Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1909-06-05
THE LOTTERY OF LIFE

able cousins, the percivals, with the
exception Of young Tom, who admired
her greatly. Mr.. D'Eresby, a million
aire, wanting designs for an elegant
| house he was about to build, was re
ferred to Mary, and, stepping to hei
table, Are you the drawing girl?" ht
demanded somewhat brusquely.
Yes, sir; am" said Mary.
Well" said Mr.. D'Eresby after d
moments survey of the work upon
which she was engaged, Il believe
you're the very one to carry out my
IDEAS My carriage is at the door,"
Mary, bewildered, was whirled up
Fifth avenue by the side of a man who
talked of sMichelangelo, Raphael and
Leonardo da Vinci as if they were
| people he had just met at Delmonico's
1t was very strange; but, after all
there was an element of ''niceness''
about it.
Mr.. D'Erseby's sudden apparation on
the matrimonial horizon caused no in
considerable sensation, as may readily
be conjectured, and half the marriage.
able young ladies in New York pre-
pared their arrowy smiles and glances
for his heart, among others Josephine
Percival.
81 must marry rich," argued that
young lady, ''for I have such expensive
tastes, and I should so enjoy a hand
some home. Pm sure I'm as good
looking as the average with a little
lily powder and my hair nicely craped
and there's no reason I shouldn't win
the prize"
That's it," said Tom scornfully.
$50 in and win"
Miss Percival was introduced by
dint Of special maneuvering that very
evening to Mr.. D'Eresby and congratu-
lated herself on making considerable
Roadway in the good graces of that
extremely eligible gentleman. And as
time went on appearances grew more
and more favorable. Mr.. D'Eresby
was evidently amused by her artless
prattle and lisping observations, and 1t
was surely but one step from amuse-
ment to devotion. To be sure, he never
said anything that she could really
construe into special meaning on the
matrimonial question, but as long as
time and the dictionary were open to
him who knew what might next tran
spire! Mrs. Percival began gravely to
consider the relative merits Of satin
and rep silk for a wedding dress and
to wonder whether Mrs. Parker next
door would consent to allow a door to
be cut through into the apartment ad-
joining the dining room in case Of
crowd at the bridal reception.
One beamy summer morning Miss
Percival made one Of party of ladies
who were admitted to visit the elegant
D'Eresby mansion, now just on the
verge of completion. Josephine was in
high spirits, of course.
'He certainly must have meant
something" thought Josephine, cor he
never would have asked me so particu
larly to come and look at the rooms"
Whether Mr.. D'Eresby's meaning"
applied equally to the seven other
maidens and the two blooming widows
who accompanied her Miss Percival,
not being of a strictly logical nature,
never paused to consider.
''How do you like this room?' asked
Mr.. D'Eresby as they paused in one
which looked as much like the heart Of
q bluebell as a furnished apartment
shaded azures, blue paper strewn
with tiny fern leaves in gold, blue sat
in chairs and a ceiling just tinted with
the pale cerulean Of the middle sky-it
preserved a strange and pleasing indi-
viduality in every feature and corner.
ooh, it's bee-yu-ti-fulw murmured
Josephine, clasping her kid gloved
hands in a species of ladylike ecstasy.
81 am glad you like it," said D'Eres-
by. moving back a tiny marble statu-
cite of Eurydice and critically adjust.
ing an aquarium in the window. '"This
is to be Mrs. D'Eresby's sitting room"
''Your mother?" asked Josephine.
"No.my wife,
"Oh, you puzzling manp' cried Jo-
sephine, making a little dive at him
with her lace fan. ''You know very
well you're not married"
81 shall be very soon.''
Miss Percival blushed The seven
other young ladies looked enviously
at her, and the two widows tossed
their heads and muttered something
about 'artfuI minxes," while Mr..
D'Eresby threw open a door leading
to a suit Of rooms painted and paneled
in green and silver.
The first apartment, evidently a sit
ting room, was not empty. A girl in
a plain gray walking dress stood in
front of one Of the malachite mantels,
making some little drawing or memo
randum on the back of a letter. She
turned as the party flowed into the
room, and Josephine Percival stood
face to face with her cousin, Mary
Leslie.
You needn't stare so, Joe,' said
Tom Percival, who was looking over
the shoulder Of the young artist. Its
Polly Leslie, and she designed all these
wall DaDer DatternS-yeS every one Of