The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-01-29
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THE BEAUTIFUL {
MISS MERRIAM )
BY HARRIET LUMMrs

Copyright, 1908, by II. G. Mcclure
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

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With Miss Merriam the incredible
had happened. She was tired Of hear.
ing that, she w9s beautiful. From her
earliest recollections strangers had ex-
claimed over her pretty face, and her
lovers one after another had hung the
variations on the same theme. Miss
Merriam listened politely and found
herself extremely bored
ITO be loved for your face is like
being loved for your fortune" Miss
Merriam confided to her Journal,
Beauty has wings just as truly as
riches. If man falls in love with
your complexion what is he going to
dc When you come down with the
smallpox? If were a pretty fool I
might be perfectly satisfied with things
as they are, but know I'm worth low
ing for myself-if only they had the
sense to find 1t out.''
Unfortunately for themselves Miss
Merriam's adorers never suspected her
peculiar views. If there had been one
Of their number shrewd enough to COM
pliment her intellect instead of her
dimples and to have talked about her
sparkling wit rather than her spar
king eyes he would have found the
short cut to her heart. As it was,
they were unanimous in deciding that
= the aforementioned article had been
omitted from her composition. And
Miss Merriam expressed her displeas-
ure in the following paragraph in her
journal: Beauty, beauty, beauty! How
tiresome 1t all is! / wish I might
never hear was beautiful again."
Rash prayers sometimes bring un-
welcome answers. Not very many
days later the city was electrified by
the news that Miss Merriam had been
thrown from her automobile at q well
known watering place and seriously in
jured. Pictures of the beauty appear
ed In all the leading newspapers Of
the country, with reference to her pos
sible Disagreement. Miss Merriam's
relatives, when appealed to on this i'm
portant point, refused to say anything
to. relieve the suspense or to satisfy the
popular curiosity. And the eXplana-
ton of their reticence was apparent
when Miss Merriam made her appear
III II.
Across the faultless curve Of the girls
cheek ran an unsightly scar. scar so
aggressively prominent that it held the
attention of. the observer and made
him forgetful of all else. 1t seemed
likely that Miss Merriam was to have
her hearts desire and never again be
forced to hear that she was beautiful.
Lloyd Hollister saw her for the first
time at one Of the opening functions OF
the season, few days after his re-
turn from abroad. Notice that girl
over there" friend said, pulling his
sleeve. "Last spring she was the beau
tiful Miss Merriam and see her now.
= Hard luck, isn't it?"
Hollister looked as directed. He saw
!: q small head regally carried, a mass
Of dazzling hair and eyes that shot
violet lights from under their arched
brows. Then Miss Merriam turned
her head, and he saw the scar and
nothing else.
'"I'd be sorrier for her." the man at
his elbow went on, eff she hadn't turn
ed down half the fellows in her set.
guess she thought she was good for a
duke with that face of hers. Introduce
you, did you say? Why, certainly, my
dear fellow" ~
1t was the innate chivalry of Hollis
ter's nature which had prompted him
to ask the honor Of Miss Merriam's
acquaintance. He was as sorry for the
girl as he was disgusted with the cold
blooded comments of the man who had
pointed her out to him. For the first
few moments of their conversation he
unscrupulously kept his eyes away
from her. He could not bear to wit
ness the beauty in eclipse, and he fan
cied that she who had been so used to
reading admiration in the eyes Of every
man must vince ut the pity which tact
could not conceal.
Presently he found that admiration
was getting the better of his sympathy.
This quondam beauty was not crushed
by her misfortune. .sSbe met this thun,
derbolt of fate's spite with gallant
courage which quickened HOLSTERS
pulses. Her easy gayety, her apparent
unconsciousness of the pathos of her
situation, appealed to him as no wom-
ans beauty had ever done. He made
the discovery that Miss Merriam was
brilliant IL no longer beautiful, and
that her cleverness, unlike that Of
many Of her sex, owed nothing to Ill
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