The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-03-19
HER EASTER BONNET.

Easter, Kill ; you ought to have more
sense than To ask me at such q time
for few paltry cents / happened to
borrow Of YOU"
ut was thirty dollars-.all I had /;
and I have needed 1t very much,
Horatia, for the last seven or eight
weeks" said Rilla-s charming young
creature, Seventeen and stately"
with limpid gray eyes and delicately
fair face framed In shining masses OF
silky yellow hair.
She spoke gently; but the truth Is
not always agreeable to q person who
has done something wrong or unkiDd.
And 20 be thus reminded Ofa neglect
ed Indebtedness aroused Horatia Daryl
to instant and unreasonable anger.
"You are very impertinent, Rill."
she exclaimed Grossly. "And I won
der at your presumption in speaking
OF the money after all we have done
for you"
"Oh-ohw cried Rilla, too sur
prised and hurt to say any more.
I'VE took you into the house as q
charity" Horstia asserted stormily.
1--WE have fed you, and sheltered you,
and treated you rs one Of Us, and II l
Kept the money altogether, it would
only be about fair"
Rilla might have retOrted that she
servants since she had been an inmate
of The household, and they had offered
her neither thanks nor wages for her
unceasing labor, aud that It was her
relatives instead Of herself who were
guilty Of presumption.
"But she did not say 1t, not for lack
Of courage, but because she consider ed
a wrangle to be degrading.
But her ingenious young face show
ed something Of her thoughts as she
turned suddenly away and her quiet
dignity only enraged the other the
more.
Stay where you are" Miss Daryl
ordered sharply, as she fixed her gor-
gonlike stare upon the unoffending
girl. II want you to rip the lace bre.
telles from my purple velvet dress and
transfer them TO the green motre"
Rilla seated herself resignedly ut the
work table. and drew out her needle
case and little gold-thimble from the
pretty pocket of her dainty apron.
81 am myself wanted ut the church.
NV taste in the floral decorations IL
al ways Indispensable" Horatia said,
with an altered and cOndescanding
air.
Rilla made no response. That sud-
den change from the sneeriDg TO the
patronizing repelled her.
"And afterwards" Miss Daryl
continued, without apparent irritation
ut the youg girls silence-''and after.
wards / must call at Madame TOque's
parlors and order little change In my
Easter bonnet; I will have green tips
instead OF the humming bird. Cleve
Randolph thinks the fashion of wear
birds for ornaments 10 cruel and silly"
The gown of petuna purple velvet
slipped suddenly from Rilla's delicate
fingers, aud her scissors droped clink-
ing upon the polished cherry Of the
workable.
"Who-who thinks 30 ?" she falter.
ed. with q doubt that she had heard
Alright.
"How ill.bred you are Rtll, not to
attend to what one is saying" the
young lady remarked, with an air OF Q
benignant information.
~ spoke of Cleve Rsndolph-he has
been absent for nearly two years, travel
lug; and he has returned to me at last
the dear fellow! He has always
been 80 fond of me, that I wish To de-
fer to his taste even In triflea, and
even though he has some dreadful
queer whims about things"
Her last words were wasted on
empty air. .
RilIy's charming little head had
dropped low on her breast. and the
pretty hands had dropped limpid on
either side.
She had swooned away as quietly
as dove sinks to earth with broken
wing.
Her faint was only of q moments
duration she recovered almost before
the other had perceived il.
But from her milk. white throat to
the soft rings of yellow hair about her
brow, her lovely face was colorless ~
the drifting snow.
And from under the long fringe OF
dark lashes, her big gray eyes look ell
pathelically startled.
"Goodness, Kill, what OH earth ails
YOU? You don't mean to pretend
being III Just because you are expected
to do bit of work I hope ?' Horatia
demanded sharply. with q frown OF
nascent suspicion.
Rilla hardly saw the frown and
scarcely heard the sharp insolent
speech, nor did she attempt to utter
syllable.
But she breathed q long quivering
sigh of relief n her tOrmentor, with u
glance OF the little onyx clock on the
mantel, turned hastily and walked
out Of the room.
Thus left alone, the young girl look
ed very ferlorn in the large bare sew
ing-room, a. she sat there with her
head bent low over her task, and the
low tears dropping one by one over
her pale cheeks.
But she was soon master Il her
emotion it was not until her task
was finished, and until she was safe
In the seclusion Of her own poor little
chamber, that the power OF repression
failed her. and the pent up flood burst
forth beyond control.
He Is here-my priuce-my llfe's
dear lord! Has he forgotten Or
does he remember still ? Alas! for
the happy days which have passed
away everm0re! !" she murmured
brokenly, with her iair head bowed
upon the shabby little bed, beside
which she had thrown herself Oh her
knees.
The long months seem to roll back
ward, and she was again the simple
child whose sleeping heart had just