The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1903-10-15
Lucy Wards Secret.
By Helen Forrest Graves.

Marcia McGregor.
4 aso do L. said Priscilla Epping,
n ,put dear me, what's the use OF talk
,nvq Men always have been captured
Nv pretty face from the very begin
ming Of the world, and they always will
II be-
awhat a consolation It must be to
Won. Miss Prissy," demurely interposed
rosuish little cherry-cheeked Barbara
ingalls,. that you never captured any
"A o. the menl'
at is, indeed" said Miss Priscilla,
sharply. "But never saw much to ad-
mIre in Lucy Wards olive face and
great black eyes,
"she is talented, too" added Miss
McGregor; speaks French, and plays
N the guitar. | should think IL deal
more sensible IL she understood plain
WI sewing and knew how TO cook a meal
And / wonder Walter Marsden's
mother and sister hadn't warned him
4. against so much mere outside show"
dHes poor, too" struck in Mrs.
Jones. Nothing but his salary from
4 the bank, and that isn't much"
aAnd she has only FIVE hundred dol
'W lars of her own" said Miss Epping.
swell, we all know the old proverb,
When poverty comes In at the door,
love flies out of the window
All this time Miss Meg Jamison had
sat in the corner of the Sewing So
ciety' room, stitching diligently away
with her lips compressed, and a world
M Of unspoken meaning in her face. Bar
bara Ingalls, watched her with spark
ling, amused smile.
DO speak out, Miss Meg" she said,
at last "or you certainly will have
spontaneous combustion or something
equally terrible! What do YOU know
lhat nobody else does?"
'Tye got a sister that lives across
the street from the house where Lucy
M Ward boards" said Miss Jamison,
mysteriously. lowering her voice.
DO tell" chorused the maids and
matrons
"And there amt no shades to
the windows, nothing but Venetian
blinds" went on Miss Meg, "and every
week Lucy Ward writes long letters,
Interesting ones they must be, too,
Mary Ann says by the way her face
vs. lights up while she writes. And she'll
get up and walk about the room, and
m press her hand over her forehead, as
Il she was a-pickin' and a-choosin' the
sweetest words. And those letters,
mind you, is for a mani -....-.,--.......
A. l@wsx al
shrleked Helena Travers, who had had
hopes" Of Walter Marsden herself,
once before pretty Lucy Wards star
crossed the orbit OF her ambitions
Because once picked up bit OF
torn envelope in her room when
was in there fitting dress for her
and there was tEsq.' on it," ~
"And does Mr- Marsdenl know ofthif
correspondence?" breathiessly de
handed Helena.
You may rest assured he DOESN'T
nodded Miss Meg. "Ah, she's q sly
puss that Lucy Ward, with all hel
soft looks and her low voice, and hel
appealing ways that the poor, deludet
men think are so pretty"
Didn't always shy sof'' criet
Helena triumphantly. Haven't | al
ways declared from the first that mis-
trusted that girl? Keziah Lanai, tina
usedto be music teacher in the semin
airy before Miss Ward came. was I
mature reliable woman who wore golt
spectacles and walked with crutch
aqd how the trustees ever came Y
appoint this iyawag girl Of nineteep
don't hnow!P "a Eaf4
N think some one ought to let Wa
.e1 Marsden knowlT announced Mis-
Epping, soiemnly. NJ Z
y think everybody would a grea
ueal better mind their own business
u41arded Barbara ingalls,, who, bein
sypng and pretty herself, made con
won cause with the aspersed Luc
Mard- But nobody paid any after
uon to this remark.
M ill gve Mrs. Marsden a hint
solrnteered Helena Travers, with tn
'mclous malice OF disappointed rlva
y word.
W IN news Is pToYerbialiy rapid In 4
rpphlL and one evening, when wa
VT Marsden came homo from the ban
y found hls mother with gray
Y wv neee flowers In water for 10
sid Walter with the are
He 'mperiousness 81 an only 90