The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-02-17
SIBIL LOVIBOND.

Sibil Lovbond stood before the long
mirror in the drawing room and pressed
hand on either rounded hip, with anil a-
bituul gesture designed less to smooth away
the wrinkles in her faultless gray cloth
gown than to express a satisfaction i'll
perfect fit that left no wrinkles to be
smu0thed. Sho was tall and blond and
delicatcly modelled and slim, and the hands
were very slender and fine and white, ard
her eyes were full of grave sweetness and
purity and innocent as twin blue flowers.
Three years before, when Cecil LOW
bond died, it had been to Sibil, his daugh-
ter self evident that the Lovibond estate
belonged in part to Berthe, her brother,
and in part to herself, and she had felt
that present possession of their respective
shares might in a measure console them
for their fathers decease. To Mrs. LOW
bond, Sibilis mamma, upon whom the
whole estate had been settled by will, that
point of view seemed not to have occurred
and not to BIO likely to occur, and after
much hesitation and patience Sibil had
determined at last to come to her man.
mas assistance and at the moment was
reporting to Berthe, who shared her ideas,
so far at least as they promised to benefit
himself, the somewhat indecorous inter
view which hadfl>een the result.
"Of COURSE Sibil said in conclusion,
speaking always without rancor, in her
silver tones, "she was in a passion. She
may mt any moment in an access of caprice
disinherit one or both of us. 1t might
have been you that at least managed tho
estate if papa had not known always that
you are not wise. "
Berthe Lovibond sat cheval on frag
lie chair behind his fair sister, looking
up at her and at her image i'll the glass,
and it was quito true that there was moth
ing in his pink face and slow gray eyes to
suggest that apart from a certain skill at
polo and at billiards he possessed the
wrath of an idea beyond those which
Sibil impaired to him. Naturally were
all of us out of our wits except you" he
rctorted without resentment Che had never
been allowed to cherish an illusion in re
gard to his abilities) and went away to
his club, leaving Sibil to reflect upon
what right things he sometimes said when
he did not mean them.
She thought with kind Of impetuous
rage as she stood looking after him on the
chance she might have had if she were
man-on the one hundred and one ways
of independence and distinction that to
her at least would have stood open. She
thought with n rage quito impetuous that
MS a girl she could count on nothing OK
cept on inheritance and marriage, and
that the inheritance might well come too
late, or come diminished by mismanage-
ment, or como not at all, and that upon
the amount of the inheritance tho quality
of tho marriage was dependent. Sno
thought finally that reflection of such
lucidity and force as that is bad for tho
complexion and for the modelling of the
face about the lips and eyes, but moro
temporarily behind the mask Of her un-
troubled, fresh, pure face she pursued2ter
many minutes her line of meditation. She
had pursued it many times before.
Later in tho morning Mrs. Lovibond
was occupied with visitor when Sibil,
daintily bonneted and gloved, swept into
| the room and rustled affectionately about
her mamma, to whom she was in public
entirely devoted, and asked how long she
| might keep the carriage, and what COM
missions she might execute, and whether
she might not TIC kissed goodby.
Mrs. LoyibonG was tall, like her daugh-
ter, and slim, and her hair, once blond,
like her daughters, was gray, and her face
| was gray and full of the fine lines and
distinction that cor!e of a thousand OK
| quisite scruples for half century con-
| stantly possessed. Mrs. Lovibond had
| been the cause all her life of other peoples
| telling in her lehalf, to spare her scrsi-
! hiIs..iss. cn..-tlcss ihs. but shn'h"d ror""