Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-02-27

mas?"
That is how /, too thoughtful to-
| day. How she receives letters, dispatch
es. What do l know, my dear? She is
a sweet girl, YOU think so, Ell? And so
good to me always. Ask Matilde about
her"
l went and asked Mrs. Alfred for cof-
fee and explanations. She said, "Oh,
| don't know, Mr.. Barker No sugar? /
| forgot. Here comes Mrs. Tivvers. That's
a blessing, anyway. Don't ask her why
she's going. Perhaps they won't all run
away now | must say, she is just too
| brave
And then Mrs Alfred wcnt to receive
Mrs. Tivvers. while l drank my coffee
and composed neat theory that Miss
Carroll had simply refused Eugene Ian
| don
There were about twenty people in
the room at the time. Fewer than usu-
al at Mrs. Alfred's Wednesday after
moons. None of those twenty have ever
forgotten what they saw, and many
more in our city know by hearsay what
happened.
Mrs. Tivvers brought with her her ha-
bitual subdued and apologetic air, and
she was besides more than usually dis
trait Madame was gayly begging her
to do something to lift the gloom Mad
anne evidently did not then, at least, re-
gard Mrs. Tivyers' peculiar gift other
wise than as a resource to mitigate the
sadness of American life in general, and,
in particular Of this gene tea party.
Mrs Alfred took a hardly less f1ippant
view. | had seen more of Mrs. Tivvers
than either Mrs. Alfred or madame had
Not far from the tea table stood Miss
Carroll herself. As watched her. I re-
called her friends mysterious encomium
of her nerve, for only by careful OBJ
servation could one see that she was
not the happiest and least concerned
person in the room,
You are the most fiattering people
have ever been with, I heard her say
1T is enough to make me dizzy, the way
you have all gone on about my leaving
There are scores of girls like me in
Chicago. Oh, yes, we do everythinf
there on a large scale-two feet to the
mile, if you like-'All of which, anG
the laugh that came with it, l thought
, sounded feverish and unlike her charac
teristic self-restrained mood. She wa.
talking to Jenny Barrett, one of oul
! latest debutantes. and half-a-dozen Other
very young people.
, Mrs. Alfred, bringing Mrs. Tivvers
} broke through the little circle about hel
: visitor.
: You must meet Mrs. Tivvers, DEAR
said Mrs. Alfred. you've heard mi
| speak Ol NST 50 OlleH.
Miss Carroll smiled sweetIy, il witt
some faint trace of amusement al
though not taking seriously what sh,
had heard spoken of Mrs. Tivvers. Mrs
| | Tivvers advanced with a commonplace
: about being glad to meet Miss Carroll
2 Then the widow went on, "They tell M
/ you are going to-" and Suddenl.
!, halted as if forgetting what she had in
tended to say-then again, going to-
2 leave us-very soon.'' She seemed t
! be looking at some one standing behin
/ the strangers left shoulder, in fact, in
: side the fender If there mad been
t mirror over that mantel she might haV
i been staring at a reflection, but ther
e was no mirror. Miss Carrolls face too
on that polite smile Of passive eXpec
l fancy which which it is proper to re
e ceive the opening of an amateur per
2 formance. The group that had at frs
t fallen back to make way for the last ar
: rival, now began to gather and watch
There was going to be some fun afte
= all.
| Excuse. me-, said Mrs. Tivvers, nov
speaking hurriedly. 81 get these thingi
so mixed, you know. Quite constitu
, tional infirmity, and it gets worse as
grow older I seem to know that young
u gentleman's face All, mo- Now l i'm
derstand. Some dear friend of yours
perhaps The smile had quite faded
from Miss Carrolls face. Mrs Tivvers
kept looking steadily over the younger
woman's shoulder and spoke with 9
touch of sadness. "Pale-they gene
/ rally are. Yes, my dear Miss Carroll, he
is trying to attract your attention. His