The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-09-10
Annie Laurie.
By Emma Howard Wight.

! parents who idoliZed her, ana lue III
teen years of her young life had gldea
by without the faintest shadow ever
| crossing them. Then at Broughtoh
| Academy the girls all made a pet OF
her, so it was not surprising that sne
should be somewhat spoilt a-d Wlltul.
The Academy was very select ana
expensive school in the outsklr's oA
Chicago, and the scholars were mostly
daughters of rich men. =
| One afternoon in early June, the
girls were all out on the wide, smoo'n
| playground. Some were swinging, oln-
ers playing lawn tennis, others prom
enading, schoolgirl fashion, with their
arms about each others waists, "hlle
! the fresh, girlish voices rang out mlns-
led with peals of merry laughter.
There was one girl, however, VINO
! took no part in any of the amusemenIs'
but sat alone on one Of the rustic
benches, with book on her lap anu
her eyes bent down upon
it. She was a thin, pale-faced GIRL
with far too weary and dissatlsheo a
look for her fifteen years. The only
thing bright or pretty about her, ior
she was dressed both shabbily ana
dinghy, was her hair of bright gold
en- hue, and plated in one thick bralo
which fell below her waist. At little
distance was group Of girls OF which
Madee Wilmer was the centre.
"I can't bear that girl" said Lella
Sumner, surercilious blonde, with a
cold look towards the quiet figure on
the bench; there is something so
sneaky and sullen about her.
II don't like her, myself answered
Madge, there is certainly nothing at
tractive about her, but l don't thlnk
she is exactly sneaky; she is OF ner-
vous, sensitive temperament, and you
know she is rather undersa disadTant'- ant
age here. Perhaps under more favor
able circumstances She would appear
to better advantage. &C -
What a little moralizersit ISL said
Ada Waters one efsthe.older girls,
laughing and patting Madge's curly
head, while Leila Sumner spoke up
rather spitefully, You needn't take up
for her so, Madge, for she is running
you pretty hard for the vocal music
prize"
Madge flushed and tossed her curly
head. ...
LET her, but she shan't beat me;
my hearts set on winning the prize
and it will take something better than
that weak creature Of Loula Parks
to carry it off from me-" -
sDo YOU know what heard the Pro-
fessor say to Mrs. Broughton the 9TH
er day." interposed Ada Waters. Mrs.
Breughton, who wants Madge to win
the prize, was asking professor what
he Thought about it. Why Madge Will
carry it off, of course he replied, not
that she has finer voice than Loula
Parks, for she has not; the latter has
a voice which with proper cultivation
would make her one of the most fam
GUS singers of the day, but because
Madge has the confidence and self-pos-
session to do herself justice, which the
other girl unfortunately entirely lacks.
Those were his exact words, Madge,
so you see you are pretty certain to
getSthe prize"
"I can't understand how her parents
can afford to send her here" said Leila
Sumner, s'for they are quite poor, and
there is a crowd of children besides
Ioula."
"It is a rich old uncle who sends
ber,," said another of the girls, papa
knows him, and he says he is very
rich, but :as queer as he can be, and
something of miser. He must be
frightfully mean or he would have CIV
enthe girl an outfit when he sent her
here, and not let her be disgrace to
the school with her shabby clothes.
Para says Mr.. Parks will not get cent
ofShis money when he dies. for he
has left it all to build some kind of a
queer place, and he is a crazy old
thing, l believe. But look, girls, there
comes Mrs. Parks now to pay Loula
visit"
EssThey all turned; a shabbily dressed
woman, with pale, tired face, was
crossing the playground. Loula arose,
went forward to meet her, and then
both turned and went towards the
house. Some Of the girls laughed, but
Madge curled her lip as she looked af-
ter the two shabby figures, the sun
light drawing CLEANS from the girls
golden hair as it flickered through the
trees. The words of the professor were
ranking in her mind. Madge was
very proud of her voice, and although
she and Loula Parks we're acknowledge
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 professors
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 go
into the house and to her room. AS she
passed 1IOuld ) rOOlu, lue uOOI Ol WHICH
was ajar, she involuntary paused at
the sound of low, bitter sobs.
Hush, my darling" Mrs. Parks was
saying, you may win it after ALL"
mo, no, it is impossible, mamma"
sobbed Loula, "you can't understand
how l feel with all those cold, scorn-
full unfriendly eyes fixed upon me.
None of the girls like me; have not
single friend among them all; and
can't have any confidence in myself. 1t
is so different with Madge Wilmer;
they all love her, and are ready to
think the best of everything she does.
Oh, mamma, how can l give up the
hope of my life? feel that it is in
me to become a great singer, and
could make money so that you and
papa would not have to struggle SO
hard. Do you think, mamma, that I'm
Gle John will really do as he threatens
if fail to win the prize"
81 know that he will, dear" the
mother answered Sadly "YOu see he