.
1t was a bleak afternoon. the red
and brown leaves whirling round and
round in the blast, and the great wood
fire upon the hearth, sending, every
now and then, spiteful little gushes OF
smoke into the room where Miss Du-
barle and her second cousin and com
panion, Janet Heath, sat together,
working crochet roses for counter
pane.
Janet" said Miss Dubarle politely,
"you're foolr'
Janet looked up with flush of color
on her pale, pretty cheek. She was
not at all unaccustomed to these little
complimentary remarks on the part of
Miss Dubarle.
'Be a sensible girl" added the ell
der female. "Give him up, and I'll
buy you blue-silk dress and black
lace shawl"
'But l love him, Miss Dubarle."
ooh, psha-a-aw!" grimaced the
spinster. Love, indeed! 1 never
was in love!"
"And, )" added Janet, growing more
rosy than ever, as she stopped to pick
up her ivory needle, she says he
would be miserable without me.
Don't, please, be angry, Miss Du-
barle; but indeed, indeed, 1 must
marry him."
Miss Dubarle jumped up so sudden
ly that the doing blackbird in it.
cage uttered shrill note of conster-
nation.
Very WE'LL" she said-"very we'll,
Janet Heath. Pack your trunk as
soon as you please. l can dispense
with your services at once. And pack
mine first, if you please, Janet Heath. "
= "You are not going away, Miss Du-
barle?" queried poor Janet, in con-
sternation.
I'm going to visit my relatives"
said Miss sDubarle, with pursed-up
lips. And then little Janet knew that
her own fate, as far as any worldly
advantages to be derived from her
kinship to the heiress, was sealed.
"Put in the black silk gown, Janet"
said Miss Dubarle, in a tone as lugu-
brious as if shewe giving orders
for her own funeral. "Of all sins,
regard ingratitude as the basest-
and the China Grape scarf-to think
that 1 have nursed a viper to turn
and sting me at lastl And don't for
get my easy slippers-though I don't
know either why my corns should be
entitled TO any more consideration
than my poor bruised heart"
And then, as Janet Heath began to
cry, Miss Dubarle marched out of
the I, ON.
"I never could endure the vapors,"
said Miss Dubarle. "Ill go to my
niece Maria, or maybe I'll make Her
bert Smythe a little bit of a visit;
he's always saying how delighted he
would be to entertain me in his
bachelor quarters. They both love
me, although l haven't done half for
them that 1 have for this little SER
pent's tooth of Janet. / dare say
she expects to be my heiress, but
she'll find out her mistake, I guess"
And Miss Dubarle, who allowed no
suns to go down upon her wrath, took
the first train for New York, and slept
that night in the fifth story OF a mar
ble-fronted hotel.
81 didn't think I should miss that
child Janet so much" she said, rather
dolefully, to herself, the next morn
ing, as she tried to comb out her
tangled "back-hair," and nearly
strangled herself trying to button up
her own boots-'but | don't care! 1
won't give up to her Iove-sick whims,
and | will go to see Maria Brooks and
Herbert Smythe. Maria's little girl
wrote me beautiful letter last month.