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

SosiS Aoso youI uousc, Safu 41lS9 SUSAN
In tone Of settled conviction. "When
90 you expect Mrs. Greyw she asked,
rising, and folding up her knitting work.
"IO-morrow evening""
$50 soon1 Well, I'm sure. hone you
will be able to get along with herr aD.
swered Miss Susan, with little sympa.
| thetic sigh.
Often during the remainder of that day
and the next, Nra. Grey found herself
| wondering what her husbands mother
was like. He had always seemed 80
proud and fond of her, that she uas pre-.
disposed to love her; to regard her with
| that reverence and affection which she
had cherieked for her own dead mother.
| She thought how nice il would be 70 have
some one to whom she could go with sll
her little troubles and aaxietiee, some one
who would sympathize with and counsel
her; aud how pleasant it would be foT
Henry to have his mother always near
him, where he could watch over and care
| for her.
They would make such happy family;
Henry and herself, grandma, aud baby
Harry.
Then, in opposition to oil these pleas.
ant thoughts, would come up, in spite of
| her, the gloomy warnings and forehodings
which Susan Skinner had uttered. Could
Henry's mother be "mean, conniving,
meddlesome," or disagreeable in any
wayY No, G 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
| up to the door, and handed out lady.
Mother, this Is your daughter, Ma
~"
tie blue eyes looking out wistfully from
kindly old face.
MARY, will you let me be your mother
as we'll as Henry's2" asked the lady, hold
ing out her hands; and Mary answered,
| embracing her warmly:
Indeed, I Wilt Welcome home,
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. "a new broom sweeps
| clean. Wait few weeks, and then we
| shall see."
1t was two weeks before Christmas; sid
Mary was busy preparing foT the holidays.
One evening, after paitlug baby to bed,
ehe ran down to the parlor to get her
sewing, which she had left on the table
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.
ooh, is that you Mary ?" he answered.
will your"
Mary did 50, and when she came down
again, found the door open, and Henry
sitting by the table reading.
"Where is mother 2" she asked.
WASN'T she up stairs with your" re-
| piled Henry, keeping his eyes fixed on
his book.
"Wby. no; thought she was here"
We'll, you see you are mistaken" he
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 Hrs.
Grey's voice in :ow toned conversation
with Henry, and yet he had the SAME as
| denied her presence there. 1t was the
| first time he had ever equivocated to his
! wife, and she could not overlook it lightly
without knowing the reason. Why had
he done ao9 Was there anything secret
/ between him and his mother from which
she was excluded, and if 30, what could
bs the nature of It?
Well, never mind it might have been
about Mrs. Grey's affairs, and had moth
| ing TO do with ner; but then, Why need
Henry have equivocated about the mat
ter7
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, whom she heard
Mrs. Grey and Henry entes the dining
room.
"Are you sure Mary knows nothing
about this matter" Henry was saying.
eyes, I am qrite certain Of it; and
| think we have been co fortunate TO keep
/ it from her"
| eyes, 1t would neve. do Cor 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 ruug, looking little
flushed and excited, but not enough 80 to
cause comment.
A Ter breakfast Mrs. Grey wars 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 feafs and suspi-
,cions.
| What was it that her husband and bis
mother were trying to keep from her?
Why did they treae her like o child, in
her own house? she thought indig-
nantly; is was shamefnll
Her meditations were interrupted BY
the entrance Of Miss Susan Skinner, who
"had run over to have chat with her" I"
as she said:
"Why, my deari" she exclaimed at
first sight Of Mary, chow poorly you are
locking! What 10 the matterH"
Nothing serious. / was very busy
yesterday, and am a little tired"
j "Ah, one more In the family makes
more work, know. It won't dc to wear
yourself out this way; you must let your
mother-in-law do her share of the work"
/ "Ah, indeed she does, !" exclaimed mary,
quickly, seven more than wish her to,
sometimes"
"Well, It seems TO mo she goes out
i more than you do"
"And so she ought. / have Harry tn
claim my attention"
""Ant he receives callers, tCo."
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