The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1876-02-10

stirred more than she cared to .ac'
knowledge to herself:
! He lifted his eyes with a sudden
flash. She lowered hers and was sor.
~ she had been so indiscreet.
..Do you mean to say" he began
drawing near to her and taking he1
hand in his.
j How rough and brown and toll
| hardened his was! How white anc
fine Bernard's had been She drew
her own away.
! II meant nothing" she said coldly
"Good-bye, Mr.. John. Please excuse
me; Lam .throng just: now"
! ""He has no one to blame but him
SELF was her unspoken thought, a.
she went up stairs into her own room
and turned over the dresses that had
just come in from Keswick, in pre-
paration for. her intended visit tc
Midwood--with Mr.: Bernardo moth
er and sisters, those: formidable crit
ics and judges in the background
I waiting for her arrival before deliv
ering their verdict; and, turning then
over, she said half aloud, II am SUR
they are as nice as nice no one neet
be- finer
! Mrs. Haynes was not one to max
war, with srose:water. By no means
! naturally cruel she was yet one 0
lthoee resolute women to whom cruelty
comes easywhen it has to fulfil thu
purpose they; have in view. Accept
ing her sons infatuation as a disease
she had no more scruple in usinl
sharp measures for his cure than ha
the surgeon scruples in applying tn,
knife when only the knife can heralt
healing, Her object was to. show
| Lois to Bernard in a humiiatins
flight, and thu. convince him. by de
! monstration Of the unfitness he would
not receive As a doctrine preached by
another. Wherefore, to the bewil
derment Of, Maud and Cora, and te
Bernard's dissatisfaction for the one
part and gratitude for the other, sht
asked few friends to dinner on tht
very evening Of the girls arrival
She had no wish to let her get some
what accustomed to her new surround
ings before she was introduced tt
Bernard's world. She should be
shown with the full flush of her ma
tive awkwardness upon her; with the
fatigue Of travel and the excitement
Of the frst meeting to add to her dis
comfort and make her still more ner
vous and ung.inly. This too va
part Of the rope she was paying ou
with such consummate skill, and il
the coils Of which both Bernard an<
.lLois were to be caught.
T. An hour before dinner-that is, a
seren, o'cloek-the carriage sent b!
| Mrs., Haynes to the station drove VI
Ito the door Of; Wildwood. bringing
lLpie. escorted by Bernard, to he
I ordeal.
T.; Mother, Miss Lancaster said tn
hoy, his face flushed and radiant a
he brought into the stately drawing
room where his mothers and sister
sat, the fair-haired, weary Lois Ian
caster, looking more impassive tha
| ever because she was scared, an
scarcely knowing, as she told he
father afterwards, her right han
from her left.
| Mrs. Haynes rose with her mos
courtly manner and made 8 fe'
steps forward. Perfectly wei! bze
and graceful. she put on her grande<
+ air, and received the fiuttered cour
try girl with the magnificent polite
I mess with which che would have II
/ ceived q Duchess. No fault coul
! possibly be found with her method Q
/ reception. How better could sh
show her respect for her sons c!'oic
tn an by treating Lois, peasant as sh
was, as though she had been an Earl
daughter' Nevertheless, it was in
Idu man if magnificent; and Bernas
fel Il that he would gladly have e1
ch anged The ,politeness for one das
Of maternal warmth, of womanl
I consideration,
&c II hope you are not tired, Mis-
Lancaster1' said Mrs. Haynes wit
4 exquisite courtesy, but trigid as a
icicle.. . .,}t.'1t is q fatiguing journe
'llftom ?Windermere to our place"
| 80 'Thank you, Nm. Haynes; I n
hot oyerdo., e." said Lois, whose ur
| mibtakaable' /; accent, 80 slight at Wyth
butn, Wvlas frightfally distinct nov
l But she spoke with self:possession,
stimI.
- my daughters-Miss Haynes
| my youngest daughter said Mr.
Haynes regally.
! The, girls came forward and shoe
hands with Bernard's choice. The
scanned her critically after the maj
cer of girls with each other, and
glance Of intelligence passed frol
Maud to Cora and back again. The
saw before them a creature who's
every feature was simply perfect;
creature with the materials of bea4t
fit to set the world aaame; yet ou
!, twho somehow missed the soul Of a
beauty-power to charm. She w
bad style; and they denied the m;
terial seeing the imperfection Of IL
result.