The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-02-10

Il jealous Oh Sucn q man as OH
Plingle! Oh, thank you. I hope |
shall get something better than that"
.'Sour grapes, my dear" returns
Cornelia, laughing scornfully. ooh,
you needn't be so proud. can tell
you old Pringle doesn't care a two
pence for you, therer'
''Yod ill-natlred creature cries
Cornelia, dissolving into tears.
"Hold your tongues" says their moth
er hurriedly; ''there's some one driving
up the avenue" At once the Spicers
fell into position. Their training was
perfect; the generals widow under
stood washing the family linen in pri-
vate. Just about this time young Lord
Lavender came home to the Hall. Re
port said he meant to give series OF
festivities-balls, lawn tents parties and
what not. The whole neighborhood
was in a futter. "You must call
at once" my stepmother said to my
father; there's no time to be lost. We
must get up a dinner. Old Lady
Tumbletowers told me to-day he is
musical-Adelaide you haven't prac-
tised latel. ~
II wonder if he will take any inter-
est in the schools" remarked Corneia
musingly.
Jack Spicer winked at me-he was
always teasing his sisters and there was
no love lost between them. liked
Jack; when he was at home my life
was shade more endurable, and the
few treats that had enlivened my
childhood were due to him. To him
I owed the first revelation so pleasing
to every woman. Returning after a
long absence of three or four years he
blurted out: 'Why, mother, Cindy has
grown a regular beauty-brlng her up
to town next season and she'll make
you all the fashion,
Don't fill the child's head with non
sense" my step-mother said Grossly.
1t wouldn't have suited her for my
head to be filled up with anything but
the making and mending of her
daughters clothes: the ordering and
arrangement of the dinner, for which
Corneia and Adelaide got the credit of
being such famous housekeepers; and
the horal decorations, which attracted
even Lord Lavender's fastidious eyes
and drew from him the remark that
they must be the work of perfect
artist.
My girls are both thoroughly arts
tic" says my stepmother. She hadn't
quite made up her mind which Of them
should go in for the prize. He was a
little too young for either; but after all
few years more or less don't matter
in the long run. adelaide is our
musician. She has wonderful voice
three octaves, and the register smooth
as velvet She has every advantage;
masters everywhere. You like music?"
Doesn't care rap for the finest
voice in creation" cries Jack, who is a
great ally of the young lord: "Layen,
der, don't humbug my mother. He'd
rather have jolly waltz with pretty
girl than examine PATHS register. By
the-by, where is Cindy?"
'sGone to bed, 1 should hope" re-
turns my mother, in icy tones.
| "Confounded shamew mutters Jack
under his moustache; but this was no
time for making stand. He returned
to the charge next morning.
Il say, mother, Cindy's coming to
Lavender's ball of course9'
''Cynthia's not out!'' cry all three la
dies in a breath.
Then its a good time to begin
goodness knows she is old enough. Let
me see, she was between six and seven
when you married Sir William-that's
a dozen years ago-why, mother, Cindy
must be-
What business is it of yours what
age she is?' Interrupts his mother
quickly. II shan't take three girls
out; it's time enough to think about
her when your sisters are married.
Jack gave a long low whistle. ''Poor
Cindv?"
{! Cornelia and Adelaide, their faces
flushed, their nostrils shifting, spoke
together.
''Jack is always rude to us-he likes
Cindy because she fatters him.
II like her because she is young and
pretty, and take it that's the reason
that you hate her But you women
are all alike, jealous as the devil!''
Jealous. jealous of Door little Cindy
Well, you really might find something
BETTER"
.'Cindy is as pretty as any of the
fashionable beauties" returns my
champion stou,ly, ':and if you only
gave her fair play would beat them all
| bet you five to one Lavender would
| be spoons upon her, if he saw her
She's just his style"
This injudicious speech sealed my
fate as regarded the Lavender gaieties
THAT is, if ever l had a chance. From
thenceforth l was kept more closely to
my needle than ever. Indeed, it was
a constant requisition, for the demand:
Of my amiable sisters were increasing
Never bad I known them to be so ex
acting Everything seemed to be going
wrong with them. From all their gaieties
they returned out of sorts, and i'll hui.
NOR and disappointment were vented
upon met was all the fault Of my
bad dressing, my bad taste, my lima
tured advice.
| Meanwhile Lord Lavender eonyulsed
the whole county by issuing invitations
for series of festivities. Morning
parties, ball, tableaux were to sue:
coed one another. A covey of relations
descended in flight to assist the
young lord in astonishing the pro-
vincials, and astonish them they did.
A dream of fair women, impossible
toilettes. accompanied by handsome
tguardsmen, drove and rode about the
quiet country roads and startled the
simple village folk. The arrival Of
these great people put finishing
touch to the ill-humor of the Spicers
Both my stepmother and daughters
were in fever of anxiety, hoping 70,
some notice. They were forever throw
ing themselves in the way, longing fol
admittance to the inner circle at the
hall of which such delightful stories
were told by Jack, who was hand-in
glove with the whole set Long and
loud were the disputes between him
and his sisters, and bitter their indigna.
ton at his refusal to get them into the
tableaux, of which he was the stage
manager.
"Just like his i'll nature. Never were
two poor girls so little helped. They
] would havo oct eood brot,opds 1o,,o