Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1910-06-04
THE BEAUTIFUL
MISS MERRIAM.
She Had a Surprise In Store For
the Man She Won.
BY HARRIET LuMMIs.

had happened She was tired OF hear
ing that she was beautiful. From hei
earliest recollections strangers had ex
claimed over her pretty face. and hen
lovers one after another had hung the
variations on the same theme. Mis-
Merriam listened politely and found
herself extremely bored
ITO be loved for your face is like
being loved for your fortune" Miss
Merriam conhded to her journal
Beauty has wings just as truly as
riches. II a man falls in love with
your complexion. what is he going to
do when you come down with the
smallpox? If were a pretty fool ]
might be prefectly satisfied with things
as they are, but know I'm worth Low.
ing for myself-if only they had the
sense to find 1t out"
Unfortunately for themselves Miss
Merriam's adorers never suspected heI
peculiar views. II there had been one
Of their number shrewd enough to com
pliment her intellect instead of her
dimples and to have talked about heI
sparkling wit rather than her spar
king eyes he would have found the
short cut to her heart. As it was.
they were unanimous in deciding thai
the aforementioned article had been
omitted from her composition. And
Miss Merriam expressed her displeas
ure In the following paragraph in her
Journal: Beauty, beauty. beauty! How
ffrnunFn0 e oil let N1h \ Nr-l.A
er hear was beautiful again"
Rash prayers sometimes bring un
welcome answers. Not very many
days later the city was electrified by
the news that Miss Merriam had been
thrown from her automobile at well
known watering place and seriously
injured. Pictures of the beauty appear
ed In all the leading newspapers OF
the country, with reference to her pos
sible disagreement. Miss Merriam's
relatives when appealed to on this Inn
portant point refused to say anything
to relieve the suspense or to satisfy
the popular curiosity. And the expla.
nation of their reticence was apparent
when Miss Merriam made her appear
ance In society a few weeks later
Across the faultless curve of the girls
cheek ran an unsightly scar, a scar SO
aggressively prominent that 1t held the
attention Of the observer and made
him forgetful of all else. 1t seemed
likely that Miss Merriam was to have
her hearts desire and never again be
forced to hear that she was beautiful.
Lloyd Hollister saw her for the FIRST
time at one of the opening functions
OF the season. a few days after his re-
turn from abroad. Notice that girl
over there" a friend said, pulling his
sleeve. Last spring she was the
beautiful Miss Merriam and see her
now. Hard luck, isn't itT'
doiiister looked as directed. He saw
small head regaIly carried, a mass
OF dazzling hair and eyes that shot
violet lights from under their arched
brows- Then Miss Merriam Hnrned her
head, and he saw the scar and nothing
else.
I'D be sorrier for her." the man at
bis elbow went on, eff she hadn't turn
ed down half the fellows In her set. 1
guess she thought she was good for a
duke with that face of hers. Introduce
you. did you say7 Why. certainly, my
lear fellow"
1t was the innate chivalry of Hollis
ter's nature which had prompted him
to ask the honor Of Miss Merriam's
acquaintance. He was as sorry for
he girl as he was disguised with the
,old blooded comments of the man
who had pointed her out to him. For
he first few moments of their CONVEX
'ation he unscrupulously kept his eyes
lway from her. He could not bear to
witness the beauty In eclipse, and he
ancied that she who had been SO used
o reading admiration in the eyes of
very man must vince at the pity
which tact could not conceal.
Presently he found that admiration
vas getting the better Of his sympa-
ny. This quondam beauty was not |
rushed by her misfortune. She met |
his thunderbolt of fate's spite with |
'ailant courage which quickened HoI- |
lsters pulses. Her easy gayety, her |
pparent Inconsistencies of the pa- |
hos Of her situation. appealed to him
8 no woman's beauty had ever done. |
~-.~N~ NA~ NAS~0FGAJ tnaL M1S6 01GE-
lam was brilliant If no longer beauti-
ul and that her cleverness, unlike
hat Of many Of her sex. owed moth
az to Ill nature.
In the months that followed he saw
great deal of Miss Merriam. 1t was
lear that the girls liking for social
leasure remained unaltered by the
hange In her circumstances. She went
and to all appearances en-
Dyed herself In spite of the sudden
alling on in the number OF her admir-
rs. There had been time when the
ian who wished word with the
eautifui Miss Merriam was obliged to
ght bis way through a double ring of
lack coats, but Hoilister had NO Diff
nlty In gaining her side whenever he
'ent Yet the deposed queen of
carts seemed so unconscious of any
hing about her which called for sym
athy that HOLSTER suppressed his
lty as If 1t had been a form Of dis
yalty. and after time he no longer
'und this difficult. He admired Miss
Ierriam too much to he sorry for har |