The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-12-28
II. NO Girls SS Sea- PIN.
M %XERAS ERkofE
Ok VERA dRkof

"Oh, Connie, you must come to us fol
Christmas. You surely can't refuse me-
And little Lady Towers clasped her
hands, and looked imporingly at her old
friend and playmate.
II have no heart for gayety, and nc
suitable Dress" replied Constance Car
Isle, rather CURLY.
But, dear, there will be nc gayety
Roland's mother Is recently dead and
gayety Is out of the question. There
will be the pater and all the boys. You
would like to see the boys again,
wouldn't your" !,
YES. I should like to meet your
brothers again." admitted Constance,
And IL there really will be no other
guests"
well. Mabel Huntiey invited her
SELF, and I couldn't refuse her. The
boys will be furious"
I'VE all disliked her as children" re-
marked Constance. The boys always
called her a coward and a sneak.
didn't like her n better when she
grew up. I saw a great deal of her two
years ago, Just ACKNOWLEDGMENT
know, Flossie."
Flossie nodded. She knew Con-
stance referred to her fathers death,
just after the loss of his entire for
tune. The two years which had passed
since then had exactly reversed the
| position of the two friends. Flossie, the
Doctors penniless daughter, and gen.
| eral servant to her seven brothers. was
now the petted wife Of h wealthy
Roland Towers, and the mother OF his
| heir. Constance, the idolized only child
and heiress of a merchant prince, now
earned her bread as typist In a mer-
chants Office.
What a lovely girl Miss Carlisle ISL
remarked Sir Roland Towers to a large
handsome blonde, as they stood looking
over some views together.
do you think SOP" she drawled
"She has no color, you know. Do YOU
admire that dead-white skin, Mr.
Leigh?"
The young man was staring intently
1t the group round the fire. o
with white roses at her breast.
She always looks to me like a pure
white rose" he said, dreamily, and
Mabel tossed her head, an angry lgh'
In her blue eyes.
The evening passed like a happy
dream to Constance. Az was so diff
ferent from her lonely evenings in hei
dreary lodgings. Flossie went with hei
to her room when bed time came
1T is lovely to have you, darling
she exclaimed. But how serious YOU
look. Has Mabel been disagreeable?'
"Flossie," said Constance, abruptly
why did you not tell me that Vincent
Leigh was to be here?"
Because / didn't know" was the
prompt reply. Roland asked him tins
morning. But why should you mind
You were always such friends. Dc
you Flossie stopped, for her friend
was weeping bitterly.
Oh, let me cry" she gasped, as
Flossie overwhelmed her with caresses
and questions, let me cry or my heart
will break"
Fossie stood helplessly by while Con.
stance sobbed and moaned, as II Indeed
her heart was broken. At last the cir
raised her head from the couch, where
she had flung herself in her outburs'
Of grief.
she whispered. "Only do not look a.
me. feel so deadly deadly ashamed
81 am quite sure there is nothing
to be ashamed about" said Flossie
briskly. Have you quarreled will
Vincent? You were so cold to him to.
night. Two years ago l thought
Constance checked her by a gesture
80 did l." she said, In a choked voice
"and that is just what 10 %torturing me
II had hoped never to see Vincen'
Leigh again"
but he adored you as a child" cried
Flossie.
"As a child. yes. And that was whai
misled me. He petted and played with
me, and I ~worshipped him. When
was twelve and he seventeen l gave
him a scarf pin as a Christmas gift
! had 1t made to my own design. IL,
used to call me his little white rosebud
onA 7 hoA a Cilxyar min nna6a a rOSlhlI(
with q tiny pearl set in 1t forming thu
head. The words I love you, were en-
graved on 1t. We Quarreled on Christ
mas day, and l snatched the pin out Of
his tie. crying, I DO not love you now
and o shall not nave 1t back TIL
love you again Next day he was
called away by his fathers sudder
seven years later. when he came &c
spend Christmas with US"
IT remember nodded Flossie.
mabel Huntley was with US. too. and
I saw he admired her, but I really
thought-oh, fool that I was!-that he
really loved me, and was trying tt
make me Jealous. On Christmas eve
we were to have a dance
Eyes, 1t was there Roland proposed
Flossie interrupted.
IT know. That morning Vincent ant
I were alone In the conservatory. ant
he seemed SO kind and loving to me
We were talking ove old childish days
and he reminded me Of he scarf pin
He laughed at me for a little vixen
and then he added, SO tenderly-a'
least, there seemed to me q world o
love and wistful tenderness in his voice
and eyes-'Constance, may I not hav'
the pin again. I was too agttated t.
speak, and he went on to remind m
that I used always to give him q but
tonhole to wear every evening whel
he used to stay with US long q ant
to ask me to do 30 again. Then n
said again: May ! not have the Pill
AGAIN. You know you promised
Just then Mabel Huntley interrupted
us, nj I thought-oh, fool, fool that
was" and Comics slender body with
ed with shame-"I thought he was sc
rious. and Flossie, Flossie. I did Civ
him the PIN"
"Well?" cried Flossie eagerly.
IT made him a buttonhole Of a whit
rose and spray of maidenhair fern
stuck the pin through 1t, slipped int
his dressing room and put 1t on tn
table. When he went into the bal
room Mabel wore It,"
Nonsense" exclaimed Flossie.
"She did," Constance went On, tear
streaming down her cheeks. Il aske,
her where she got the pin, n she sai'
from Vincent. She said he laughed
very much over 1t, and said a little sim