The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-10-21
Tom broke out wralhfullv.

suodenly, and checking his uuusu
excltment glanced confusedly at b
cousin, and coughed once or twice as
trying to swallow his aggravatiou.
1t seemed to strike his mother
this point that the leas. said was Il
20 NEST mended. Therefore she loll,w&
bis example by refrainiog from furth,
mention of the subject-but proceede
to eulogize the style and manner
Esther's housekeeping.
II don't wonder that Tom is so plea
cd, I'm sure, my dear," she said kindl!
"you are really doing Wcnders-an
few who knew as ittlo of the bushes
could in anywisa equal you"
"You all combine to put mo in
good humor with myself, and I'm sur
l ought to be very grateful to you all.
"Seo about the carpet, Essie," in
terrupted Tom at this point, and hu,
ried out of the room lest anythin,
should be said derogatory to this las
announcement.
His mother looked after him with a,
expression of worried doubt upon be
face, and then clearing up with an ef
fort, smiled cheerfully and assam
ing an air Of briskaess, remarked:
"Dear me>>f had nearly forgotten
that t.ss@e to show you a card Of 10.
tation from the the Fenleys; who
would have thought Of their giving q
party; and here's note accompanying
it by way Of explanation, in which
Mrs. Fenley says: "We are having q
young friend and his sister from tn,
West Indies, and our desire to intro.
duce him to our connections, induces
me to beg you not to fail to come" "
What can they mean, do you suppose
| never heard Of these West Indian
friends: and I'm sure that they have
none there, unless they mean Mr.:
Woodleigh, who certainly is not likely
to be here now"
"Perhaps," suggested Esther, "they
may have acquaiutauces there that we
do not know anything about-thvy are
not at all confding about their affairs"
ooh, what an absurd thing it will be
to see them doing the honors Of their
gloomy old house for anybody; I
wouldn't miss it for the world"
81 hope it will brighten them up
l'ttle," said Esther, sighing as the re-
membraDce Of the gloomy days she had
passed there floated before her. She
had considered herself so fortunate in
escaping from the thraldom Of that cas-
tie Dismal that she had but seldom re-
visited its stupidity dull precincts; now
she wondered, as did her aunt, who and
what had induced this unheard of DIS
play Of hospitable feeling.
Il think Tom could tell Us more
about it" she said at length. "You
know that Tom Fenley aud ho see each
other 10 business way quite otten-so
that it is more than probable he knows
something about the new comers,"
Mrs. Loder acknowledged the w;s-
dom of this surmise by admitting that
although she had never thought Of it,
there was no doubt that it was so.
Left alone, Esther pursued her &C.
cupatiops very busily but with less
spirit, and her face grew perturbed and
brooding as she worked. Dorothy
cane into the store-room to consult her
about the dinner, aud found her 60
prcoccupied that she addressed her
twice before she gained her attention.
At length she said aloud, in a sort OF
angry soliIoquy, for there was no one
there to hear her
"What mean creature, to depend
on tho work Of others for ell that he
claims and demands so coolly." Hav-
ing thus relieved her 5urdened heart,
she suddenly and unaccountably burst
into tears, and accusing herself bitter
ly mumurcd, "Here / am coolly as
persing the character Of my future
husband and trying to prove him con-
temptible william. Oh, what a wretch
ed goose am. Perhaps he does not
know that bis mother makes Tom give
up his money for his use. It may be
all her doings; oh, I trust it is, for it's
too mean to be so selfish"
Here she dropped her account-book,
and throwing her pencil into the mid.
die Of the room, burst iato passon Of
sobs; and 10 every way evinced an in
tensity Of feeling that the mere fact Of
her aunt preferr,ng her sons outfit to
parlor carpet by no means accounted
tor.
Esther Grover had = way Of disar-
ranging her appearance to suit the con-
f{ict of her mind. She hal pushed
back her hair and rump1ed it up all
over her head in an irritated way, aud
rubbing her eyes energetically, made
them and the tip Of her nose scarlet
from irritation. In this plight she
heard a soft step approaching, and
turning round, faced her accepted lover,
who stood smiling before her, in every
particular contrast to herself. She
was in no wise propitiated by tho diff.
+ renee, and 10 fact she seemed more pro.
voksd by it than if he had been as