Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1882-10-26
A SLIGHT MISTAKE.


darkened over the Stone Tower, until
the ruddy glow of the fire became in.
sufficient to dispel the creeping shad.
ows, and Mamie brought in the lamp.
II was a great, low ceiled room, with
an antique-carved cornice and a wains-
cot of oak which reached above Nam
MES shoulder-a room where the fad
ed crimson hangings shut out the dy-
ing daylight, and the pattern of the car
pet had long become indistinguishable.
And the three blooming. bright-eyed
ed as much out of their element as a
cluster of rosebuds would have been
lying on an Egyptian sarcophagus.
But Colonel Copeley liked seclusion
and antiquity. Moreover he liked
economy. And when he brought his
three motheress daughters down to the
Stone Tower, he grimly gave them to
understand that they too must teach
themselves to like those three aspects
of life.
There's one thing. Colonel Copely,"
who was man-hater, added to him
self, "they'll get no beau here! No
girl ought to dream of beau until she
is twenty-five years old, at the very
least"
Which was rather hard on Amy and
Mamie, who were nineteen and seven
teen, and had their pretty heads full of
vague visions Of love and flowers. And
even little Polly, the youngest, who had
barely turned fifteen, had an imaginary
ideal in Der brain, with dark, melan-
choly eyes and brow like ivory, which
she hoped one day might be realized in
a sutton.
And upon this windy March night,
when Colonel Copely was in the city,
and Miss Baird, the goverDess, was
confined to her room with an attack of
infammatory rheumatism, Amy and
Mamie were going to surreptitious
party.
"Of course papa wouldn't let us 90
if we were at hoIne," said Amy.
But everything happens for the
best" said Amy. do look at this
lovely gold-colored silk, Nan. Wasn't
it good of Mary Sinclair to lend us the
three dresses to choose fromp 1 think
I'll wear the gold-colored silk with this
black lace mantle"
"And l." said Fannie, who was pink
and plump, with china-blue eyes, and
radiant, bronze-brown hair, "shall wear
the white, all brocaded over with pink
rose-buds, and the rose-colored satin
slippers. Oh, Amy, darling" bouncing
upon her sister with little, ecstatic
kiss tive shan't know ourselves"
Couldn't go, too" pleaded Polly,
whose gypsy beauty cleaned in be-
tween the apple bloom of their faces as
a Jacqueminot rose among white moss
pinks. Couldn't l wear the pretty
garnet silk that you've neither Of you
chosen?"
"Nonsenser' cried Amy. "You are
but child"
81 shall be sixteen in nine months"
urged Polly. "And I'm almost as tall
as you and Mamie. And l never,
never was at grown-up party in my
life"
"Polly," said Mamie, with autocratic
severity, "hold your tonguel It's out
of the question. You are to stay with
Miss Baird"
"But Miss Baird Is always asleep in
the evening"" whimpered Polly.
$50 much the better for you," pro-.
nounced Mamie, "And to look after
the house."
"The house won't run away" pouted
Polly, still rebellious.
"That isn't the question under dis
CUSTOM" said Amy. sect the work
basket now, like darling, and help us
tuck up these dresses little, for Mary
Sinclair is at least half head taller
than we are. And there is no time to
lose!''
Poll drew deep sigh and obeyed.
"Why was it," she argued within
herself, "that she must always be put
down and snubbed, and kept in the
background, because she was theyoung.
est and wore short frocks and her hair
braided in two Chinese tails down her
back. If ever she was grown-uI
young lady, she'd show theml"
But Polly got little better natured
when she was allowed to make waffies
her ownself for tea, in the absence OF
Mary Eliza, their sole domestic. whose
brother had bethought himself to fall
i'll of fever, half mile or so up the
mountain, at this suspicious time, OF
all others, and to select jar of rasp
berry jam by way of accompaniment
For Polly, tall though she was, hat
not quite outgrown The age of tea-sets
and delight in playing at housekeeping
And she arranged the tea-rosebuds il
her sisters hair, and gave the las
dainty touch to their dresses-Poll!
was born lady's-maid, the girls de
clared. laughing-and looked regret
fully after them, as. with their splen
dor all shrouded in black serge cloaks
they hurried down the frozen road, tw,
merry, feeting shadows.
"Oh, dear, oh, dearp' said Polly
aloud, chow wish was going. too2
And she winked the tears down, an
ran back into the oak. wainscoted room
where the lamp still glowed, and tn
logs blazed and snapped on the hearth
so hurridly that she never once remem
bered Amy's farewell caution as to tn
locking and double-locking of the QUITE
door.
Miss Baird was asleep, after her SUI
per and her medicine. There was n
use going to her for companionship;fc
she snored and slept with her mout
open, and was not in the least an ides
slumberer. And the kitchen was yer
n.