Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-02-16
WITLESS
WILES
BY Martha McCulloch-WiiIicms
copyishi. 1904. BY Martha wazan.'

!. CcpynShi, 1904. by Martha McCuIceh- -Wilanls Z
Harrowby town held its breath,
watching the encounter of the Carrs
and the Phillipses. Specifically, 1t
was a comedy; potentially, tragedy.
After loftily ignoring each other for
thirty 'ars, the rival houses were at
one Of each other.
1t came about naturally enough. John
Carr and Luke Phillips, the present
heads of the families, had been in col
lege days the chosen friends of Billy
Bluff. who now, as the famous Sena-
tor Bluff, was in Harrowby on purpose
to visit them. A great card was the
senator Neither Of the enemies could
afford to give him up wholly to the
oIner AS he knew nothing of the I'M
friendlinesS, they did not choose to en-
tighten him. Contrariwise, they made
tacit and temporary truce, speaking
civilly to each other in his presence
and even sitting at each others boards
to do him cordial honor.
This was less awkward than it might
have been, since there had never been
a violent breach--only drawing away
and looking to the other side of the
street or over heads in casual en-
counters.
The quarrel was over the choice of
minister, and, of course, all the bitter
er for that The Cars had been worst
ed, and. though they still came to st.
AIichaers and duly supported all its
good works. they took no part in any
thing else. Therefore everybody felt
that their grudge was the greatest.
Luke Phillips pretty well ran the min
listers and quite ran the church.
A masterful man, with daughter of
his own stripe, he could not very well
help it. Oriana, the daughter, was in
deed so much chip off the old block
her fine name made part of the comedy.
She was twenty-five, tall and stout,
with dark eyes and fine carriage, to
say nothing of the way she wore her
clothes. Almost every Sunday her
fingers fairly itched to get hold of
Louise Carrs ribbons.
Louise was the younger by five years,
sweet faced and sunny tempered, but
woefully careless as TO how she looked.
SO she had clean clothes and whole it
never bothered her in the least what
else they were or were not. She GER
tainly did look odd in plain coat sleeves
when every other woman in church
had dangling, baggy puffs and frills
all over her arms.
Perhaps If he had not seen her first
in a party frock with no sleeves to
speak of Senator Bluff might not have
given her second thought. He was a
bachelor and as rich as he was distin-
guished. Gossip limited, too, that he
was looking for a wife. Gossip said
also in a way not to be gainsaid he
would look long time before finding
anybody better suited to the position
than Oriana.
Oriana herself was quite of that
opinion, although Of course she kept it
unspoken. Senator Bluff was certainly
impressed at their first meeting. He
insisted upon putting up at the hotel.
although dining or breakfasting every
day with his old college chums. Louise
was away at her grandmother's when
be came. Thus for whole week Ori-
ana had a clear field.
Then the Grays gave a party, and
Louise danced at it, slim white
wrath moving on winged feet, with
yellow hair tumbling all about her
rosy face and every fiber vibrant with
Joy In the music and the rhythmic mo-
tion.
Until he saw her Senator Bluff had
said staidly that his dancing days were
over At fifty one might well leave
such things to the new generation.
Judge then Oriana's wrath when she
saw him waltzing with Louise and
waltzing extremely well, looking full
In his partners face the while and
smiling as he had not smiled since he
came to Harrowby.
Next day it was even worse. The
senator breakfasted at the Carrs and
Immediately afterward took Louise and
her mother for a long vagrant drive
about the country. Gaping the climax,
he brought them along with him to
dine at the Phillips house, saying airily
to Oriana, who was mistress of 1t:
"You see, / take your father at his
word. He said the house was mine
while stayed"
"You did quite right" Oriana said
sweetly, reassured by a glance at Lou
Use. The girl had on faded blue ging-
ham two years out of date, and her
hair was positively stringy. No doubt
the senator thought of her as only a
little girl in the awkward age, hence in
need of special consideration No man
in his senses would look at her in COM
parison with Oriana, stately vision
in canary yellow gauZe, with dark red
roses nodding against her bare breast
and nestled amid the darkness of her
hair
Louise gazed at her joyously. "You
are always splendid, Miss Ana. To
night you are queen" she said, then
went to dinner, quite unconscious of
her own rumpled appearance.
She had smoothed her hair bit and
stuck spray of sweet peas in the low
coil SO the flowers dropped against her
soft, white neck. Young Luke Phil
lips, who took her out, looked at her
and patronizingly decided that she was
q dowdy. Before dinner ended he
changed his mind. Senator Bluff man.
aged somehow to set Louise telling
stories and acting them. She had the
rare and heavenly gift of losing her
self entirely in whatever she did. So,
utterly neglecting her plate, she was
by turns the minister's wife making q
pseudo pastoral visit, her grandmoth-
er's companion, French Peter at the
tollgate or Miss Jane Sowell, the mil
liner, with Harrowby's hats on her
conscience.
In vain her mother frowned, sighed,
tried to stop her. A creature of whim
and impulse, Louise would not be stay
ed AS a consequence Luke junior
went back to the parlor pretty well en-
slaved. Oriana saw it, with rejoicing,
although a fortnight back she would
have been deadly angry.
She was clear sighted. She had lost
the senator beyond peradventure I'M
less she could make him believe Louise
was not free That was a trifle haz-
ardous, but she was ready for hazards.
So, while Louise sang in sweet, I'M
trained voice the few trite songs she
knew, Oriana tried her charms. Gent
,f,.It- &,