The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1873-01-04
LITTLE DORMER.
Prom All the Year Round.


''I would rather die, !" said Lefty, pas
sionately
Just 50, my dear; all young girls
woulA 4 rather die than give up an un-
subtantial fancy for profitable reality.
! In general, however, they do give it up,
and they do not die, answered her
mother, quietly.
Mamma, how cruel you are - cried
the girl, with kind of angry despair in
her voice
Because L am rational! How cruel
you are, you ought rather to say, Lefty,
to give me so much trouble when 1 am
acting only foryour own good; and wheIe
you know you will have to yield at last
81 will not yield-I Will die first, - re-
peated Lefty.
You are very fond of that assertion,
my dear; but it does not move me. L
say that you viii marry as 1 wish you
to do, and live into quite respectable
old age. You are healthy, though you
do not come of a long-lived family on
one side" She sighed-it was 2 con-
ventional sigh-and then she Mntly
muTmureu, poor papa
"Oh, mamma! you are too dreadful
with your old sarcasms, cried Lefty.
finging up her hands.
"And you are too silly with your
mock heroics, my dear. If you had !
not me to guide you into common sense,
what a mess you would make of Your
"what a wreck you wi51-,- - 9iIe Of 7
itl'' cried Lefty TS
SILLY little girl. said Mrs. Dormer,
with compassionate contempt. You |
are like a naughty child who viii thrust !
its hand into thief fire, and thinks its nurse I
abominably cruel because she tries to
prevent it. The day will come my dear,
when you will thank me, instead of
scolding me as you are doing no., that
1 put an end to this absurd affair with
Mr.. Ratcliff, and gave you such an adj
mirable settlement in Mr.. Mounsey."
Admirable settlement A man old
and that no girl could hke-only with
money"
"And, having money, with all that
a portionless girl can desire and more
than she has a right to expect, said
Mrs. Domer, taking up few dropped
stitches leisurely.
"Oh, know you don't think it neces-
sary for wife to love her husband,
said Lefty, sarcastically.
"To begin with by no means, my
dear" answered her mother, with per-
feet good breeding and good temper.
"Love comes by habit, by the fact of
a pleasant home where there is no stint.
| on man is very much the same as an
other man, when you know them; and,
with moderate amount OF amiability,
a well principled girl is sure to be happy
if she is properly provided for. -
"Your opinions are absolutely mon
strous, and 1 Will have nothing to do
with them" said Lefty, angrily.
"Only to fulfill them, little goose,
when you have worked off the froth.
| Mre. Dormer returned her answer with
slight laugh; and the servant at that
moment flung open the door with an air,
and ushered in" Mr. Mounsey."
| A short, thick-set, irascible-looking
man with grizzled hair cropped close,
broad bushy eyebrows, and that kind of
moustasche and whiskers run together
about clean shaven chin which gives
such a wild beast expression to face,
confident, aggressiye,e unsympathetic
| looking man; man to push his own
way in the world without regard to those
he shouldered aside, and TO hold his own
let who would want; man to be wary
of in business, and with whom it would
be necessary to be caustious how one
made him friend or foe; a man strong
| in his own right, and standing four
square in his own esteem; but, as Lefty
said. man whom no girl could love.
This was the Mr. Mounsey, who had
been pleased to cast eyes of admiration
on portionless Lefty Dormer, and to de-
mand her of her mother as his wife and
the Mistress of Mounsey Park. And
Mrs. Dormer had promised In spite of
nt " little folly with George Ratcliffe,
which she had encouraged eagerly
enough when no better chances were on
hand.
As he came in his somewhat cruel face
lighted up with kind of masterful
smileof pleasure. Mrs. Dormer rose and
welcomed him; but Lefty sat pale and
rebellious, not fearful nor trembling,
not shrinking or shy, but with look OF
set purpose, of undisguised hostility on
} her face, which her very pallorO and
rigidity seemed to intensity. Mr.. Noun
sey wisely ignored all unpleasant signs.
His cue was to refer Letty's resistance
to the coy reserve Of maidenly modesty.
Girls never know their own minds, not to
speak of their best interests; he and
Mrs. Dormer were fully agreed on that
point; and he had mama's consent, he
thought it waste of force to attempt an
! argument with the girl herself, trusting
to the dazzle of riches and hi mothers
8 influence for happy issue out of all his
. perplexities.