The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-12-27

j
come into your house." said Miss Susan
in a tone of settled conviction. "When
do you expect Mrs. Grey?" she asked,
rising, and folding up her knitting work.
Tomorrow evening""
$50 soon2 Well, I'm sure, hope you
will be able to get along with her." an
swered Miss Susan, with little sympa-
thetic sigh.
Often during the remainder of that day
and the next, Mrs. Grey found herself
wondering what her husbands mother
vas like. He had always seemed so
proud and fond of her, that she was pre-
disposed to love her; to regard her with
that reverence and affection which she
had cherished for her own dead mother.
She thought how nice it would be to have
some one to whom she could go with all
! her little troubles and aaxieties, some one
who would sympathize with and counsel
her; and how pleasant it would be for
Henry to have his mother always near
! him, where he could watch over and care
for her.
! They would make such a happy family /;
Henry and herself, grandma, and baby
Harry.
Then, in opposition to all these pleas
ant thoughts, would come up, in spite of
her, the gloomy warnings and forebodings
which Susan Skinner had uttered. Could
Henry's mother be "mean, conniving,
meddlesome,," or disagreeable in any
way3 No, thousand times no. And
yet the sharply spoken words had left
their sting, and she could not drive the
memory Of them from her mind.
When train time arrived, mamma and
baby took their station at the window, to
watch for grandma" Soon the sound
of wheels was heard, and Henry drove
I up to the door, and handed out lady.
"Mother, this is your daughter, Ma
ry.o
Mary looked up and met pair Of gen.
tie blue eyes looking out wistfully from q
kindly old face.
.sMary, will you let me be your mother
as well as Henry's :" asked the lady, hold
ing out her hands; and Mary answered,
embracing her warmly:
4 Indeed, will! Welcome home,
4 mother" -.
Miss Skinner, peeping from between
her blinds across the street, saw the act
and understood it.
"Oh, that's all very fne," she muttered,
contemptuously. ga new broom sweeps
clean. Wait few weeks, and then we
shall see."
1t was two weeks before Christmas, and
Mary was busy preparing for the holidays.
1 One evening, after putting baby to bed,
she ran down to the parlor to get her
sewing, which she had left on the table
I before tea. The door did not open readi-
ly, and she tried it again, but found it
was locked. She was sure she had heard
Henry's and his mothers voices within,
and thinking the door had become fas-
tened accidentally, called out to Henry
to open it.
"0h, is that you Mary?" he answered.
"Run up stairs and get my cigar case,
will youp
Mary did so, and when she came down
again, found the door oDen, and Henry
sitting by the table reading.
"Where is mother ?" she asked.
"Wasn't she up stairs with you 2" re-
piled Henry, keeping his eyes fixed on
his book.
"Wby, no; thought she was here"
"Well, you see you are mistaken" he
answered. -
| Mary did not reply, but took up her
work and sewed away busily, her thoughts
keeping time with her fingers. She was
positively certain she had heard Mrs.
Grey's voice in low toned conversation
with Henry, and yet he had the same as
denied her presence there. 1t was the
first time he had ever equiyocated to his
wife, and she could not overlook it lightly
without knowing the reason. Why had
he done so? Was there anything secret
between him and his mother from which
I she was excluded, and if 80, what could
be the nature of it7
| Well, never mind; it might have been
about Mrs. Grey's affairs, and had moth
ing 10 do with her; but then, why need
Henry have equivocated about the mat
ter?
The little affair troubled her consider
ably, and her uneasiness was very much
augmented few days afterward.
| She was in the kitchen one morning,
putting the finishing touches to the pre-
parations for breakfast, when she heard
Mrs. Grey and Henry enter the dining
room.
| care you sure Mary knows nothing
about this matter" Henry was saying.
eyes, / am quite certain Of it; and I
think We have been so fortunate to keep
it from her."
eyes, it would never do for her to find
it out now," Henry answered.
Mary wanted to hear no more, but ran
out into the back hall and up stairs,
whence she appeared in the dining-room
| as the breakfast bell rung, looking little
flushed and excited, but not enough 30 to
cause comment.
After breakfast Mrs. Grey went out to
make some little purchases, and Mary sat
down in her husbands big arm chair in
| the sitting-room, and tried to reason her
self out of her absurd fears and suspi-
.cions.
What was it that her husband and his
mother were trying to keep from her?
| Why did they treat her like child, in
her own house? she thought indig-
nantly; it was shameful
| Her meditations were interrupted by
the entrance of Miss Susan Skinner, who
"had run over to have chat with her."
as she said:
aWhy, my dearp she exclaimed at
first sight of Mary, Chow poorly you are
looking! What is the matter9"
"Nothing serious. / was very busy
yesterday, and am little tired.'
cab, one more in the family makes
more work, know. 1t won't do to wear
yourself out this way; you must let your
mother.in-law do her share of the work.
cab, indeed she does, exclaimed Mary,
quickly, "even more than I wish her to,
sometimes"
"Well, it seems to me she goes out
more than you do"
"And 80 she ought. have Harry to
claim my attention"