The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-01-03

curslons the chief ingredients were
trudging up hills up which she could
not otherwise force her bicycle, and
trndging down hills down which her
bicycle would otherwise force her. But
as long as a bicycle remains the most
modern development in the history of
individual locomotion, there is no
doubt that however billy the country,
Miss Jane will continue to employ it.
The disagreement between her and her
sister she did not regard as a reason for
its abandonment. She naturally sup
posed that il would pass, as other dis
agreements had passed, and to all ap-
pearances it did so. But the danger
of superficial judgment is proverbial,
and whether il was that Miss Maria 5
reflection on the occasions of the fortieth
birthday warmed her thatit was time
that she too took line, or whether the
bicycle was the last straw, which did
not break tue camel's back; but rather
led him to revolt against all the other
straws, it happened, at any rate, that
it gave Miss Martha an idea. Such
ideas had occurred to her before-fOr
she was romantically made--but as the
ory only, this one she should put into
practice.
The Misses Chermside were not letter
ridden folk, and the handwritings of
their few correspondents were reason
ably well known to each other. Con.
sequently, when on certain morning
three weeks after Miss Jane took TO her
bicycle, she saw on coming down to
breakfast letter laid at Miss Maria
plate, it was matter of course that she
glanced at the writing 10 see who the
author was. I'll 10th puzzled and piqued
her that she did not recognize it, and
the first ruminating sip of eoffeee did
not make matters clearer. To so sound
and practical brain this was very an
noying, and Maria, who was very late
that day-the ringlets had been exeep-
tiOnally tiresome-got but sour greet
ing.
"Good morning, Maria" said Miss
Jane, ''or, rather, good afternoon. You
may call this quarter past s, but it
isn't. There is letter for you; and
whom is it from ?''
Miss Maria took up the letter Ian
guidly and examined the address; then
/ che Iaf1 10 I,,vr. ~, kar ot,r,
Good morning, Jane" she said. "a
little butter, please"
Jane tapped There is no other word }
some butter on TO her outstretched
plate.
Whom is it from 81 she repeated.
al haven't read it yet" remarked
Miss Maria, just as if she did not know
the hands of all her correspondents,
but she cut the envelope with her kniIe
and took out the letter. Then she be-
came distracted a habit abhorrent to
her sister), and forgot to put sugar in
her coffee; she slipped it, and with an
absent hand scattered half the crystals
into her saucer.
Now, it was not Miss James habit to
ask twice, still less three times, so she
meIely emitted cultural interjection,
which would probably be written
"faugh," and went on with her break
fast in silence.
Later Miss Maria helped herself to
some marmalade, tethered rowing eye
and read the letter through again.
Then she thrust il hastily into her
pocket, and began to chatter with vi
vacious incoherence about snails, eicy-
cles, cold mutton and poetry. To Jane
this vivacity was a degree more con-
temptible than her distracted silence,
for her powerful mind had grasped the
fact that Maria's letter contained some
thing out of the common, and such
devices were fitfully transparent. How
ever, curiosity conquered pride, and
when they rose from the table Miss
Jane said a snappish grace and seized
the envelope which was lying on the
table. After examining it carefully.
she transferred a gorgon gaze to Maria.
II don't know, the hand" said this
remarkable woman.
II de-e say you don't, +" replied Maria
for the worm had turned.
Harmony being thus little Jared,
aad Miss Jane being possessed tor the
time being by that subjective phe-
nomenOn which, when it occurs in
children, is termed crossness, the two
parted AS soon as they left the dining
room. Miss Maria went straight TO
her room, and Miss Jane, having order
ed as ascetic dinner, marched with
more than usual energy out into the
garden, where she collected snails with
fanatic vindictiveness, sparing none,
and spudded up plantains with the
zeal of an Indian chief on a scalp
hunting expedition.
Now, Miss Maria's sympathies, as
has been remarked, were with the great
women of romance, and beneath her
ringlets, in spite of her forty years, lay
the shapes of surprising and marvel
oCsly colored idylls in no abstract
guise, but touching herself. Thin and
tawdry little day dreams would there
appear to the alien eye, and he who
should play hero to her heroine was
builded of the same stuff as herself.
He had grooming tenor voice (croon
was beautiful word and ryhmed OBJ
viousIy, an spollo curl to crown an in
teliectual forehead, he was slim and
dark and Italian looking, but she did
not think him insipid. They met for
the first time in the street, and eyes
flashed an answering fire. Miss Maria
$50 these dreams told her beat chaste-
retreat, and looked not back till she
could naturally do SO, as she opened
the front door of the red brick house,
yet, oh. what pleasing srcrifice was
this remuneration. Then, glancing
carelessiy over her shoulder, she saw
that the slim unknown had stoppe-
and was looking, gazing rather after
her. Next day, and the day after,
they would again encounter each other
ever with the same confusion and fiut-
tering of the heart. he sat opposite
her in the cathedral, and his grooming
tenor called echoes from the vaulted
roof and thrilled her through and