Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1905-06-02
COPRETUA
TO BATE
BY KATE ~. CIeary
-
r,..~f-it fcnf ~ Ert. n T1..rr

Every one IN town knew thut Gordon
Ells had made a fortune Ia the Klon-
dixie and was coauing back 10 his native
town Aud the general superstition ex.
listed that hc ,.as returning Ia quest Of
a wire. There were tiiusc Who. RECALLING
the boy aud g;ri icvo amir between
him snl lcsll EeScrv. s.uI,cl sigalfs
cantly. hut there were 0thcrs who
avercd Thar hcth had been too young
anl mcSpcyiCaCcl 90 tae time o. their
F1rtnng 20 attach Importance 10 the
yoVthol romance.
Ferguson. the town banker. port,y
en1 p~cosfcrouS strlding down the main
ssrvet one delicious ummcr morning.
r&A his esocc on her way to give a mu-
se tossoa apl stopped 10 tease her a
sr,ee ever he situation.
~tesiA. Soc1oa Kills Is expected
StcS ccxt woek~
- I've hcari. Uncle Drucc.'
Ule te1e was nonchsiaut. but she had
caaarcd rosi,y ~ 70 the crisp. reddish
Ec1 carlS around lcr white forehead.
1T win be a grcut thing ra- linden
VILE u he decides 10 settle down here.
Ihope.~ with ponderuus ~archness. that
you win Try to persuade him.
The hush faded. leaving her looking
pale-and very proud.
i shall have nothing to say In the
natter she answered colby. 1T Is
unlikely that l shall even meet him.
''Nonsenser' Ferguson cried. drop
ping his rallying air. "Of course you
naf1rF U-nFNN III h..-, a ~rtus,.. g., v,n,-s
our old acquaintance with as fine q fell
low as ever struck out to make his for
tune. Marian is to give a big wclcom-
ing dance for him. Hortensc Ia eager
FOR pleasure. you know" he added le-
nlcntly. and we Ike to indulge her"
Lesda nodded, evlncing polite inter
est. Until the mother Of Hortense had
married her uncle twelve months pre-
vious she and her aunt had lived with
Bruce Ferguson. directing his house
hold. But with the coming Of n bride
possessed Of a gown daughter all this
was changed. So Lucinda Ferguson.
having got together her few hairlooms
and some furniture. had moved Into q
little house she owned on the outskirts
OF the rich, busting manufacturing
town.
The new mistress and her daughter
were left In victorious possession, and
Bruce Ferguson. with n mans ohtuse-
ness, did not realize what the incvltn-
ble change In their manner of living
must mean to such fastidious women
as his sister and niece. He had set
tied an income on Lucinda. but Lesda
declared that her music teaching would
bring her in all the money she would
require. or the d%eprivations and
m%akeshifts necessary to present a BE-
rene front to a critical world neither
spoke.
$50 youTl surely come" Ferguson
went N breezily. I'm going TO do the
thing In fine s~tyle-have music and
caterers down from Chicago and ali
that sort OF thing"
The expression OF proud reserve
deepcned on the c%ountenance OF Lesda
Revere. She had an odd. exquisite
style OF beauty. foreign to her class
and nationality. While her features
were not classically perfect. there was
about her face a look of spirituality.
Of distinction, that attracted and held
attention.
- hope you'll have a beautiful time"
she said courteously. "But l shan'I
90. Uncle Bruce"
He stared ut her n moment I'm puz-
zled surprise. Then he laughed heart
lily and brought his cllnc1ed nst down
In the palm of the other hand.
Nothing to wear. I'll bet a nickel!
Poor Miss Flora McFlimsey" For he
saw by her quick. irrepresslble smile
that he had guessed right. "Well. you
will huyc u dress, ana one sent to
you ready made from the city at thatl
Why. Hortense won't wear n thing
that's made in L%indenvllle! Now,
you'll promise TO come? Well. what
IS it3'
She had been about to ~speak-to ask
him TO permit her to choose the gown
herself. But. after all, what right had
she to make suggestions TO him? Wa
he not exceedingly generous to promise
her a costume mt all?
Nothing. except that you are mighty
good to think Of such a thingl Yes
I'll Gomez
That's rightg' he commented cor
daily and passed On.
Not until the very morning Of the
day yet for the important function did
the expected box arrive. Hortense
and her mother had been up In the
metropolis ordering their own attire,
They had doubtless bought this at the
same time. But. although she had read
In grateful amazememt lie sum men
toned on the recelpted bill that had
been forwarded TO her by mail, II was
with n heart prophetlcally filled with
doubt that Lesda opened the box,
while her aunt looked over her Shout
der. Layer after layer OF tissue paper
was laid aside. Lesdn shrank back
with a little cry OF dismay rs the
cleaning, lustrous. costly fabric was
revealed.
What have / done % make Uncle
Bruce's wife and daughter dislike me
sos" she whispered. They kuow-you
know. Aunt Lucin6a-that ] can mover
veal such q shade.'
Lucinda Ferguson shook her head.