Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-08

at HfH1. cOulQ out THINK he naQ never seen MS
father so much q man before.
Penny. how dare you?" exclaimed his wife.
almost GREATNESS with amazement. 1t was I'M
precedented FOR him to address her by her Christ
ian name.
1--WE dare do much" said the old man. ssas
we nivver thought we could ha done till the
time for it come. 1 know Amelia, you have
allus TUX me for quiet, good-natufed foel and
SO am most ways, most ways; but amt such
fool as not to know that this house, and this
every rood and every shil;in' it. You didn'
nave no settlements when we married, an it all
became mine. 1 didn' want it, and tiidn' care
about it; and shouldn never ha' said nuthin'
about 1t g long as all had gone quiet But
won't see the boy wronged. The house is mine
and g long as it's mine he's welcome to it, and
all that's in it: hearty yes hearty"
1t was another of Mrs. Penny's little mistakes
In her scornful reputation of any interference
In her affairs she had married without consult
ing any friends, and without taking any pre-
cautions to secure to herself the control of her
property; and so quiet and submissive had her
husband been that no suspicion of her position
had flashed upon her till now, when indeed she
realized it in its full force. She stood as one
thunderstruck, but taking in everything with
such helpless acquiescence as that with which
we regard the wonders Of a dream.
Inc Old man approached his son, shook him
by the hand warmly. and kissed his niece, whose
eyes, dry Till now. answered his kindness with
responsive dews.
Your mother" said ne, ''is tossicated" (per-
plexed) like with disappointment and the vex-
atlon OF IT, Iheed better not worry her now.
1t nd be better, mayhap. if you'd go away for a
week; then you come back, and all ull be right;
her'll have time to come round. Go round to
the kitchen, and I'll GENE and talk to you in a
minit.'' =.
"Now, Amelia. come" he went on, when he
had led her into the parlor. We both on us
loves the boy, and you'd be bitter sorry if he
a Of ,rnln and
Aye, an he loves US too, though he has chosen
wife for himself, as a man should do. And
she's right good gell never you doubt that;
she III make him good wife, and he'll be a hap
pier man and better man than if you and had
the shapin' O. his life for 'un He's all Wen got
and we mus'n let 'un gO.'
We are strange creatures and our lives and
characters are full of contradictions. The quiet
tone OF authority, which any time during the
previous quarter of a century she would have
resented strenuousy, was now grateful to her
feelings, and she allowed herself to rest, with a
sense of comfort and security, on the practical
common sense and right feeling of the husband
she mad systematically moderated. "Leave me
alone, Penny" she said, 'for half an hour. My
nead is In Whirl now, and want to be alone
Tell Jane to bring me cup of tea, and come
back in half an hour. Don't let the boy go till
you've seen me again"
When the allotted time had expired. Penny
went back again, and found her looking ten
an old-tashioned but exquisitely beautiful lace
cap on her head, and a box of trinkets and whim-
whams by her side.
Penny" she said at once, ri have been an
Old fool, and blind to more things than one. l
don't say that if what has been done could be
undone wouldn't undo it; but l can't, and
will make the best of it, Tell the boy he needn't
go away for week. l am not tOssicated now.
ana tell him. too, that if l never give him occa-
sion to remember that mad scene Outside-as, so
help me Heaven. 1 never will!-I hope that he
will never recall it. See here" she added, with
a laugh, emptying the box of trinkets on the
table, Il have never worn these things since
was girl, but Alice will look gay in Them
Two years and half later, the old folks sat
by blazing winter fire, and chubby boy was
fondlng shaggy dog on the hearth-rug at their
feet. The old lady stopped down and smoothed
the flaxen ringlets of the child
James" she said, "do you mind my telling
you once that if could would undo what Gus
had done? do not wish it undone now"