The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-12
SELECTED STORY.
Broken China.

"Of course they don't want me-" said
Rosabel Raymond, sadly. Nobody
seems to want me. No home seems tC
be open to me anywhere. 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. Evi.
IDENTITY am not cousin to be proud
be very differentl"
Poor little Rosabell The world looked
very dark to her as she sat on the win
dow-sill of the third-story back room
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 crowding spires
of the city.
How desperately she longed for the
snow-mantled fields, the black lea6ess
woods of the countryl She was so
bomesick, so solitary, so alonel
"Oh, Rosabel, are you here?"
1t was her Cousin Medora's soft,
sweet voice. She disliked Medora
more than either Augusta or Bell, al
though she could not tell why, and she
was vexed that Medora should see the
traces of tears on her eye lashes. But
Medora pretended not to notice them.
1--WE were thinking, mamma and l."
said Medora, "that you must be ter
ribly dull without anything to do, all
these dismal days"
"It is rather lonesome" sighed Rosa
bel, wondering at her Cousins unusual
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
exclaimed, in that silly impul-
sive way of mine. The very idea
for Rosabell' You see, Miss Armitage's
protege - Helen Hauvemonde - has
gone to Rome 10 prosecute her studies,
and there is vacancy. And the sal
airy would be something of an object,
of course, because"
"Of course it would be an object"
said Rosabel, quickly. "You do not
suppose that do not feel my depend
ence here7"
"And," added Medora, thinking it
best not to notice this outburst, "Miss
Armitage says you can obtain excel
lent board for four dollars week with
a widow lady near the Rooms, and
that you would save good deal of
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 Bosa-
bel Raymond loved, it was her pencil.
Water-colors were expensive, and
drawing-boards came dear, and Aunt
Alicia thought it very unfeminine for
a woman to set up an easel and pal
lette, full of oil-colors, "like man."
30 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 down 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 face" said Miss Augusta.
Sand 30 shabby as she looked tool"
said Mrs. Dallas. "And how on earth
was l to provide her with wardrobe,
when papa made such dreadful fuss
over ever dress that came home from
Madame Ficelle's for my own girls?"
"Of all things, poor relations are the
most intolerablel" said Medora, spite
fully.
"But what are we to say if Mr.. Bal
lard asks after her?" blurted out Bell
the most honest and least polite of the
family.
"Say9 Why, the truth" declared Me-
dora. "That she has left u.s."
For the secret of Miss Medora Dali
las anxiety to get rid of her pale little
cousin, whose mourning was 80 dis
tressingly becoming, was the fact Of
Mr.. Hugh Billiards. admiration of the
white, statutesque face, the deep larks-
pur blue eyes, and the features which
were as perfect as anv cameo. Miss