The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-06-10

Storms do not rend the sail that is furled,
Nor like dead leaf. tossed and whirled
III. ". LOhlfettOr, in LippincOtts for June.
The QUEER FAMILY NEXT DOOR.
"Well, you can do as you please,
mamma, but shall call upon thenl,"
said Stella Walters, with a defiant toss
of the head.
but. my DEAR" her mother remon.
strated, gently, you know nothing
about them"
Il know that they've taken the Stu
art House, furnished it splenddly, and
had the grounds put in beautiful order.
know they're very stylish, and there s
a young lady in the family; and our
neighborhood is SO stupid and poky, I
should think you'd be glad to have me
make pleasant friends"
"You know l am glad" answered
Mrs. Walters, ''but l can't think it safe
to make acquaintance you know abso-
lutely nothing about. They come here
without letters of Observation-Disclosures
we know Of and they attend no
church."
"What do care where they came
from!' Stella burst out, scornfully, "or
where they 60 to church! or whether
their grandfather sold soap! l know
they look nice, they live in beautiful
place. and have plenty of money, and
I'm not going to be tied down by any
old-fogy notions about family connec-
tiOns,' or any such stuff
But" went on Mrs. Walters, there
is certainly something queer about
them. They keep no servants, that we
have seen, and the.gentlemen are often
at home all day, as though they had
no business; besides, no one ever calls
upon them, and they scarcely ever go
out"
'Just as if that were a crime! Why,
you scarcely ever go out yourself, and
they have no calls probably because
they're strangers, and most people are
so cowardly that they daren't call until
they have been introduced, and know
what Mrs. Grundy has to say about
them. l hate such thingsr'
1t was plain that the more she said,
the more determined Stella became; so
Mrs. Walters made no reply. 1t was
years since she had been able to control
her daughter, and it seemed quite too
late to attempt it now.
As soon as Stella finished the flower
she was embroidering, she left the
room. In few moments, her mother
heard her ring the bell for her maid,
and she knew that Stella was dressing.
After awhile, she saw the self -willed
girl, in her most elegant calling cos
tune, taking her way to the Stuart
place, which was the next house to their
own.
Stella slowly walked up the long ap-
proach to the grand house, revolving
in her mind who she should call for
since she did not know the name of the
family-and admiring the beauty of the
freshly-decorated grounds.
Its queer that the outside door
should not be OPEN" she thought, as
she went up the broad steps and rang
the bell.
Several minutes passed, and there
was no response. She rang again. She
heard blind opened very softly from
above, and in few moments steps came
to the door. Keys were turned, chains
let down, and the door opened slowly
and with apparent caution.
A stout-looking middle-agcd woman,
with her sleeves rolled up, and flour on
her apron, stood there.
What did you want, miss?'' she
asked, shortly.
II want to see the ladies'" answered
StcllN haughtily. IL came to call on
them," she added, as the woman
seemed to expect something more.
"Oh!' said the woman. "Tll speak
10 them;" and she closed the door and
went away.
''What rudenessr' thought Stella,
with burning face. "No doubt she's a
stupid country thing. shouldn't think
they'd keep her."
But now the door opened again.
"You are to send up your name" was
the message she received.
swell, l declarev' thought Stella,
feeling insulted, and half-inclined to go
home without calling; "the ladies are
as queer as the servant; but perhaps
they are foreigners.
That thought quoted her rising in
dignation. and she waited, after send
ing up her card, till the rough servant
came again, opened the door, and asked
her in.
The parlor into which she was shown
was furnished in costly and f1ashy
manner, though it was so dark she could
scarcely see.
dear metz she thought; "this is
dismal enough! l don't see how they
can bear to be so shut up. the grounds
are SO pretty to look out on. But what
lovely things they have"' she thought,
looking eagerly around at the fine fur
nishings.
After few minutes, without having
heard sound, she suddenly became
conscious that a lady stood in the door,
looking intently at her. The blood
rushed to her face, as though she had
been caught stealing; though when she
came to think of it afterwards, she saw
that it was the lady who should have
blushed.
81 beg your pardon!'' she stam-
mered; II did not hear you had come
in, and l was noticing how beautifully
you have fixed up the old house,"
On this, the lady came forward slow
ly. called her by name, asked her to be
seated, and sat down herself, but in
an uneasy manner, as though she ex-
pected to hear some business.
She was very pretty woman, about
thirty years of age, dressed in a silk
and lace morning dress; but she had an
anxious expression that surprised Stel-
la, in the midst of so much luxury.
Stella chatted away of neighborhood
affairs; of how pleasant that the old
house, which had stood empty a wear,
was taken at last; expressed a hone
that they would be neighborly, and
SO on.
Gradually, the lady seemed to grow
more ut case, and after q while she took
part in the conversation, and began to
ask questions--very politely, but after
all, rather searching ones, as Stella re-
membercd afterward.
Who lives on the other side of us?
How many gentlemen are there in the
house? Was her mother able to go
out? and where was her fatherp Had
they any trouble in cutting rood serv-