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Show SHOUT STORY OF THE DAY j THE ADVENT OF IIATJD. . x f ' A new girl had come to Miss Orms-by's. Orms-by's. Her advent was fraught with forebodings fore-bodings to the girls who held popular way in the school, for the very manner man-ner of her Coming bad caused Maud Darlington to Jump into favor with the younger set. The older girls, those of 15 and IS, looked askance at what they thought was, a bid for notoriety. ; Seated in their room, in their favorite nook, the deep embrasure of the window, win-dow, Hilda and Helen, with their friend Julia, were -watching the sinking sun as it turned the road Into a ribbon of gold, when there appeared a cloud of dust, which, advancing,, revealed a madly galloping broncho pony, ridden with superb grace and ease by the new girt The three friends looked at each other, then with a common impulse, linked their arms and walked Idly down the corridor to the wide porch before the entrance. Miss Ormsby was there. and the girls had hardly come out. when th flying Tlsion approached. Before Be-fore the pony had halted, the girl slipped from her saddle to the ground, and stood smiling and unconscious' before be-fore them. . i . Miss Ormsby took her at once to her heart. Hilda, Helen and Julia turned to leave, but Miss Ormsby called Helen to take the new girl to her room. "Ob, Helen, quick, quick! What did she say?M Helen came panting into the room from her run down the corridors. Hilda moved about Impatiently, waiting for her to speak, and then sat. spellbound as she heard the recital. "I hadn't been In the room five minutes min-utes when she told me I could be her friend; that she liked me, and that we'd make things lively for the girls. Her mother's an actress!" Both girls looked startled. "She told me all about her how she came here to Miss Onns-bys Onns-bys when she was a girl, and then married; mar-ried; and how aU their money was lost, and the shock killed her father. Then her mother went on the stage. Bhe had always shown talent, and Maud that's , the girl's name was sent to her uncle on a ranch out West. Oh, "she says we'll have a play club and shell be manager and play the leading parts, because she has the most experience. "She won't!" cried Hilda, springing to her feet. "We've talked of forming a club, and I don't see that she has any more experience because her mother's an actress!" . "Oh, she was very nice about it. Helen added; "she said it all in a very natural and winning way. as if it were all taken for granted. And I think you'll like her, Hilda." "Not If she thinks she is going to run this school." . "Oh, Hilda, you know we won t forsake for-sake you." , Then Hilda's good humor cams back to her. and the three talked it all over In their nook. . Hilda had had several severe lessons since coming to Miss Ormsby's, and had profited much, but a girl s nature is not changed in a day. Bhe was still intolerant intol-erant and domineering, yet the generosity gener-osity of her nature often prevailed after af-ter such outbreaks, and it was this flood of humlUty. followed by keen self-sacrifice coming always In the wake of her selfish impulses, that won her first place in the 'girls' love, as her high-spirited commanding personality won their admiration. ad-miration. It was, however, a battle-royal that the school witnessed when Hilda and the new girl pitted their strength against each other. Both beautiful, daring, and equally accustomed to lead; each-admiring Qualities in the other, the one would not relinquish her supremacy, su-premacy, the other would not admit it. Of course the teachers were ignorant of the feud, it was carried on so quietly. quiet-ly. Hilda and her faction thought that Maud was posing. She had insisted after her arrival, on riding her pony every day, as she was accustomed to, whereas, the other girls rode three times a week, as the tiding master said young girls should not ride more than that, and they always went accompanied accom-panied by him. . Then, too, Maud's broncho was fitted with lasso and pistol-holsters, which she begged that she might retain. She said it made her feel safer and more at home, for she slways rode so. To this Miss Ormspy finally gave a reluctant consent. . There was one place, however where the girls all met in apparent friendliness. friendli-ness. Hilda, Helen and Julia, the in-Heparable in-Heparable trio, were devoted to "pedal "pe-dal teacher. Mrs. Lawrence, and her invalid daughter, and It was at her cottage, cot-tage, half way between the school and the pond, that they spent much of their leisure time, amusing the delicate little Kitty Kittv was 6 years old, but as frail and light as a baby of 3. Her great serious se-rious eyes would dance with pleasure when the girls came to play with her. And when Maud took a fancy to Mrs. Lawrence, and came too. the girls for a time forgot their quarrels. It was through innocent Kitty that a break in the tension of affairs was caused, and a friendship cemented among the four One day the class was out for a ride, the master, with half a'doten of the other girls. Hilda, Julia and Helen, as usual, being in the lead. Maud had formed a half-hearted comradeship with Josephine, but she threw many a longing glance at the trio, who seemed determined to bar her out. Though her pride resented this, she knew that they were the girla In the school most fitted for her friendship. In a field Just beyond. Kitty Lawrence Law-rence was resting with the little maid that took care of her while her mother was away. Suddenly the maid uttered a scream as a low bellow reached her ear, and forgetting her charge, she rushed wildly to the road. The cry was heard by the party in advance, and then they saw a maddened bull dashing across the field, and directly in its path little Kitty, who seemed to be motionless motion-less with fright. Putting spurs to his horse, the riding-master riding-master galloped forward and tried to divert the attention of the bull, but his hallooing seemed only to increase the animal's fury. It came thundering on with lowered head, and the girls all grew cold as they saw In imagination the mangled body of poor little Kitty, while they were powerless to help her. Then, all at once, they heard another cry behind them, and turning they saw Maud clear the fence on her pony and dash across the field at an angle that would intersect the bull's course. How thankful the girl was at that moment that her life had been spent on the plains, where she had helped lit rounding round-ing up the cattle, and had taken part In all the daring sports of the boysj The Instant she saw the" bull, she knew what was to be done, and her courage rose quick and strong to the occasion. A rise in her saddle and grasp at her lasso, and with a cry as on her own familiar fa-miliar plains, she let fly the noose as the bull was within 100 feet of Kitty. The cast was a true one, for the rope settled over the bull's neck and the gallant gal-lant little broncho, true to his training, planted his feet and backed on his haunches to withstand the shock of the pull. This brought the bull to his knees, and then Maud rode several times around the nearest tree, making the rope fast. Hardly pausing for a second, she dashed off toward the terrified child, and leaning from her saddle as she rode, she caught little Kitty up in her strong young arms and soothed and cuddled her as she galloped back to her companions, flushed, triumphant and tender. The trio did not Join in the flood of acclamation with which the other girls greeted Maud's daring feat, but it was noticed that a moment later they made a group of four and rode off together, their eyes brighter and their cheeks rosier than usual. "The big three have taken Maud under un-der their wing," whispered Bee Lee to her roommate, Martha. "Not they!" was the whispered reply. "Maud has taken the big three under her wing and they seem to find it fine and dandy, too!" New Tork Mail. a |