Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-06-07
should speak so disrespectful of such a

"And my wonder is" answered Har-
rie, " that speak so well of her."
By this time Mrs. Gilman had raped
vigorously several times, and was finally
admitted and taken into the little sitting
room, Mrs. Hanly excused herself for a
moment, and before she could get back
she was followed into the kitchen by her
visitor.
"Now, Mrs. Hanly," said she, don't
want to be made company Of; just let me
sit right down where you are at work,
that'u suit me best. / amt one q the
kind that can't be happy nowhere but in
the parlor."
But Mrs. Hanly had no idea of keeping
her company in the kitchen so she took
Dams coat to mend, and led the way back.
1t lacked an hour Of time to get dinner,
so in few minutes after, Harrie drew a
little rocking chair up by window in
the kitchen, and thought she would rest
little. She very much preferred her
own company to Mrs. Gilman's. But
she was not to escape that way. Pre-
sently that worthy lady spied little mat
on the table, and was seized with a de-
sire to understand how it was made.
So Harrie was called upon to enlighten
her.
81 declare, Harrie, you do work won
derful FAST" for Harrie gave the crochet
needle an extra motion now and then,
which mystified the anxious seeker after
knowledge.
"Going to the party tonight, sup
pose, amt your" she said, her interest in
crochet work slightly abating.
"Yes'm," said Harrie.
"Going to be wonderful fine; they say
they've sent to the city fer some curious
kind of lantern, disremember the name,
to hang up in the trees, and lot of per-
fections and things but then the Blakes
always do things up real nice, though
law, L knew Sallie Blake when she was
Sallie Gates, and sewed for a living, or
teached school, or did most anything re-
spectacle. You can't tell, the luck of
some folks is wonderful"
"At any rate" said Harrie, ''you
must admit that Mrs. Blake deserves her
good fortune. She is lady, and would
be, whatever her surroundings"
"Well, well, may be, but money makes
mighty sight of difference"
Yes, but not all the difference" said
Harrie firmly.
"Who do you suppose met as was a
along with Miss Mollie Blake? no one
a Judge. They was langhin' and chattin'
as gay as could be, and he had the beau
tifulest basket of flowers in his hand |
ever see. 1 always liked Will Wallace,
and so | stopped and shook hands with
him, and he seemed real glad to see me,
too. 1 said, L spose you've come down
to the party, and he said, yes, of
course, he could not help responding to
such an invitation, and Miss Blake looked
pleased as could be-"
Then l said, 81 spose these beautiful
flowers is designed for the same place."
and he said, II devoutly hope that they
will have that happy destiny" and he
looked so smilin' at Mollie, that she
blushed, and said, she need not have
much fear, such lovely flowers were al
ways welcome"
81 think Mollie Blake IS kind o. silly,
but guess Will Wallace is in earnest this
time. He's kind o. flirtin fellow, don't
you think SOP"
Harrie answered, 81 don't know" but
was only conscious of a fierce desire to
get out of the room, away from Mrs. Gil
man and her horrid tongue, and if she
could, away from herself. She felt her.
self growing pale and faint. but feigned
an amiable wish to initiate Mrs. Gilman
fully into the mystery of daisy mats. II
she only could escape betraying any emo
| ton!
But Mrs. Gilman had watched her too
closely for that, and presently said:
"Don't you think, Mrs. Hanly, that
Harrie looks just leetle paler N usual
this summer. Seems to me she looks
kind o. peeked."
Mrs. Hanly, on principle, never thought
as anybody else did, so she answered thai
"she hadn'tnoticedit it. Most girls wanted
nowadays, was more exercise"
"Thank you, said Harrie, " am re-
markably well, this summer, and as fol
know"
"That's so but it seems to me yoT
you're nervous; some girls be-"
"Thank you, Pm never nervous"
| 81 don't know now, you look sort o
tremblin' like, and | shouldn't wonder
but what a tonic would do you good
Boneset tea is 'mazin' strepgthenin', and
quietin', too"
"I don't think need anything of the
kind" said Harrie.
Maybe not; Dut there was my cousin
who died of consumption last year, anG
she looked good deal as you do, only
she was tall and stout and dark compiled,
ted but then she had disappointment
that kind o. broke her down, like"
"The resemblance must certainly be
very striking" said Harrie. 1t would
have been an intense satisfaction to her tt
have said something that would have sem
the woman out of the house but that be
ing inconsistent with good manners ant
hospitality, she did the next best thing
For once in her life she was glad to ge
out into the kitchen and 60 to work
though it hurt her feelings to think sh'
must get dinner for any one who had hur
her peace so cruelty.
The children came in in their usual tu
multuous fashion, hungry and impatient
as only school children know how to be.
"Is nay coat mended ?" said Dan. "In
going hunting this afternoon long will
the other boys, and l want my dinner
quick" And Tom wanted something
else, and, oh, dear so many things 4
do. and back of them all that dreadful
bitter feeling, that pain that was so sick
ening and so strange. Would she eve
find time to sit down and think about it
and was it all true? Was everything 60
ing out of her life?
II think the dinner was success