Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-15
wonder ~hici, q u. is he coming 70 .ee-pOrO-

to see. 49,
Then, after a good while, we fe,i back into
our first chat about Joan's wedding. for, though
We didn't quite see the fun of giving tameiy up
to our youngest si~ter the onlysnitor who seemed
to be forthcoming, we were too fond of each
ether TO regret the probable triumph Of one, and
TOO fond Of ourselves not TO be quite aware thai
be The yOangest-wonld be a benefit TO all. So
We discussed il all as definite thing 70 Joan,
and bid our own private opinions. We chose
tie dresses OF both bride and bridesmaids;
marked out the tour, arranged the furnishing,
and nlagnanimously ceded 10 onr eldest the nrst
invitation 10 the new brother in-law. Then We
went to tea with good apPetites, AMI 20 oed with
ANY CAV next week might Ajax pop i'm upon
Us t. say tbs particular thing; 20 even Monday
was not too sOsn to expect him. We did not
tiye mnch publicity TO our special expectations;
vet tholgh or preparations were surrcpttously
conducted, I've every reason now TO feel that
there asn't one OF rs who did not understand
the practi, AZ feet of certain uEack nowledged
hope in the Others; but who, respecting the mo-
tive with that feeling which engenders won
drous kin6ness. kept the secret henorably. p
Jean had brought from Edinburg glowing
description OF the little Dolly Warden aprons
which had just come INFO fashion, and had
infinitely described one with pink TRAININGS
which Max had admired. This narrative had
sunk deep into my mind, and from that time /
devoted all my Lsisure InOmeEts-in soltuae
and my own room-to the manufacture of a
similar one. OH the heartburnincs / suffered
when steps we're heard in the passage while I
sat cioseted there with a lapful of ribbon-ends
and loops, and an open handbook at NV feet
really 10 swallow the materials en- masse on the
approach of lryfng eyes. But, above all things,
oh! the nervousness OF appearing in il first on
oat Monday evening jlst before the train from
Edinburgh was due, for OF course it would never
have done to keep II perdW until Max had actl-'
ally arrived, and TIL have had suddenly 70 APP
pear in il, while the girls in.erehanged elances
and put ne out for the whole evening. l cOuld
not venture that, 80 boldly put il on and went
that was intended to be unconscious, but was
really defiant in the extreme. AMI rapidly utter
ing some very Irrelevant observations for the
purpose of turning every ones attention from
my new and startling garment But the remarx
and the expression OF cOuntenance were alike
depressing failures. 1 might just as well have
rushed IN eNclaiming, at the top OF my voice,
LOOK keTe! Look at my new apron! j made
u All myself, in secret and at great expense; AMI
for no earthly purpose but to captivate Max"
might just a. well have said it ont in that way in
ful, 50 plainly was il repeated in all the faces.
Stupids. The more tried 10 eye them down in
nay defiance, the more the six eyes glared at
it, The bows grew limp under the trying scru-
tiny. hOpelessly felt that no such a caricature
OF person had ever before rushed into their
midst ITO no purpose) with an Irrelevant obser-
walton. The apron grew TO my disordered fan
CIV, ugly and enormous, and 1 could with su-
pTeme satisfaction 10 myself have pitched IL on
the fire. But then what defeat that wOuLi
have been; and after all Max had admired one
inst like it, III ceuld but Just live down this
hrst ordeal presently, perhaps, my Dolly Var
den would assume its natural equilibrium. [
went bodily into the midst of the astOnishei
ewes, and then / saw my opportunity and seized
il. With one coup d'GI took I'm the fact that
Patience had made an investment, too. She hail
at least guinea's worth of extra p.aits on her
head this afternoon for the first time; and these
served beautifully as means of removing the
other four glaring ewes from my pink bows. The
pats weren't becoming to Patience, their
falseness being quite evident in strong light:
but didn't mention this III consequence of the
relief they had given me.
What have You got new, Dorothy" asked
growing presently courageous, ''plaits or
hne?'
~ have branehed ont into new line" ac-
nothing"
..Iwouldn't," put in Patience, little bit Sc
verely, 'stoOp 10 hide my invest ments, if / were
you, Dorothy (Which was quite true, for Pa
And we didn't say a word more, though there
upon the crate stood the little drawing room
kettle, with china handle, which she had been
INTO town that morning on purpose to buy.
Housekeeping alwayswas DOrothy's weak point,
and Max was known TO he very keen in apppe-
eating the convenient OF elegant appliances OF
a meal.
Wei, every day that week, at the same time,
we prepared for Max; in our plaits and pink
boys, and with tea laid for five, and the glisten-
ing little kettle singing on the trivet. Certainly
Joan didn't don anything new; but then she
had good cause, and, besides that, made up tor
She had been ansply provided with everythin thine;
new for her visit to Edinburgh; and As she felt
those were the very dresses which had cap
tivated Max, what need had she for others?
And she made up for it in this way. All the
week she devoted herself to identifying our
garden, in anticipation of the admiration it
Would win from Max, when she could say in
her soft voice, and with her provOkingly pretty,
chilish airs, II manage the garden, Max"
What joke that gardening was to me-.OOking
on-and how delighted was to see that She ex,
pended upon IL twenty times as much manual
Labor as had exhausted me over my Dolly Var
den. Five DAYS out of the six passed and the
preparations had so far been wasted; excep, that
they had grown familiar to us now, and we wore
them without uncomfortable Consciousness.
But on the Saturday morning, when we came
letters on the tabie-unmistakeable with its
handsome crest and bold address, "Niss PEN
dlethorpe."
enjoyment, ats Dorothy he means, after ALL"
Don't be goose. Barbara" reproved Pa
thence. who had entered the room with me- and
now advanced with her stately step to look over
my shoulder. "Of course, if he writes TO say
that he is coming. he would naturally address
to Dorothy, as we have no mother"
And If he is in love with her, he would
seeing why Dorothy should be laid upon the
Come, Dorothy, don't keep us waiting,
cried Joan; I'm IN an unbearable state of ex
element
But Dorothy would not hurry believe in
my own mind that she preferred the suspense
10 the certainty. 30, as we saw this, we made
a great effort to hide our own eagerness and
began weakly and abOrtively to talk on other
topics.
1never remember noticing before how des-
perateiy slow Dorothy is in opening letter. /
thought she never would have finished breaking
the seal OF this one; aud, when at last IL was
broken, she deliberately looked between the
leaves, and turned the sheet round twice.
go, the signature is there all right, )" remarked
Patience, Just little tartly. What comes
before the signature"
% OF course, he only writes to say when he is
coming" returned Dorothy with indifference 80
supernatural and unnatural that il was plain
enough to see it was feigned. % suppose YOU
can all wait while read il, !" she added, looking
al IL over the paper with great aggrayating en-
iOyment
And TO prove how utterly indi herent we all
were 10 the contents OF this absurd letter, We
turned entirely away, and helped ourselves 10
tongue and bread and butter I'D libitum-just
Tor two moments and half. Then somehow
we found our attention again cOnce ntrating
Dorothy, who was reading steadily now, and in
utter silence. L couldn't help it, I didn't
try, but feel quite sure that couldn't have
helped II If l had tried-I went near enough
behind Der to read over her SHOULDER, and the
first two word. saw gave me an extraordinary
sensation.
My wife"
NV heart bumped and thumped against my
side. Which was il 10 be? Sure to be Joan.
et, after all, il might be Dorothy. No; il would