The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1876-02-24
like . cup Of tea when you are out

Of sorts.''
But Lois tainted before the words !
were were we'll uttered; and Mary Anne,
ringing the bell, brought up small |
army Of fellow-maids who stood about |
the girl and conjectured, asserted,
pitied q condemned, according to
the calibre of brain and direction Of
thought belonging to each.
"You left the ballroom early last
night, Miss Lancaster" said Mrs.
Haynes the next morning at break
fast. "Were you fatigued or indis-
posed?"
She spoke coldlY as if fatigue or
indisposition was an offence deserving
rebuke; and she looked with kind
Of surprised annoyance at the girls
Pels 4heets slssq ard sunken ]. eyes, WHICH
sufficiently betrayed her discomfort.
=. II didn't feel myself very we'll,
Mrs. Haynes" answered Lois, rather
shakily: She could have repeated
last nights fit of weeping under
very slight provocation indeed.
Bernard's soft eyes looked sympa-
thetic and distressed.
"Were you not we'll ?" he asked
with the unmistakable emotion of a
lover.
"Oh, not badly to mind about, Mr..
Bernard" answered Lois heroically.
-"Was the dancing too much for
you2'' asked kindly Cora.
'Maybe it was, Miss Cora," LOIS
said with a jerk, grateful for the sug-
gestion which was so we'll calculated
to conceal the real cause. "I'm not
used to it, and I'm very delicate. A
very little does for me-"
"Then you should not have danced
so much" said Mrs. Haynes, al ways
with that subtle accent and manner
Of condemnation which seemed to
place Lois Lancaster as culprit be-
fore her, whom it was part Of her
daily duty to rebuke.
"How could I hinder myself, Mrs.
Haynes asked Lois opening her
eyes. "When the young gentlemen
asked me if Twas going to dance, and
seemed to want to take me out, how
could give them a back-word ?"
"You are not obliged to dance with
everyone who asks you," said Mrs.
Haynes with her superior smile.
"But I wanted to, Mrs. Haynes"
said innocent Lois, goaded into spon-
taneity. "1t isn't pleasant to sit by
oneself when one sees all the rest as
gay asgay and it's a treat I don't
often have"
"Then don't complain if you suf:
fer" said Mrs. Haynes.
Il didn't complain" Lois answered
with unnecessary earnestness. 1T
was yourself as asked me if I felt
myself poorly, and 1 said did.
didn't mean to find fault" she added,
her eyes filling with tears.
mo, MOTHER" put in Bernard
"Miss Lancaster did not complain.
She never complains of anything"
| "No?" said Mrs. Haynes col,,ly
while the poor girls tears dropped
slowly on her plate; 'then we need
nat pursue the subject. And pray,
Miss Lancaster, control yourself a
little better than this. People do
not cry like children in public-at
least not the people with whom we
are in the habit of associating." "
Which speech Of course had the effect
Of making Lois cry still more and of
deepening Mrs. Haynes displeasure.
After breakfast Bern ard watched
bis opportunity. Mrs. Haynes was
always careful to prevent his getting
apart with Lois; but this morning
she was Obliged to attend to some
business that would not wait, and he,
son took advantage of her absence to
endeavor to console his disconsolate
beloved. He himself was to the full
as wretched as she was. He saw
quite plainly that his mother whom
he loved, and his future wife whom
he adored, did not ''get on together;'
but, beyond this elemental perception
Of things he was lost. He thought
that perhaps Lois might know more
than: he knew, and, as was perfectly
natural, he felt sure that it must b'
somehow in her power to change the
present discords into harmonies, anc
that if any blame was to fall an,
where, it must righteously fall or
her head. It was her knowl edge Of
this natural decision which hac
made Mrs. Haynes so certain of he,
game and so resolutc to carry it tt
the bitter end.
"Lois, my darling" he said tender
| ly, what is it that makes you ano
my mother jar so perpetually?
had hoped everything from your Wis
it here, but somehow things seem al
to 60 wrong, and nothing that l car
say or do mends matters in any way
What is it, Lois ?"
I'm sure Mr.. Bernard you'd bet
ter ask Mrs. Haynes, not me-" an
swered Lois with an ominous qu i've
in her voice.
Il wanted you 80 much to b
friends" said Bernard with almost pa
thetic earnestness.
= 1T isn't my fault, Mr.: Bernard
indeed it isn't" said Lois, the tear
beginning again to start. "Ive dom