Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-02-28

mo, your lordship; but l under
stood this lady needed my assistance"
Il shall be glad said the young
husband, with some dignity, If you
will help my wife, Lady RIVERS. until
her own maid arrives"
The most beautiful creature | have
seen in my life!' was the woman's
mental comment. she is fairer than
the Countess.
Il will do what | a for her lady
ship" she said, advancing into the
room.
Violet would have given much to
have beaten a retreat. She was ia,
more alarmed at the lady's-maid than
she had been at her mistress.
Lord RIVERS said a few hasty words
of farewell.
You will tell me how you like them
all afterward," he said, in a low voice,
Il must go down now"
'Oh, Randolph, take that horrible.
looking woman away with you
whispered Violet. She is worse than
any of them"
"She is a necessity, my dear" he
answered.
With an anxious eye Lady RIVERS
watched her husbands ~retreating
figure.
What can | do for you, my lady?
Fisher asked, approaching and cour
tesying, but there vas a tinge Of In
science in her manner.
II do not know" said Violet. q
have eve had a maid of my own.
Do for me what every other lady's.
maid does for her mistress"
There was no resisting this; the
simple quiet dignity of the answer
awed the maid.
Shall brush your hair first, my
LADY," she asked, ore respectfully.
IF you please" said Violet.
And in a few minutes more the maid
held the golden waves of hair in her
hands, admiring the length and sheen.
II have not seen such hair as this,
my lady," she said. since the time
left the Duchess of Hethel ly. She
had just the same, but her face did not
correspond with it. 1t was all freck-
led and brown, the queerest com
plexion any lady ever had"
Violet made no remark. She was
determined not to encourage gossip,
yet just at present she could not sum
mon courage to bid the woman to be
silent.
1T took me nearly an hour every
day to paint the Duchess face. She
was kind enough to say that | had an
artistic touch. She was very difficult
20 please: she liked her face to vary
every day"
Fisher frowned when she say how
coldly her gossip was received.
Il vas sorry to leave the Duchess
she continued. but she was very
cross and 'uppish' with me one morn
ing when | was painting her face,
She said something to nae, and | told
her if she repeated it, | would leave
at a moments notice. She did re-
peat it, and | left her Immediately.
with half her face painted. She could
not find any one to paint the other
half; no one could match it. She sent
to offer me anything in the world if
would go back TO finish it,"
Il think that was a very i~ll-natured
trick" said Violet.
And from that moment Fisher was
the most bitter enemy Violet had in
the house. Yet the woman was an
artist in her way, and she could not
resist the temptation of performing
her task to the best of her ability.
Then Lord RIVERS came for mis-
wife.
Have | pleased you?' she asked,
her beautiful eyes AL alight.
you have indeed" he said. Il
am proud Of you, my lovely wife!"
He took her hand, and led her to
the d-rawing-room. In one sense he
was leading her to the great social
battlefield for here her new life began,
and the first wound from the thorns
in her orange-blossoms was to be
given to her hat night.-a wound that
would quite heal.