The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-10-15
6. Where people wait till their habits are
ystalized 1t Is much harder adapting them.

the gate-the doctors carriage, too, with the
doctor himself to drive.
80 it seems she knew all the time they
were coming this very day, though she made
it SO vague. And there l was, as my good for
tune would have lit, right in the midst OF the
said Mrs. Woodcock, AFTER
ward, in relating the story to Mademolselie
Widger.
Mademoselle Widger was the milliner who
lived only three doors from Mrs. Woodcock,
and said ''mon dieu" to appear like French
woman. She was equally fond of cup of
tea and dish OF gossip, and made all Mrs.
Woodcock's bopnets for nothing.
$50 there l sat and saw it ALL" pursued Mrs.
Woodcock. "And what do you think, Made
moiselle, but Ernest came in with lady on
his arm older than his mother. My wife, said
he, and you might have knocked me over with
one of your feather poppies. There was new
er such surprise in Throckmorton before"
"Mon dieu" ellen Mademoiselle, with lit
tie foreign scream, "Did you learn how it hap
pened?"
"No more than the dead" replied Mrs
Woodcock, soemnly. Mrs. Seacrest tried to
pass il off with her smooth-it-away manner,
but she couldn't deceive me. l could see she
had hard work to heep her feelings in. But
there she poured the tea ard passed the cake
to that old thing as smiling as the moon. she
is Sucn Il W CONCl up AhphS 90
though everything is just right that happens
to her."
$50 you stal to lunch?' queried Made
moisele, helping herself TO third cup of that
beverage from Mrs. Woodcook's round black
pot as she spoke
"Yes, they asked me, and l didn't wait to
be deemed. L thought it would be good
chance to see the bride, how she looked and
how she appeared"
Uou al IL, IL
tween her sips Of tea.
"She appeared well enough, far as that
went, if she hadn't seemed old enough to be
his grandmother. You know Earnest is mas
ter young looking for his years, and don't
suppose he is day over twenty"
"Mon dieuw But didn't you have any sur
mise how it happened to take place." pursued
Mademoiselle.
swell, suppose she must have been worth
property" returned Mrs. Woodcock, who,
| like wise general, never acknowledged de-
| feat. "But for all that don't commend it in
him, and had as lief tell him so at his dinner
| table," .eetr
While thus the hidden affairs of the doctors
family were being discussed and stirred up in
the Hollow, as hen stirs among dead leaves,
on the Hill they were being carefully covered
over like the lost Babes in the Woods. 1t was
never the Seacrest fashion to parade the fami-
| ly skeletons like family jewels. So they ate
and drank and laughed and tried to look at
| the elderly bride without shuddering.
But her age was not the worst OF it. She
| was homely. And herhomeliness was not the
! worst. She was stiff and unattractive in man
| ner as well as person. And it was hardly the
consolation, that, perhaps, it should have
been, to perceive the unlimited tondness that
the boy bridegroom had for his aged compan-
ion. For it is really comfort, though small
one to see our friends chafe under degrade
ton. Accepting slavery with contentment
makes the captive twice slave.
However, the less the family felt like saying
sweet things the more they pressed the sugar
ed cake, the ice cream, and the Strawberries
upon their new member, But all this time
there was something in the background
waiting TO be brought forward, and it was the
bride who had the courage first to touch it.
Earnest" she lbe9an, with the dominant
air of an elderly aunt, "an explanation is due
| to your father and mother-and your sister"
she added, glancing sharply at Miriam, who
was fairly sea sick with disgust and sorrow
and modification.
! eyes, Lily, tell them," answered Earnest
looking at her as though She were sugar can
| dy.
| ''The truth is, them" said Lily, turning her
| withered face away from Earnest as though it
| cost her an effort, Shy the will of the uncle
| from whom had my money, unless marri-
| ed before certain date, lost it ALL And a
kinsman, who was heir-at-law, was very anx-
| iOuS to inherit it,"
"The old cur wanted Lily himself" inter-
| posed Earnest, Sam he thought il he got her
property he would be sure to get her. At any
| rate, he was resolved to have that. This was
why we had to be so secret"
Miriam fairly groaned; and even fairy
hearted Mrs. Seacrest dropped her napkin
ring on the floor, and came up from STOPPING
for iAwith wet eyelashes. To think that Err
nest had sold himself for this woman's gold
| So Mrs. Woodcock down in the Hollow was
right, after ALL
But, as though she suspected the nature of
their thoughts, Lily went on:
81 had some trouble in persuading Ernest
said she, looking at him tondly through her
blue glasses, while she parted her gray curls
and settled her cap. 81 knew you had "ejacu-
lated Miriam inaudibly.) "He had foolish
notion it would be more heroic to take me af
ter had lost my property. But I had right
TO it, and wanted to keep it,"
"We had a jolly time though, lodging old
Drymar. He is about discovering now, Lily
said Ernest, bursting into joyful laugh that
nobody felt the heart to join in.
| Then he took from his pocket the marriage
certificate, dated that very day. 1t seemed
he had telegraphed to his father to meet him
and his wife at the station not more than five
minutes after she had become his wife.
I'VE had to turn pretty sharp corners to
keep out of Drymar's way" continued Ernest,
still chuckling. "He thought he had Lily
safely locked in her room while he went for a
justice, thinking he could brighten her into a
marriage with him. or, al any rate, keep her
away from any other man till the day had
gone by. But Lily was better at picking locks
than he thought; and she came to me, poor
thing, SO out ofbreath and frightened"
Ernest's voice grew tender and pilitul at the
thought, and he took Lys hand in his with
a caressing gesture.
II have loved her ever since have been in
college, and she knew it, but we had to keep
it to ourselves ON old Drymar's account And
Twas dying to marry her; but l didn't like
the idea ofmarrying for money exactly. How
ever, there wasn't any help for it then, moth
err, yon see. Drymar was her legal guardian
until she married, or was OF a certain age. So
chum and fixed her up in bridal dress, and
here we are!"
Upon that the irrepressible young BRIDE
groom got up and kissed his bride, then he
led her from the room, saying over his Shout
der.
''We will be back directly"
When they were gone sorrowful sigh bub
bled out of the mothers soul.
"Poor boy!' said she; This heat is all right,
and l cannot blame him."
81 blame him for falling in love with his
grandmother, in the first place." said Miriam,
severely. "And her having money makes it
more horrible. 1t seems so sordid even
though we may know better"
Almost before she had done sIeaking they
heard Ernest's step on the stairs, and his
voice in such loving, happy tones that it sent
fresh pain through the listeners. Then he
appeared with his bright, curling head and
his sunny eyes so like his mothers But with
him came, instead of the wrnkled old bride,a
fail-faced, FLUSHING girl, with shower OF gold
en- hair, and all the beauty of youth and hap
piness on her sweet face. A lily truly, beau
tiful and pule.
1--WE had TO fix her up that way, chum and
/, for fear old Drymar would meet u.s." cried
Ernest, with burst of boyish delight at the
astonished and relieved faces of the family;
"and it was such fun to watch Miriam this
evening. Father and mother kept IN better.
Mon dieu! DO you call that little crea-
ture old enough to be Ernest's grandmother ?"
whispered Mademoselle Widger to Mrs.
Woodcock, leaning over her pew railing on
the next Sabbath, as the Seacrests came into
church.
Mrs. Woodcock looked, took off her glasses,
wiped them, and looked again.
'Mercy on me! And sat as near her that
day as am to the minister now! How
body's eyes will deceive them !" she cried.
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