The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-10-22

Theodore, rising abruptly, goes to his
sisters side and passes his arm round
her.
"Look here. grandmamma, stop all
that, he says with q frown; cit might
do ut the Dukes, but it IN ont of place
here, and won't have Bren,ln abused "
! Here soiie piie, with n grateful smile,
removes his arm from Brenda's waist and
places his own there instead. II IL
George Wilding, who has entered unan-
nounced; Just u minute or two before n
small, plain woman, who appears, and
stands unnoticed in the tls.o,way, with u
pretty rwansiown cloak and hood upon
her arm that contrasts oddly win her
own meaner Garments,
who Ia abusing Brendnp" demands
George Wildihg, booking quietly UPON
the assembled group, yet with curious
light IN his eyes TINT marks him danger
ous in his present mool. hWho IL east
ing eSeh The faintest slnr upon herP He
shall answer TO me for It."
He stares co'dly. and soriewhat inso
lently, At Lord disney as he speaks, and
that discreet nobleman, dropping his
eyeglass, discovers difficulty in finding
II again.
81 have made some beastlv mistake.
you know. It is all my fault says
! Theodore, with extreme tontrition,
Here tile plain little woman in the
doorway, perceiving hull in the CONVEX
sat:oa, comes timidly forward.
"Please, Miss Molyneux, ] have
brought you youropera cloak, she says,
"ns feared yDu might We Wanting it
ngaih to-night."
"Oh, thank you," says Wilding,
turning (" her promptly, " Perhaps.
! Mrs. Fenr',ore, as You are mere, you will
kindly tell Lady Molyneux of nll your
goodness to Miss Brenda last night.
How yon took her in, and made her very
comfortable in Your own house, When
because Of the stupidity Of arrangements
IN this house she found Herself out III
the cold, md ho% You yourself, brought
hrf safely back here this morning."
| "Oh, am sure, my lady," says the
coachman's wife, dropping courtesy,
"I'm only sorry couldn't do more for
Miss MolyneuX. j doubt she was des-
perate uncomfortable; MY ia''y, htt tdid
my best"
"What Is all this?" says grndmam-
ina. - fail to understands; aud riddles
are an abomination to me-"
"When We found it impossible 10 ring
up your servants and hnet the latch-key
had l,eeh forgotten, l took Brenda To
Mrs. Feumore's house, where, if not ex-
actly i'll a Belgraving mansion; she was
at least us safe rs in tile home Of Ouch.
ess," with kind bow to Mrs. Kenmore.
"Don't cry, Brenda, tears are too sacred
! to be wasted on such n miserable Occn-
sion as the present"
odd Miss Molyneux sleep IN yo,,l
honse last night?" asks Lady Molyneux,
! addressing the coachmans wife, aud in:
solently giving Wilding to understand
she refuses tr credit his story msup-
ported.
eyes, my lady: she came to me lit.
tie after II o'clock, and proud / was;
my lady, to he of the least service TO her.
l brought her back myself this morning,
which l hope, Miss" respectfully to
Brend,t-"you didn't catch cold, and art
none the worse for your strange bed
which Kenmore 10 say that change OF
sheets ut any time Is most dangerous.
81 am quite well, and l thank you
very much, Mrs. Kenmore" said Bren.
da, in stihel tone. As her face is
pressed against Georges gray coat, this
is hardly cause for wonder.
"As for you, sir, says Wilding, turn.
ing to the discounted lord, "havine
heard You with my own ears decline the
honor of IN alliance with this young lady
| beg to tell you 1t was ust as well you
did sO--it saves trouble, as she had moi
the smallest intention of marrying you.
"Sir!" exclaims the aristocratic fossil
taking fire Mt this insult.
"No, sir, not the smallest, repeats
Wilding contemptuously; g. she has tho
good mean, Of course, the bad-tastt
to prefer me, which, after all, when one
comes to think of it, is only natural.
What bond could there he between Ma,
and December"
Brenda" begins arandm ANNA Will
much wrath.
"Go and put on Your things, Brenda,
interrupted George, stemly. 81 shal
take You to your sister. Go, my love,
in fond whisper to the trembling girl
who, Mt the word, escapes GLADLY from
the room. "You. madame, have he
haved UNANIMOUSLY to her," goes Oh
George, determined to carry things to
high hand. "And when you said sh,
should never sleepanother night beneath
your roof you spoke the truth. JOS
will receive her, and she shall stay will
her until ] marry her. l will not hav
her heart broken. Ii You wish t,
apologize to her for this mornings con
duct you can see her Mt Cromwell road.
Having made this gallant suggestion
he had the good sense to beat an instau
retreat.
81 must say ] think you deserv
every bit of it," said Theodore to hi
stricken &: 2ndmOther. "You have act
ell toward Brenda, for the last two years
like regular old Tartar, and here's tin
end of it,"
"Leave the room, you wicked boy,
commands grandmamma in shrill tone
and Theodore for once obliges her
more, I think, because he wishes to q
than from any high sense of duty.
81 have always borne with TINT boy
and humored him in every respect,
says Lady Molyneux, hopping he
eyes Indignantly. "To say j deserves
such treatmeut-I!--
~ can't help saying agree Wit
Theodore" said Lord Disney soIemnly
with aggravating slOwness.
Eth - says grandmamma, Instant
putting down the handkerchief, an
turning tO face the enemy with rcnewe
vigor, as she scents hostility in iresl
and unexpected quarter.
eyes, yes! YOu have acted abomin
/ aI,lx .,nac IN nionaxy xuhn 10 nx,lantI
not afraid Of an old woman. "YOu hay
accused that young lady, your grand
daughter, of IN indiscretiOn she woul
scorn TO commit. You have jumped II
conclusions, and its-its--its exccrablt
form, madam, to jump ut conclusions.
"Form !" says grandmamma wither
ingly, "what il it you mean by that
is it the human form divine yOu IN
mumbling about? or is it slang yOu ar
using! IL Nj, think il most unbecom
ing in any one Of yonr age to ape tin
vile manners of the present day."
"This is n cruel shaft" and the elder
ly beari, in spite of Poole and Holy AN
Rimmel, winces perceptibly.
"You should have investigated mat
tors before going too far, says he some
what depressed.
$50 should you," returts she; "yo,
were in vast hurry, methinks, to re
linquish your BRIDE"
81 blame you for it ALL" returns h
fiercely.
"Tut. man Don't think | care 70
either your blame or censrre," say
this iudomitable old dame, regarding hir
scornfully. "George Wilding vii