The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1902-03-15
THE HEART OF A GIRL.
By Frances Wilson.


WV
you know the type-and that she was
earnest and Enthusiastically so-and
a -worshipper to her finger tips!"
Sanford nodded his head understand
ingly.
she was triae too much upon the
Sweet Alice STYLE" Miss Wentworth
resumed candidly, 'and yet with all
her absurdlties, i myself was rather
fond of her. OF course you have
guessed before this that there came a
mani" Her voice dropped into q tragic
whisper. linen she burst into a merry
laugh. in which her companion Joined
somewhat consciously
"Melninks the air grows icy! feel
the approach of the villain of the
story!" he announced.
mot at ALL" protested Miss Went
worth In an injured tone. HE was
simply a nice, agreeable man of the
world--such as one meets often enough
to make life pleasure. He was many
years her senior, and the girl mistook
him for god"
She looked at he, companion with in.
nocent eyes, but the wicked little
CLEAN that lay back in them did not
escape him.
did the man do anything to give
rise to such a-er-delusion?
There was an unmistakable challenge
in the inquiry.
mo questions allowed" came the
bathing answer. you must let me tell
my story in my own way. To pro-
ceed."
"A girl of this stamp is likely to
idealize good deal, and you would
have been-yes, you would have been
highly edited could you have heard
some Of this ones rhapsodies. A head
SO NOBLE she would say exultingly to
herself. was never seen BEFORE and
Were ever eyes so splendidly COM
mending?" Silly, wasn't It? But 1t
was the outcome of her conviction that
a god among men had deigned to hold
out his hand to her. And when he
opened his lips!"
Miss Wentworth paused with a rapt,
listening look upon her face which
convulsed her nearer. who laughed
rather foolishly.
"Of course the man read the secret OF
the girls heart, and her native worship
amused and flattered him. So he de-
voted a good many of his spare mo-
ments to deepening the impression he
had made and the girl used to listen
breathlessly.
Their eyes met, Miss Wentworth's
trimming with mirth. while Sanford
felt that.he was guilty of grin. Then
she shook her head at him and con-
tinued with severity:
"As was about to remark, the girl
listened to the pearls of wisdom which
dropped from ,ne mans lips and be-
lieved in them as she did in holy
things. and her foolish heart was
thrilled by the Joy of the love which
she thought was hers. Certainly the
man, in high-handed. negligent sort
OF way uld manage to give her some
such impression. How she pitied less
fortunate girls, and how full of plans
she was to make herself worthy OF
him.
A reminiscent smile lowered about
Miss Wentworth's lips. and she looked
off across the lawn as II she had for
gotten her companion.
"Girls are not usually $3.50 impress
sionable," he hazarded in a defensive
manner.
-Ais one was" she responded sue
cinctly.
Experienced people like you and
me-" she went on, continuing her story
once more, ''can see that there was
trouble brewing for the girl. She never
expected it, and it came like thun-
derbolt from clear sky. won't &c
into details. He had wearied of his
p'ay.hing Then, there was a lady
with fair hair and the eyes of saint
and what was girls heart that il
should stand in the way of a mans
fancy"
Miss Wentworth's small head rested
against the tips of her fingers, and hel
great eyes looked calmly into San.
ford's as she asked this question with
the impartial air of one who seeks
abstract truth.
He shook his head.
1.-THE girl was NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
fed; for in the innocence of her heart
she thought that she had made a ter
.ible. immodest mistake. and that hi
never had made love to her-really
Her face used TO burn at the thought
and she would have given her head
for chance to convince him that she
too, had only been amusing herself
She was wounded in her pride and ir
her heart alilie-and the nights were
Dreadful" She finished incoherently
81 see the moral looming up In tn,
distance" murmured her hearer plant
lively. 1T casts a long shadow ant
the tip of it points to met"
But it's only a fairy tale, YOU
know" she said with shrug, and ther
continued:
1.-THE girls family went abroad. ant
she was dragged from London to Pari!
and from Paris to Rome; but her stub
born fancy chung to the man and re
fused to let go She looked upon tn.
sunlit sea at Cannes. and thought o
him. and stared at the midnight sun
and thought OF him, There was neve
a moment when she would not hav'
jumped at a chance to return to tina
pokey, little western city. U. s. A.
just because he was there. What dit
she care about the giories Of TIL
world?"
"She used to awaken in the morn
ing wondering how she would ge
through the day and longing for night
For. though she was wretched, she wa
young and strong, and so she slept ant