The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1902-04-04
"A HE is no daughter of mine;

What have done that such misfor-
tune should befall me-"
Thus lamented Mrs. Gainsborough
over her coffee one sunny winters
morning. to her husband Immersed in
the daily news.
"Eh. what's the matter now, Mollie?"
with easy good nature.
Laura was model" she sighed,
"she never gave HE II moment of un-
easiness from first to last. The belle
of her set, she married advantage
ously in her first season; and as for
Dorothy she could be led by Il silken
thread. But Theodore and she
threw up her hands in horror, as
though the subject beggared descrip-
ton.
Come, come, Molle''-he pleaded; ;
'let the child grow up in her own way;
they can't all he alike it stands to rea-
son. There was a good boy spoiled
the sunlight: it would be II sin and a
shame TO cut, prune and pare her down
into doll of fashion like the rest Of
them"
"Oh, you men in accents of pa
thos. What can you know of the
heart of mother, the awful RESPONSE
bility resting upon her shoulders; the
sacred charge entrusted to her hands.
All depends upon her coming out; by
that she stands or falls; the verdict is
final And when | think how i'll pre-
pared she Is for the occasion; how Will
ful, unframed aud careless of the con
sequences, | tremble for her future;
and, with an air Of tragedy she re-
turned to her breakfast with renewed
appetite.
| At that moment the door burst open,
and a young girl i'll rough skating cos
tune, with name of redgold hair like
shaggy pony, entered in whirlwind
| fashion, rosy, painting, radiant with
health, spirit and abundant vitality, IA
sight to make an old man young
Just In time for breakfast, and hun
CRY as hunter too, | promise you"
| in clear, ringing tones, and without
ceremony she seated herself at the ia
BILE.
skating at such an hour, Theodore y
protested her mother, in reproving
tones, when you should be abed get
ting your beauty sleep in preparation
for the great event before YOU
My beauty must care for itself"
was the careless retort. Must | cod
die myself all day because I'm to come
out tonight? Come out"'-in scornfuI
! tones. What does it mean, anyway,
daddy?" and she turned to her father
with look of hearty comradeship and
affection.
We'll, Teddy, with most of you it
means beaux and clothes, so far as |
understand 1t; vanity and vexation Of
spirit, and ultimately marriage, when
the right fellow comes along"
Then I'll have none of IT," and with
an air of decision she turned to her
breakfast with the ylgor of seventeen.
No mother hen was ever more dis
mayed at the duckling In her brood
than this punctilious leader of fashion
at the daughter now on her hands to
pilot through the shoals and quick
safely in the harbor of matrimony.
| Yet she was but frank, high-spirted
girl, who despised forms and conyen-
tions with all her heart; rebelled at
maternal counsel and discipline, turned
sentiment to ridicule with the careless
/ of Int oh
proved a pretty handful to the proud
scheming mother whose aspirations
scared high in the matrimonial line; a
| knotty problem to solve, which would
tax her wits. temper and endurance
beyond their limit
| Yet her debut promised well, and
maternal criticism could find no flaw
in the radiant vision presented to her
view in all the costly simplicity of a
Worth gown, imported to grace the oc-
casion. She had never realized her
loveliness before; the piquant charm Of
Titan coloring and laughing dark eyes.
the sylph-like grace of her buoyant
figure. the childllke ease of her bear
Ing, which sustained her well through
out the trying ordeal.
/ And Teddy-though she might rebel
IN advance Mt maternal authority, was
she proof against the pleasure of the
! moment? the dangerous knowledge of
her own beauty borne in upon her for
the first time, the incense of masculine
homage, the gay inspiriting music, the
novel charm of the occasion?
Though Mrs. Gainsborough trembled
for her perilous frankness. originality
and possible gaucheries, it might be
that an odd bizarre character, such
as this would go down, in social par
lance. even create sensation, for a
time. Beyond this she dared not look
or scheme; one hint of matrimonial in
tentions, such as she cherished, would
rouse the widest antagonism, cause
the downfall of her fairest hopes and
dreams.
So the season sped on, and the girl
was caught In the current of events