The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-10-28

NO. l5.
% they took possession Of the entire fir
floor, leaving the little parlor openin
d out Of the dining-room on the groun
It floor as tho only spot free to family a.
r cess. About halt-hour before dime
[ time Mrs. Loder aud Carrie returned
= very much out of breath with walkin;
bat in high spirits as to the resul; {
their expedition. They went ioto tn
!, lower parlor to rest before proceeding
up stairs, and hearing the hammerinI
aud dragging overhead, turned blanl
? stare of astonishment on Esther as re
, questing an explanation. The poo
girl changed color as if discovered ir
f wrong-doing; she was deeply interested
10 the up stairs improvements, aud had
been fully occupied in deciding or neil
nature and extent without once think.
ing Of how they would be likely to re.
gard then. She now fastened to say
that Tom had sent the men, and she
had been showing them what to do.
"Pm nearly Wild" cried Mrs. Lodcr
in great excitement "here are Carrie
and l just come from the Barrettos,
whom we have induced to promise US a
week Of their time here, and we expect
them this very evening. It's perfectly
unbe .rable, and you are the mort pro-
vokiug girl in existence, Esther .Grov-
er."
| Startled at this suddca accusation
her face flushed scarlet, and she looked
without speaking at her aunt, who con-
tinued::with inc .sing irrascibility.
"It's not to be borne, I shall have
them stop this instant-the dreadful
wretches, they'll. drive me Wild"
"Stop them, MAJ" cried Carrie, seiz-
ing the practical idea with all the
strength of her newly acquired energies.
"Just order them to stop and have
some one put all the things back in
place. It's perfectly tormentiug, so it
is"
But although acting on this entfeaty.
her mother rushed up stairs to have it
carried into execution, despair settled
in her heart when she saw the utter i'm
possibility Of staying the storm of i'm
provement. Everything moveable was
moved, and so entirely dispossessed Of
the former covering to receive the new,
that nothing was left her to do but to
go into passion, in which she Was en-
ergetically accompanied by her daugh-
ter.
~ am sorry,' said Esther, speaking
with a great effort at self-control, II
am truly sorry. You were not here,
and Tom sent the men. l didn't know
that the refttiuss would disarrange
your plans"
"You didn't know" drawlel Carrie,
insultiug!y, "you l-new we'll enough
that it wouldn't annoy you, that's
plain"
"'Im too provoked to trust myself to
speak" cried her mother and having
announced that, she became more and
more personal and abusive in her re-
marks, until Esther, her color entirely
departing, stood pale and excited before
her with an expression that arrested her
midway in her harangue.
~ will not listen to one other wo1d,"
she said, "and when Frank comes home
I shall tell him precisely what you have
said"
"Oh, DEAR" said Carrie, laughing
derisively, but her mother had the wis
dom to see that they had gone far
enough, so she plucked her by the
mantle, and began to go up stairs.
After that Mrs. Loder stayed in her
own chamber till her elder sons return,
who being told by the girl who opened
the door for him that his mother dcsir-
ed to see him, instantly repaired to her
apartment. There the conference last
ed so long that dinner was cold before
they descended to the dining-room.
Tom wss later still, and Esther sat alone
for quiet time, waiting. At last they
all came down, and 1t was very evident
that another course of action had been
decided On. All their faces were smil-
ing and cheerful no one alluded to
the storm of an hour before, and
Frank and his mother conducted a con-
versation so full of animation and so
free from clouds Of dissension, that
Esther was alone In her quiet and re-
serve. Tom inquired how far the work
above stairs had progressed, and his
mother answered the question that had
evidently been addressed to her netce:
"Oh, everything is going on admir-
ably" she said. II was little out of
temper when I came homo aud found
the place at skies and sevens. Partic-
ularly as VIC expect the Barrcttos to
drink tea with US tonight but We have
arranged to dress up the lower parlor
| as we'll as We can, and hurry the work.
men along to complete everything as
soon as possible"
"Do you think those people will be
| .s comfortable or allow Won fo he as