Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-12-08
A DOMESTIC DEsPOT.

"Ah, dear me, dear me !'' sighed Mrs
Copman. "What a world of trouble this
isr'
Her son-iE-law looked up from the pews-
paper he was reading. He was tall
handsome man of thirty. with soft, dark
ewes. and here and there silver stueak in
his hair.
"Is there any new trial developins it.
self p he asked kindly.
No." said Mrs. Copman; nothing rs
pecial. Except that Marion wants the
green parlor for studio. There's suclI
An excellent north light to it, you know y
"Well." said Henry Charters, why
not let her have it -
But what shall we do for q reception
room ?" SAID the old lady.
Take my library,n suggested he
':My dear Henry ! And all the books
what is to become of them? But dear
Marion would be 81 delighted if outy the
plan was practicable
Put them in my bed room. said Mr.
Charters. ahsently. Floyd can easily
kuock up few shelves there. It is II pity
that Marion should be disturbed in she
prosecution of her art
"You are always kind and thoughtful. -
said Mrs. Copman, bright ening up. rs she
hurried away to give the necessary direc-
tions.
Floyd, Mr.. Charters' faithful Scotch
servtor, stared blankly when tho old
lady issued her orders.
my masters library said he. cup to
mis- bedroom? Wherever will I put the
books ?''
"Oh' there's plenty of room for few
Shelves" said Mrs, Copmaa, briskly-
And If there should be volume or so
left over, they can ei silly be put in the
closet under the stairs. which has good
large window looking out over the sta
| bles.''
Floyd whistled under his breath, but
there was nothing for it but to obey
| az never see such a mother-in-lawed
house as this IN all my life - said he to
the housekeeper. with groan. "Here's
Mr.. Harry, crowded into the bedroom in
the north wing, and the closet under the
stairs, while Mrs. Copman and her three
Gorgon-faced daughters have upsurped
the whole house, with their music ROOMS,
and their boudoirs and the mischief knows
what all -
| The housekeeper shook her head.
"Ah, you may well say so !" said She
| "And that amt the worst Of it, neither,
J Floyd"
s'Eh 20 said the old man.
chow long is it since Mrs. Charteris-
poor lady died ?' mysteriously ques-
| toned Mrs. Akers.
"Sixteen-seventeen months, amt it?"
said Floyd. "But wby?"
"Ah, said the housekeeper. ''when the
two years are up she'll make him marry
one of the three sisters You'll see !"
but they re not one of 'em under forty.
and as plain as pipe stems! calculated
Floyd, in dismay.
"Youll find as that won't make no diff
ference, p" said Mrs. Akers gloomily.
That's what she has got her eye on, as
true as you're alive, Floyd. And she
never yet failed in what she made up her
mind to do.''
While Mrs. Akers and Mr.. Floyd were
engaged in the discussion of family affairs
| Mrs. Copman herself was cheerfully bust
| ling about, ordering the maids, torment
ing the footman, suggesting this, that and
the other thing, to her three bony, high
checked daughters; Marian, Arabella and
Melcent-until, suddenly Slanclng up.
she chanched to obvere light fgue, clad
in pretty piuk muslin, with floating
white scarf, entered the:green house door,
across the garden. She rang the bell, en-
ergeticly. Floyd said she, "who is
that-that person in the garden ?"
| s'It's Miss Jettie Lane. the parson' s
! daughter" said Floyd. SAT least" cough
ing behind his hand, it looked like her."
"And what is she doing in our green
! house, I'd like to know 7" demanded Mrs.
Copman, hotly.
s,She goes there to get flowers for her
wax works, ma'am," said Fioyd.-''MyI
master"
s.t our master would allow himself to
be preyed on by every one in the village
if he hadn't some one to protect him." said
Mrs. Copman, severely, Go at once.
Floyd--or stay! believe I had better 90
myself. This sort of thing must be put
stop top
And she hurried out to the greenhouse,
where pretty Jetty Lane was culling sprays
of white stephanotis; in an unconsciously
graceful a. tidude, as she reached up among
the glossy. dark green branches for the
star like blossoms.
"Oh!" said Mrs. Copman, stiffly; miss
Lane, believer"
Jetty paused and turned. Only home
from boarding-school three months, she
had never met Mrs. Copman face to face
before.
ITS the terrible mother in-law!" she