The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-07-10

looking or not. Mohun had a dim recol-
lection of freckled children, with torn
frocks and reddish hair, running wild
about the Baden streets: and was pre-
pared for a plainish, shabby gentee'
young woman. who should be clad i'll
rusty black, and express her gratitude
and good principles through her nose.
1t is. therefore, no eXaggeratiOn to
state that they were both of them liter
ally startled by the vision that now ap-
peared before them, radiant, blooming,
composed, in the ruddy light of the fire.
Mohun sprung to his feet and stepped
back from the hearth, just as he might
have done had the new arrival been his
own Lady Sophia of six years ago, not
Mrs. Fergusson's daughter; Jane took
in at a glance every point of beauty i'll
the beautiful woman before her, and
felt that she herself was old, faded,
dowdy; that this girl was lovelier than
she had been in the fairest hour of her
youth: also-instinct added to this
that she had committed a horrible and
irretrievable error in bringing such
person to her house, and to the ac-
uaintance of Clifford A1ohun.
Miss Ferguson was tall and stout;
with head splendidly set on the shoul-
ders, step light and firm as a Paris
ian market woman's, and a foot and
hand that, for a person upon so large
scale, We're certainly models Of beau
ty. Mohun. of course, could not see
every small detail as quickly as poor
Jane; but he saw a brilliantly rose and
white face of eighteen, dazzling teeth,
Drofusion of undulating red-brown
hair. great dark eyes looking full into
his, and the queenIy stature and light,
elastic step aforesaid. He came for
ward, and for him made quite a well
turned speech about the pleasure he
felt in renewing his acquaintance with
his poor old friend Warren Fergusson's
daughter.
"Ah. poor papa! I remember you so
well, sir. You gave me five francs once
In the Litchtenthal-yes, indeed you
did''-and all the time Jane sees she
holds Mohun's hand fast-"and tola
me to buy flowers with it for my little
sister who was sick. All, now l ace
every feature flor Grace, still fwed
out of her breath by the width and
stiffness of Miss Fergusson's skirts,
had at this juncture brought in the
iamp)-'I see every feature I remem-
Der so we'll Oh, Mr.. Mohun! [ hope
you will forgive me for writing. L
couldn't help it, sir, when [ found my
self so near, and thought-thought of
all my poor papa used to say about
your great generosity"
Something that did duty for emotion
here shook Miss Fergusson's voice. Gift
ford held her hand rather closer, and
Jane-feeling singularly cold and IN
impressed at the whole touching scene
gave token of her existence by lit
tie deprecatory cough.
"Let me introduce you to Miss
Grand" said Clifford, dropping the
girls hand in Il moment and turning
to Jane; ''my kind friend, Miss Grand,
who was good enough TONY wishes
- and then, seeing he could say moth
ing agreea BILE. without positively tell
ing an untruth to Jane he broke down
altogether: and the women were left to
press each others hands. and make
speeches of amiability. as even the
most simple and ingenious of the sex
know how, to do on occasion. Jane
feared that Miss Ferguson must have
felt it cold. Mss Ferguson had found
it impossible to be cold in that charm
ing, delightfully."- warm wrap which
Miss Grantehad so kindly sent in the
carriage. Miss Grand supposed Miss
Ferguson had never been in this part
of the country before? Oh, dear, no,
never: but it looked such lovely seen
ery-this is. if it had been light enough
TO see anything of it. And would Miss
FERGUSON like to come at once and
take off her wrap before tea? And
Miss FERGUSON. with a look at Gift
ford. would like it very much indeed
And then they went away upstairs.
smiling and chattering as if they had
been friends for years; and Clifford
was left alone to think over his sur
prise and his rather pleasant prospect
of having Mrs. Fergusson's daughter
to fiirt with for the ensuing eight
days.
Miss Ferguson was delighted with
the staircase, and delighted with the
bedroom; in none of which places was
there standing room for about one-half
of her silks and flounces at time; and
when she had laid aside her rich grace
full mantle, and her tiny hat, and was
duly smoothing the braids of her
wealth of tawny- hair before the glass,
she thanked Jane, in the best possible
terms, and really in a very pretty
manner indeed, for her kindness in In
viting her; and Jane felt she must be
a very wicked woman for not opening
her heart more freely to this father
less girl.
(To be Continued.)