The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-05-11
OUR STORY TELLER.
CATERPILLAR CLOTH.
BY HARRIET IRVING.

BY HARRIET IRVING.
"That dear, sweet, lovely old Good
year" said the widow Melrose, applying
a square of cambria to her eloquent eyes
as she laid down the pamphlet she had
been reading. How could adore such
MANI
"The India-rubber man ?" asked John
Lean, with gasp.
The widow, who had dawned upon his
mothers clearinghouse like a star,
taking all hearts by storm, had been at
great pains to enlighten him as to the
various objects of her alteration, but
this new phase of idolatry was beyond
his comprehension.
"The India-rubber man, if you like"
answered the lady, with lifting of the
brows which brought the blood to the
cheeks OF John Lean, printer by trade;
and don't see how commonplace men
can consent to go on in the same old
grooves with such an example before
them"
Silence ensued. 1t was summer time,
and on shoot of grapevine just with
out the window stood a great brown
caterpillar, rearing itself in frantic
efforts to reach the fair enthusiasts
silken sleeve. The young man watched
it with fascinated interest. Presently
he murmured, deprecatinglv:
g Perhaps don't know so much about
him as | ought. He wore a dreadful
old coat, didn't hep
A miracle of geniusw explained
the widow, Jelly.
The caterpillar had now lifted itself
IN IFS fu11 haiOht Tobn I 30
clearly the impending danger, but didn't
like to hazard a chance of regaining the
lady's good graces by sudden Interrupt
ton of their conversation.
" He was awfully poor, wasn't he ?"
asked John.
Destitute" assented Mrs. Melrose,
with gusto.
"And his wife and children starved
to death?'
" Nothing daunted him"
The caterpillar dropped, and John
Lean gave an uneasy start, but went on
with his questions.
And he couldn't bury themY"
La me-" remarked Johns mother,
who had come in for last view of the
tea-table, and who righted cake basket
to hide defective spot in the plating
as she spoke; "seems to me | should
like to be buried decent, if my husband
was ever such genius"
John looked troubled, as he always
did when his mother ventured remark
in the presence of Mrs. Melrose; but
whatever termination the little tete-a-
tete might have had was cut short off
by scream from the lady of Johns
delight.
g A werm!. wor-rum!" shrieked the
fair creature, and fell straightway into
Mysteries, out of which she was assisted
by Mrs. Leans masculine boarders, who
had just entered in body to answer
the summons of the gong. There was
one, however, who took no part in the
resuscltation-a newcomer, like the
fair Melrose, star of secondary magni-
tude, charming and agreeable young
man, known to the feminine inmates of
Mrs. Leans house as "Apollo," but who
was baptismally designated Richard
Lowe. This youth, taking advantage of
the general confusion, elected a horri-
fed exclamation from modest little Mrs
Lean by slyly squeezing her hand; but
the good lady, though shocked, was per-
haps not entirely indignant, as it came
to general observation soon after that
the handsome Richard was the recipient
of especial tit-bits at meals, and that he
had taken to monopolizing the CONVEX
sation of the hostess. As for discounted
John Lean, having satisfied himself that
the hysterical fit was not fatal, he with
drew to distance, his eyes riveted on
the caterpillar, still within the handLer-
chief in which he had captured it.
"a miracle of geniusp' he murmured.
II wonder if / could make miracle of
genius, and i wonder if she would
adore me-"
So, wondering, he walked away medi-
tative and supperless.
Observant boarders vowed that Mrs.
Lean looked ten years younger the next
day. She beamed like a young MAY
moon until she discovered that her son
had not taken himself to his printing
office at the usual early hour, but was
immured in his upper attic and deaf to
his mothers voice. Then indeed she
sighed, and watched Mrs Melrose with
suspicion; but that lady was also i'm
INJURED in her own apartment, and sus-
picion had nothing to feed upon. Only,
in the dusk, when tea was over and the
gas not lighted in the rooms above, Mrs.
Lean, on the arm of "Apollo" Lowe,
lifting the parlor window-curtains, came
unexpectedly upon John Lean and Mrs.
Melrose taking an observation of the
street lamps.
Mrs. Lean found it expedient to say
nothing that night. but her son imposed
no check ON his virtuons indignation.
His mother was making fool of her
self, and before everybody. The ma
ternal lecture was quenched, the mont
tress put to fight by her own bushes.
After this little incident there was no
more encounters. When Mrs. Melrose