THE “DASHING” BELLE 
The doctor said it was a hairbreadth escape, 
and he praised our care,” 
“ Yours and the governess’s?” said Arthur. 
mockingly. 
“ Well, the governess Is n good, true woman, 
I believe. It. might be better for a man to take 
her without a shilling than Stella with her 
thousands,” said Ransom, seriously. 
“ So is my Cousin Stri.ua a good, true woman, 
and her thousands would be no very weighty 
objection to me. Come, Ransom, what has 
Stki.ua done, or wh.it do you think she has 
done? I am sure if It Is anything much amiss, 
there is some mistake, for I played with her as 
a child, and have been intimately acquainted 
with her almost ever since and I know she's a 
good girl.” 
*’ l can never marry a woman who can tell a 
deliberate lie,” said Ransom, soberly. 
“ I don’t believe she did I She’sas squeamish 
as you are about that! Do gel; on and tell me 
all about It. There’s some way out, I’m sure.” 
“ Stella was looking tier prettiest. I was 
half vexed that she had allowed herself to fol¬ 
low the siliy fashion of letting a dozen or so of 
little short curls fall around and over her fore¬ 
head. and yet they were so exceedingly becom¬ 
ing, and no one could dispute that they were 
natural, so 1 could not blame her, or quite help 
liking the fashion asslie displayed it. Itseemod 
to me too, that her hair was arranged so as to 
look thick amJ heavier than usual. 1 wondered 
if she had conformed t.o fashion still farther, 
and added some dead, fair golden looks to her 
own. She had no need, I am sure. Such abun¬ 
dance as she lias of the loveliest hair in the 
world. I wonder where she ever found a match 
for it.” 
“So my Cousin Stella's offence is wearing 
false ringlets ! (u these days-” 
“ Ilush ! You are all astray. You can reserve 
vour arguments in favor of mountains of dead 
tresses. It was not that. There was quite a 
party Of young people there In the early part 
of the evening, and we had a merry time. At 
one time HTEt.UA and your Sister Mauv were 
standing out on the veranda. EuNAand i were 
playing dies* inside, but ao near the open win¬ 
dow t hat we could see and hear them perfectly. 
M auv laid her hand on one of Stella's braids, 
flaying, ”This Is new, isn't it? Is It your own 
hair ?*’ 
Stella. said “ Yes," simply and Indifferently. 
I believed her of course. When the cousins and 
friends were all gone, Stella had a romp with 
her little siflter, before her mother took her up 
to bed. In the play the braid had become loos¬ 
ened. Stella stepped lino the back parlor 
and was re^rm-ging | lcr i ia ir In the glass and 
I saw her take off the braid and hold It In her 
hand, it was separate from her head. I saw it 
distinctly, and I could not shut my eyes to the 
fact that she had lied—a foolish, miserable lie, 
for vanity's sake ! How could she V" and Ran¬ 
som whs silent, walking with agitated steps 
back and forth across the room. 
“ Como now! There’s some mistake, I know. 
Stella isn’t such a fool and weakling, I’m sure, 
and you ought to know it, tool I’ll write to 
Mary and ask-” 
” You shall do no such tiling. I saw with my 
own eyes or I would not have believed It. Re¬ 
sides, it would amount to nothing. 11 Stella 
would lie for vanity's sake, might not Mahy do 
the same to secure what she believed to be for 
the happiness of two of her best friends ? There 
—don’t be angry, dear Arthur! Rut If Stella 
is not true, where shall I look for truth V 
Arthur gloomily studied the lire, with his 
elbows on the table ahd his head in bis bands. 
“ You may he sure there’s a mistake!” at last 
he said. “ You'd better let me write and find 
out. It’ll save you and Stella both a deal or 
misery, for I do believe tho girl loves you and 
is mourning now over your hurried visit, and 
-how did you take leave? Did you come 
right avyay?” 
“ I came right away. I was too yuiioh shocked 
to make use of any of the commonplaces, but 
withdrew abruptly.*’ 
Arthur urged still the expediency of writing 
to his sister, but Ransom was determined, and 
he concluded not to Intermeddle, Christmas 
would soon he here when they would all be 
together again, and then perhaps all would 
come right. 
So ransom Went about his business as usual, 
prompt, faithful, efficient,—but with asorc spot 
in his heart, of which lie would not suffer him¬ 
self to t hink, lest be bo tempted to the weak¬ 
ness of regretting a decision he believed to bo 
a rigiit one. 
And Stella too performed her daily duties 
and smiled to hide her wounded heart. Fancy¬ 
ing she had deceived herself In thinking Ran¬ 
som Wilder cared much for her, she began 
battling and trampling down the love that she 
had dared allow to spring up In her heart for 
biro, and shutting her own eyes to the fact of 
its slill more and more vigorous up-springing. 
Perhaps she grow a trifle paler, but she was 
more than ever resolute In the performance of 
what she chose to consider her duties. Keep¬ 
ing herself busy as n bee from morning till 
night, cheerful, even gay as ever, apparently no 
one suspected a hidden sorrow. Even her pa¬ 
rents guessed nothing. Her pillow, that, safe 
confidant, of’young girl’s troubles, could only 
have told of the restless head and the burning 
cheek—possibly a tear or two—but no whisper 
of what was the matter. 
At last Christmas came and Arthur went 
home and Ransom to his uncle’s house, the 
former fully resolved to find out the mystery 
if possible, and bring reconciliation .nd peace 
to iiis friend—tho other stonily resolved tocou- 
fino himself to his uncle's premises as much as 
possible and to see but little of Stella. 
Arthur talked with Mary on the very night 
of his arrival. 
“ \ V , hy ' H WfW ,l11 true. As if Cousin Stella 
would tell a Uo I" said Mary, Indignantly. 
“ ,5ut 8aw her take off the brnid-quite 
away from her head,” said Arthur, still per¬ 
plexed. 
“ It was her owa hair, nevertheless J You see 
we girls save combings—what comes out-and 
when we have enough, we take it to a hair. 
BY PORT U. LACCA 
The dashing belle’s a “ charming girl. 
With ruddy cheek and glossy curl— 
The keenest eye and fairest face 
Of any “ lady ” in the place. 
Her voice is like the tnornlDg breeze 
Whispering gently 'mong the trees, 
Unless, perchance, you tread her toes, 
And then oh, mercy ! how it blows. 
She knows just how to bow and smile 
The silly Johnnies to beguile ; 
Now ’tis this way and then ’tis that, 
And every Johnny doffs his hat. 
She’s winning, very, in her way. 
To these masculine heads of clay ; 
So it is, birds of a feather 
Now and ever flock together. 
The dashing belle has “ charms of a 
More of cot ton ntul less of heart; 
She’s hound to '* conquer if she can 
But she don’t the sensible man. 
Linden-Wold,” 187,>. 
A CENTENNIAL EOMANCE 
STELLA’S FALSEHOOD 
ny joy merryweatmer 
r Governor Carver (who sour, slept by 
of Ida wife aml only child), was born at 
Rid. \ orkflhlre, England, March, 1088 
or and mother died when ho was quite 
He was tenderly cared for by bis graml- 
and subsequently by a „ um „ e . Hig 
vas among rh e yeomanry of England, 
respectable. He was reared to agri- 
When quite young he assumed the 
lus own landed estates, and enjoyed 
P. urn. in cultivating and beautifying 
d, though much of his time he was 
Atv t T" ‘I 1 t,J ° W,,ld ’ ««>< found 
d in thi”i Ho became 
it the Latin, Greek and Hebrew lan- 
— 5 .‘ * u;wcH ’ and was rumiilar with the 
Lcmiun and French, which he 
r ’’poke fluently. He had embraced 
!§= tho ° r f he Purltuun, and at 
= seventeen y ears of age was one of 
the company who made an e ffort 
= 10 to Holland in se arch of 
f religious liberty, hut was unsuc¬ 
cessful, having been betrayed, 
fj and W«R for a. season confined in 
prison at Boston, Lincolnshire 
(from which the city of Boston 
i T' OJvod Its mime). Rut though 
religion and other momentous 
subjects claimed his attention 
