Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-10-10

with so much earnestness with Mr..
Morton. And as she looked she could
not help feeling of jealousy at the
thought of this proud, handsome girl
with her secure social position.
Mrs. Dillingham; was moving away.
Barbara suddenly reproached herself
with lack of courtesy.
81 want to thank you, Mrs. Dilling-
ham. | appreciate your-your-
treatment of me-"
you didn't expect it, eh? But Mrs.
Vane and / are eccentrics. You
won't find any others here. We eX-
haust the material. There's a good
deal of nonsense about money and
position. But family-that's another
thing. Princes have had to cook.
Look at King Alfred. And he made
bad job of it, too. I'm sure you do
better than he did. Don't forget
you're a Dillingham;" And she left
Barbara alone again.
In "a few minutes Mrs. Vane found
her.
"Are you enjoying it?" she asked.
eyes, I've had an interesting time
so far" Barbara answered, truth
fully.
81 just saw Mrs. Dillingham; talk
ing to you. What did she say?"
Barbara told her briefly.
"Umph! She's of good blood. We
don't agree in theology, but l like
her for her good sense in other
things. But, as she says, there are
not many others like us. Let me in
troduce Mr.. Somers, and Mss Wilkes,
and Mrs. Rowland. Excus. me. /
must go TO Mr.. Morton. l can't let
Miss Dillingham; monopolize him all
the evening"
The new group to which Barbara
had been introduced regarded her
variously. Mr.. Somers remarked that
it was a warm evening. Mrs. Row
land nodded and said nothing, and
presently turned to speak to some
one else. Miss Wilkes coldly stared
at Barbara, and in answer to Bar,
bara's remark about some feature of
the gathering she said: YES" and,
as a young man went by she turned
her back directly on Barbara and be-
gan chatting volubly to the young
man. Barbara remembered at that
instant that Miss Wilkes was one of
the young women Mrs. Ward had in
troduced her to the last Sunday
morning she was at church. The
Wilkes family sat directly in front of
the Wards.
There was no one left but Mr..
Somers; and he was saying, as Bar
bara recovered from Miss Wilkes di-
rect snubbing: ''Have you met that
Miss Clark that MYs. Vane has invited
here tonight? They say she's
mighty interesting girl and she
works uot, too. Some people think
Mrs. Vane carries things too far to
invite hired girls to her house. That's
one of the things that makes it in
teresting to come here. You never
know who's going to be here. Like
kind of a grab-bag, you know. Don't
know whether you're going to grab
bag of peanuts or a blank. Lots of
blanks In society, don't you think?"
81 don't know; / haven't been out
very much" replied Barbara, demure-
ly. She looked at Mr.. Somers with
interest. He was a tall young man in
look of good nature about him that
Barbara rather liked.
"Well, | should like to meet that
Miss Clark. She's probably more in
teresting than most of the society
girls. Do you know her? Do you see
her anywhere"
I'm Miss Clark" said Barbara, and
at the sudden look of surprise on Mr..
Somers' face she burst out laughing,
and he finally joined her feebly.
'The joke is on me, of course. But
I never heard your name. Why don't
people speak up when they introduce
folks on these occasions? 1t might
save trouble occasionally. Do you
recollect if L said anything in front
of your face that l might have said
behind your back?"
you said l was an interesting
girl" replied Barbara, still laughing
at Mr.. Somers, who mopped perspira-
tion plentifully.
"Well, you are; at least, so far"
said Mr.. Somers, looking at Barbara
doubtfully. He seemed embarrassed,
as if he did not know just what to
talk about; and Barbara, who was
perfectly self-possessed, helped him
out by asking him to tell her who
different people were.
Mr.. Somers, who evidently went
out a great deal, eagerly took advan-
tage of the opening to give Barbara
several biographical sketches.
':That old lady over there is Mrs.
Reed. She's the richest woman in
Crawford. That young man leaning
on the piano is Judge Wallace's son.
He's good-looking and knows it. That
little thin lady in the blue dress,
talking with Mrs. Dillingham;, is the
most interesting person in the house,
present company excepted. Her hus-
band lost every cent she had in the
topaz mines out in Arizona last year,
and shot himself at the bottom of
one of 'em. That's Morton, the new
preacher in Marble Square. They say
he can preach people out of the
soundest sleep known to the oldest
inhabitant in Crawford. He's gifted
and not bad-looking. We are said to