The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-04-18

| you mlnd telling me now many more
sisters you've got?"
"No more" said Don with a grin.
"She's the last one, and she's the best of
them ALL"
"Then / hope / may be allowed for
once to enjoy the society of one of Liz
zie's sisters, in a friendly way" / grum-
blingly responded (for l may as well
admit that Don and had had condolences
of old on this subject). "Den't you
believe you could give Lizzie notion
that don't mean tn get married, or that
I've sweetheart up the country, or
something of that sort?"
"Not l." rejoined my brother, laugh
ing.
| "Pm not going to spoil her fun, poor
little soul; you're old enough to take
care of yourself And with that they
went off whistling cheerfully, to his
dressing room.
When | had completed my toilet,
| gathered up some boxes Of choice cigars
that | had been purchasing in town, and
carried them to the door of the adjoining
apartment, which had been Don's smok-
iDg-room ever since | had known it. To
my surprise, the bolt shot sharply as
touched the handle, and | heard rustic
of drapery inside. A housemaid coming
along with lamps for the dinner-table
called out hastily: "Oh, sir, that is
Miss Rachel's room now. The smoking
room is at the end of the veranda, where
Miss Garry slept last year. Mrs. Gar
diner wished it to be changed because
she didn't want the smell of tobacco so
near the bedrooms"
/ took back my boxes, thinking no
more about it, and went on to the draw
ing-room, which was full of light and
warmth and comfort as usual, and where
| found two of my little nieces sitting
Edemurely on sofa in their best frocks,
ready to rush into my arms. Lizzie
came hurrying in after me, rosy and ra-
diant, and with plenty of flounces and
colors about her, and gave me her own
enthusiastic welcome; and then Don,
spruce and perfumed, joined us. Don,
in his early years had been dandy, and
little youthful weakness remained in
him still. He never came to dinner
without rings on his fingers and subtle
odors in his clothes; and he was at great
pains to keep pair of Dundreary whis-
kers accurately adjusted on each side of
a closely shaven chin. He had been ten
years in the Bush, and had never OBJ
jected to 'roughing it in general way !;
but he persisted in shaving himself every
morning, let what would happen; which
| singular habit in an Australian country
gentleman very much puzzled his beard
ed friends. / for one, used to quiz him
as well as | knew how, when | saw him
swathe his neck in a handkerchief be-
fore going out to his work if the sun
shown too strongly; but | respect his
little vanities nowadays, and hope he
will keep his white throat and his Dun
dreary whiskers as long as he lives, bless
him. He took one of his little girls on
his knee, and questioned me about my
station matters and about Conolly's
sheepwash (Which was not 50 well fur
nished with Improvements as his own,
much to his satisfaction); and Lizzie
gave me an account of the development
of her respective children since i had
seen them last, including the cutting of
the haby's teeth = and then thessdinner-
bell rang.
Where's Rachel?" inquired Don
turned languid eye upon the door
when We heard the sound of a distant
rustic, expecting to see one of the
smart and smiling damsels l was so
used to, and wondering whether this one
would be dark or fair. With slow and
quiet step she came along the hall and
entered the room. and my heart began
suddenly to beat in a very unpleasant
manner. She had delicate, thoughtful.
but piquant face, wavy brown hair mod
estly and becomingly set, and a slight
figure dalntily dressed in pale blue silk,
with little white lace about the throat
and arms; and yet she was the image of
Marie Antoinette inDelaroche's picture,
only with more majestic dignity of car
riage, if that could be, and a more calm
disdain upon her face. As soon as saw
her, and felt the exceedingly faint
acknowledgment she vouchsafed when we
We're formally introduced, / intuitively
guessed-with a horrible sense of shame
and mortifcation-that she had over
heard what said to Don in my bedroom
through those card-paper walls.
l never thought that / should feel so
concerned at standing i'll with one of Liz
zie's sisters as felt before that evening
came to an end. All through dinner |
saw, without looking, offended dignity in
the poise of her head and the studied
repoSe OF her manner, and heard the ring
OF 1t IN the every infection of her voice,
though 1T was SO subtle and delicate that
only a guilty conscience could detect it.
1t was great deal worse in the evening,
when Lizzie began her fussy little con-
trivances for throwing us together The
poor little woman never had SO impracti-
cable and aggravating sister to man
age; and L never met one who attempted
to treat me with such open Indifference
and thinly-veiled contempt. 1t is I'M
necessary for me to state the conse-
quences. | began to interest myself in
this Miss Lidslay as | had never inter
ested myself in Others. began to hank
er for her good opinion, as had never
hankered for theirs. l longed to set my
self straight with her, and beg her for
giveness for thoughtless insult that |
would have given worlds to recall, and to
feel that the way was open between us
TO meet and associate as friends. This
longing grew aEace as the evening wore
on, but the prospect of its qualification
grew less and less. Until the little ones
WV .anSh away ny tlitlI hurst SllS ue-
voted herself to them, telling them stories
most of the time in dark corner, whence
merry chatter and ripples of subdued
laughter came flowing out to us; but
when they were gone, the bright vivacity
that was her true characteristic went
too, and she became Marie Antoinette
again.
With an amiable wish to make things
pleasant, Lizzie asked her to pour out the
tea; but she merely stood in front of me
at the tea-table, with her little nose in
the air, and inquired whether l took
sugar and cream, in a high, clear tone
that brought puzzled wonder into her
sisters face, and slow smile to Don's
came and stood beside her, to take the
cups from her hand Cher pretty head was
about level with the flower in my but
ton hole), and she tried to ignore me,
but could not. Her hands trembled
slightly and little angry flush came and
went in her face; but preferred that to
having no notice at all. Later on she