Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-08-15
Annie Laurie.
By Emma Howard Wight.

Academy, sweet Madge Wilmer, with
her piQuant face. great brown eyes. and
short dark curls running over her
small head. She had always been
spoilt. being the only child of rich
parents who idolized her. and the fiji
Teen years of her young life had glided
by without the faintest shadow ever
crossing them. Then at Broughtoa
Academy the girls all made a pet OF
her, so IL was not surprising that she
should be somewhat spoilt and wilful.
The Academy was very select and
expensive school in the outskirts OF
Chicago. and the scholars We're mostly
daughters of rich men.
One afternoon in early June. the
girls We're all out on the wide, smooth
playground. Some were swinging. 9TH
ers playing lawn tennis. others prom
enading, schoolgirl fashion. with their
arms about each others waists, while
the fresh. girlish voices rang out ming
led with peals OF merry laughter.
There was one girl, however. who
took no part in any of the anusements,
but sat alone on one of the rustic
benches. with book on her lap and
her eyes bent down upon
IL. She was a thin. pale-faced girl.
with far too weary and dissatisfied a
look for her fifteen years. The only
thing bright or pretty about her. for
she was dressed both STABILITY and
dinghy. was her hair of bright gold
.iaff ai iv,n braid
which fell below her waist. At little
distance was a group of girls of which
Madge Wilmer was the centre.
II cant bear that girl said Leila
Sumner. a supercilious blonde. with
cold look towards the quiet figure on
the bench: there is something SO
sneaky and sullen about her
Il don't like her. myself" answered
Madge, there Is certainly nothing at
tractive about her. but | don't think
she is exactly sneaky: she is of ner-
sous. sensitive temperament, and you
know she Is rather under q disadvant-
age here. Perhaps under more favor
able circumstances she would appear
10 better advantage"
What a little moraliZer IL is" said
Ada Waters, one of the older girls.
laughing and batting Madge's curly
head, while Leila Sumner spoke up
rather spitefully. You needn't take up
.or her SO, Madge. for she is running
you pretty hard for the vocal music
prize
Madge flushed and tossed her curly
lead.
let her. but she shan't beat me:
ny hearts set on winning the prize
and it will take something better than
that weak creature OF Loula Parks
TO carry il on from me-"
do you know what | heard the Pro-
lessor say TO Mrs. Broughton the 9TH
n day." interposed Ada Waters. Mrs.
Broughton, who wants Madge TO win
the prize. was asking professor what
be thought about il. Why Ma9ge will
carry II off. OF course. he replied. not
that she has finer voice than Lou!a
Parks. for she has not: the latter has
a voice which with proper cultivation
would make her ore OF the NEST fam
Nadge has the confidence aad self-pos-
session to do herself justice. which the
other girl unfortunately entirely lacks.
Those were his exact words. MadGe.
50 you see YOU are pretty certain 10
get the prize.
Il can't understand now her parents
can afford To send ne: here" said Leila
Sumner. 'for they are quite poor. and
there is a crowd of children besides
Loula."
1t is rich cid uncle who sends
her said another OF the girls. papa
knows him. ami he says he is very
rich. but as queer as he can he. and
something of a mise- He must be
frightfully mean or he would have Civ
en- the girl an outfit when he seEt her
here. and not let her be a disgr. ce TO
the school with her shabby Ct thes.
Papa says Mr. Parks will no, get cent
of his money when he dies f@- he
he's left it all TO build some kind OF Il
queer place, and he is q cray old
thing. believe But LOOK. girls. there
comes Mrs. Parks now TO pay Loula 4
visit"
They all turned; a stability dressed
woman. with 4 pale. tired face. was
crossing the playground. Loula ar2se,
went forward 10 meet her. and then
both turned and went towards the
house Some of the girls laughed. but
Madgc curled her lip as she looked al
ter the two shabby figures, the sun
light drawing CLEANS fro: the girl 5
golden hair as it fic.iered through the
trees. The words OF the professor We're
ranking in her mind. Madge was
very proud Of her voice. and although
she and Loula Parks we're acknowledg-
ed to have the finest voices in the
school, Madge had never for an In
slant supposed that her own was in
ferior TO Loula's. and the professor
words were a great blow To her pride
But she shan't have the prize. any
way" she thought with thrill OF tri-
umph.
A little later she had OCCASION to 20
into the house and to her room. As she
passed i.oula's room. the door OF which
was ajar. she involuntary paused at
the sound of low. bitter sobs.
flush. my darling" Mrs Parks was
saying. you may win it after all"
No. no. 1t is impossible. mamma
sobbed Loula. you cant understand
how ! feel with all those cold. scorn-
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