The Washington times., 1905-07-30

veins to drive her 10 play or 10 anger.
But che seemed to poor Matte the love-
Hest creature she had even seen ana
our brown. hard-iianded, blowzy TOM
boy became the pale fairy's ab3ect
slave. Her first act of sovereignty wa
to change her vassals name
i don't like Matte: 1t amt a bit
romantic. I had a friend in Bucyruz
whose name was Matte. and she found
out somehow believe the teacher told
her-that Queen Matilda and Queen
Maud was the same thing in England
So you're Maud" and Maud she xvas
henceforward. though her tyrant nads
her spell 1t Maude. ITS more elegant
with an e" she said
Maud was fourteen and her school
days were ending when she made th.s
new acquaintance. She formed for
Azalea Window one of those violent
idolatries peculiar TO her sex and age.
and in a fortnight she seemed a differ
ent person. Azalea was rather clever At
her books. and Maud dug at her lessons
from morning till night 10 keep abreast
of her. Her idol was exquisiteiy neat in
dress, and Maud acquired, as IL by
magic, a scrupulous care Of her person.
Azalea's blonde head was full of perni-
cious senttmentality though she was
saved from actual indiscretions by her
cold and vaporeus temperament In
dreams and fancies she was wooed and
won a dozen times = day by splendid
cavaliers Of every race and degree; and
as she was thoroughly false and vain.
she detailed these airy adventures. part
of wsfich size had imagined and part
read in weekly story papers, to her
worshiper, who listened with wide
eyebalts and a heart which was just
beginning 10 learn how to beat. She
initiated Maud into that strange world
Of vulgar and unhealthy sentiment found
in the cheap weekIies which load every
newsstand In the country. and made
her tenfold more the child of dreams
than herself
Miss Window remained but a few
months at the common school. and then
left 1t for the high school, She told
Maud one dag OF her intended fitting,
and was more astonished than pleased
at the passion Of grief into which the
announcement threw her friend Maud
clung TO her with Sobs that would not
be stilled, and with tears that reduced
Miss Azalea's dress to limp and moist
wretchedness. but did not move the
vain heart beneath it. Il wonder If she
knows thought Azaiea ''how ugly
she is when she oawls like that Few
brunettes can cry styiishIy anyhow
Still. she could not help feeling hattered
by such devotion, and she said, partly
from bit Of careless kindness and
partly TO rescue the rest OF her raiment
from the shower which had ruined her
neck ribbon.
There. don't be hears-broken You
viii be in the high school yourself IN no
time.'
Maud lifted up her eyes and her heart
at these words.
Yes, I will. darling!'
She had never thought of the high
school before. She had always expected
To leave school that very season. and
to go into service somewhere. But from
that moment she resolved that nothing
should keep her away from those walls
that had suddenly become her Para
disc
Her mother was easily won over. She
was a woman of weak viii, more afraid
or her children than of her husband, a
phenomenon of frequent occurrence In
that latitude. She therefore sided nat
urally with her daughter in the contest
which, when Maud announced her in
tentfon of entering the high school.
broke out in the house and ragged fierce
ly for some weeks. The poor woman haS
20 bear the brunt Of the battle along
for matchin soon grew shy Of dispGE-
ing with his rebellious child. She was
growing rapidly and assuming that look
of maturity which comes so suddenly
and so strangely to the notice of q pa
rent. When he attacked her one day
Matte. what's all this blamed foolish
ness your mas being teIlln' me?a she
answered him with a cool decision and
energy that startled him. She stood
straight and terribly tail. he thought.
She spoke with that fluent clearness Of
girls who know what they want and
used words he had never met with be-
fore out Of q newspaper He felt him.
self no match for her, and ended the
discussion by saying: That's all moon
shine-you shan't go! Dye hear me2"
but he felt dismaIly sure that she would
go in spite of him
* Y
Even after he had given up the fight.
he continued TO revenge himself upon
his wife for his defeat We've got TO
have set of gold spoons. guess.
These will never do for highf1iers like
u.s. Or. Drop in at SwiIlem's and
send home few dozen champagne:
can't stummick such common drink as
coffee for breakfast" Or Il must fix
up and make some calls on AIgonkin
av moo. Sence we've jined the Upper Ten
we mustn't go back on society" But
this brute thunder had little effect on
Mrs. Matchin. She knew the storm was
over when her good-natured lord tried
to be sarcastic.
1t need hardly be said that Maud
Matchin did not find the high school all
her heart desired. Her pale goddess
had not enough substantial character
to hold her worshiper long Besides. at
fifteen. a young girls heart is as Yaria-
Bile as her mind or her person: and q
great change was coming over the car
penter's daughter She suddenly gained
her full growth; and after the first
awkwardness of her tall stature passed
away. she began to delight in her own
strength and beauty. Her pride walked
at the same time with her vanity. and
she applied herself closely to her books.