"Papa," said Laura Lasette, "all the girls have had graduating parties
except Annette and myself. Would it not be nice for me to have a party
and lots of fun, and then my birthday comes next week; now wouldn't it
be just the thing for me to have a party?"
"It might be, darling, for you, but how would it be for me who would
have to foot the bill?"
"Well, papa, could you not just give me a check like you do mama
sometimes?"
"But mama knows how to use it."
"But papa, don't I know how also?"
"I have my doubts on that score, but let me refer you to your mother.
She is queen of this realm, and in household matters I as a loyal
subject, abide by her decisions."
"Well, I guess mama is all right on this subject."
Mrs. Lasette was perfectly willing to gratify her daughter, and it was
decided to have an entertainment on Laura's birthday.
The evening of Mrs. Lasette's entertainment came bringing with it into
her pleasant parlors a bright and merry throng of young people. It was
more than a mere pleasure party. It was here that rising talent was
encouraged, no matter how humble the garb of the possessor, and Mrs.
Lasette was a model hostess who would have thought her entertainment a
failure had any one gone from it smarting under a sense of social
neglect. Shy and easily embarrassed Annette who was very seldom invited
anywhere, found herself almost alone in that gay and chattering throng.
Annette was seated next to several girls who laughed and chatted
incessantly with each other without deigning to notice her. Mrs. Lasette
entering the room with Mr. Luzerne whom she presented to the company,
and noticing the loneliness and social isolation of Annette, gave him a
seat beside her, and was greatly gratified that she had found the means
to relieve the tedium of Annette's position. Mrs. Lasette had known him
as a light hearted boy, full of generous impulses, with laughing eyes
and a buoyant step, but he had been absent a number of years, and had
developed into a handsome man with a magnificent physique, elegant in
his attire, polished in his manners and brilliant in conversation. Just
such a man as is desirable as a companion and valuable as a friend,
staunch, honorable and true, and it was rumored that he was quite
wealthy. He was generally cheerful, but it seemed at times as if some
sad memories came over him, dashing all the sunshine from his face and
leaving in its stead, a sadness which it was touching to behold. Some
mystery seemed to surround his life, but being reticent in reference to
his past history, there was a dignity in his manner which repelled all
intrusion into the secrecy over which he choose to cast a veil. Annette
was not beautiful, but her face was full of expression and her manner
winsome at times. Lacking social influence and social adaptation, she
had been ignored in society, her faults of temper made prominent her
most promising traits of character left unnoticed, but this treatment
was not without some benefit to Annette. It threw her more entirely on
her own resources. At first she read when she had leisure, to beguile
her lonely hours, and fortunately for her, she was directed in her
reading by Mrs. Lasette, who gave and lent her books, which appealed to
all that was highest and best in her nature, and kindled within her a
lofty enthusiasm to make her life a blessing to the world. With such an
earnest purpose, she was not prepared to be a social favorite in any
society whose chief amusement was gossip, and whose keenest weapon was
ridicule.
Mr. Luzerne had gone to Mrs. Lasette's with the hope of meeting some of
the best talent in A.P., and had come to the conclusion that there was
more lulliancy than depth in the intellectual life with which he came in
contact; he felt that it lacked earnestness, purpose and grand
enthusiasms and he was astonished to see the social isolation of
Annette, whose society had interested and delighted him, and after
parting with her he found his mind constantly reverting to her and felt
grateful to Mrs. Lasette for affording him a rare and charming pleasure.
Annette sat alone in her humble room with a new light in her eyes and a
sense of deep enjoyment flooding her soul. Never before had she met
with such an interesting and congenial gentleman. He seemed to
understand as scarcely as any one else had done or cared to do. In the
eyes of other guests she had been treated as if too insignificant for
notice, but he had loosened her lips and awakened within her a dawning
sense of her own ability, which others had chilled and depressed. He had
fingered the keys of her soul and they had vibrated in music to his
touch. Do not smile, gentle reader, and say that she was very easily
impressed, it may be that you have never known what it is to be hungry,
not for bread, but for human sympathy, to live with those who were never
interested in your joys, nor sympathized in your sorrows. To whom your
coming gave no joy and your absence no pain. Since Annette had lost her
grandmother, she had lived in an atmosphere of coldness and repression
and was growing prematurely cold. Her heart was like a sealed fountain
beneath whose covering the bright waters dashed and leaped in imprisoned
boundary. Oh, blessed power of human love to lighten human suffering,
well may we thank the giver of every good and perfect gift for the love
which gladdens hearts, brightens homes and sets the solitary in the
midst of families. Mr. Luzerne frequently saw Annette at the house of
Mrs. Lasette and occasionally called at her uncle's, but there was an
air of restraint in the social atmosphere which repressed and chilled
him. In that home he missed the cordial freedom and genial companionship
which he always found at Mrs. Lasette's but Annette's apparent
loneliness and social isolation awakened his sympathy, and her bright
intelligence and good character commanded his admiration and respect,
which developed within him a deep interest for the lovely girl. He often
spoke admiringly of her and never met her at church, or among her
friends that he did not gladly avail himself of the opportunity of
accompanying her home. Madame rumor soon got tidings of Mr. Luzerne's
attentions to Annette and in a shout the tongues of the gossips of A.P.
began to wag. Mrs. Larkins who had fallen heir to some money, moved out
of Tennis court, and often gave pleasant little teas to her young
friends, and as a well spread table was quite a social attraction in
A.P., her gatherings were always well attended. After rumor had caught
the news of Mr. Luzerne's interest in Annette, Mrs. Larkins had a social
at her house to which she invited him, and a number of her young
friends, but took pains to leave Annette out in the cold. Mr. Luzerne on
hearing that Annette was slighted, refused to attend. At the supper
table Annette's prospects were freely discussed.
"I expected that Mr. Luzerne would have been here this evening, but he
sent an apology in which he declined to come."
"Did you invite Annette?" said Miss Croker.
"No, I did not. I got enough of her when I lived next door to her."
"Well that accounts for Mr. Luzerne's absence. They remind me of the
Siamese twins; if you see one, you see the other."
"How did she get in with him?"
"She met him at Mrs. Lasette's party, and he seemed so taken up with her
that for a while he had neither eyes nor ears for any one else."
"That girl, as quiet as she looks, is just as deep as the sea."
"It is not that she's so deep, but we are so shallow. Miss Booker and
Miss Croker were sitting near Annette and not noticing her, and we girls
were having a good time in the corner to ourselves, and Annette was
looking so lonely and embarrassed I think Mr. Luzerne just took pity on
her and took especial pains to entertain her. I just think we stepped
our feet into it by slighting Annette, and of course, as soon as we saw
him paying attention to her, we wouldn't change and begin to make much
of her."
"I don't know what he sees in Annette with her big nose and plain face."
"My father," said Laura Lasette, "says that Annette is a credit to her
race and my mother is just delighted because Mr. Luzerne is attracted
to her, but, girls, had we not better be careful how we talk about her?
People might say that we are jealous of her and we know that we are
taught that jealousy is as cruel as the grave."
"We don't see anything to be jealous about her. She is neither pretty
nor stylish."
"But my mother says she is a remarkable girl," persisted Laura.
"Your mother," said Mrs. Larkins, "always had funny notions about
Annette, and saw in her what nobody else did."
"Well, for my part, I hope it will be a match."
"It is easy enough for you to say so, Laura. You think it is a sure
thing between you and Charley Cooper, but don't be too sure; there's
many a slip between the cup and the lip."
There was a flush on Laura's cheek as she replied, "If there are a
thousand slips between the cup and the lip and Charlie and I should
never marry, let me tell you that I would almost as soon court another's
husband as a girl's affianced lover. I can better afford to be an old
maid than to do a dishonorable thing."
"Well, Laura, you are a chip off the old block; just like your mother,
always ready to take Annette's part."
"I think, Mrs. Larkins, it is the finest compliment you can pay me, to
tell me that I am like my dear mother."