The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-08-06

"IIow fortunate" says that fat wom-
an. with her broad, expansive grin mat
| leaves her all mouth. with no eyes or
nose " speak OF. I'VE hardly dared
nope for such good luck this charming
day
She doesn't put any "g" into her
charming which, however, Is neither
| here nor there, and is perhaps a shabby
| thing to take notice of at all.
Then she and her two daughters quit
| the coach, as Carson pere insists on
calling the landau, and 6utter through
| the halls and across the corridors, after
Mona, until they reach the room that
contains Lady Rodney.
Mona throws open the door, and the
visitors sail in, all open-eyed and smil-
ing, with their very best company man
ners hung out for the day,
But almost on the threshold they
come to a full stop, to gaze irreS0lutely
at one another, and then over their
| shoulders at Mona. She, marking their
surprise, comes hastily to the front, and
so makes herself acquainted with the
cause of their delay.
Overcome by the heat Of the fire, her
| luncheon, and the blessed certainty that
| for this one day at least no one is 10 be
| admitted TO her presence, Lady Rodney
| has given herself up willing victim to
| the child SOmnuS. Her bOok-that ami
able assistant of all those that court
sleStas-haS fallen to the ground. Her
cap is somewhat awry, Her mouth is
partly open, and snore-gentle. In
deed, but distinct and mmistakable-
| comes from her patriCian throat.
II Is moment never to be forgotten.
Mona, horror-strickrn goes quickly
over 10 her, and touches her lightly on
| the shoulder.
Mrs. Carson has come TO see YOU"
she says, III an agony of fear, giving her
a little shake,
Eth? What?' asks Lady Rodney,
in da2ed fashion. yet coming back to
| life with amazing rapidity, She sits up.
| Then in an instant the situation ex-
plains itself to her: she collects herself,
bestows one glance of passionate anger
upon Mona and then rises to welcome
Mrs. Carson with her usual suaye man
ner and bland smile, throwing into the
former an air meant to convey the fiat
tering idea that for the past week she
her soon again.
she excuses her unWOnted drOWSineSS
with little laugh, natural and friendly,
and begs them mot to betray her
Clothed I'm all this sweetness she drops
word or two meant to crush Mona;
but that hapleSs young woman hears
her not, being bent on explaining TO
Mrs. Carson that, as a rule. the Irish
peasantry do not 90 about dressed only
in glass beads, like the gay and festive
IuluS, and that peiticOatS and breeCheS
are not utterly unknown.
Violet and Doatie drop in. and CON
verSation becomes general, and present
ly the visit comes TO an end. and the
CarsOns fade away, and Mona is left to
bear the brunt OF Lady iOdnryS anger,
which has been steadily growing, in
stead OF decreasing during the past
haif hour.
Are there no servants in my house"
demands She, in terrible tone. ad-
dressing Mona the steely light coming
into her blue eyes that Mona knows AID
hates SO well, that you must feel it
yotr duty to guide my visitors TO my
pre- SenCey'
If | made mistake | am sorry for
1t, says Mona, earnestly.
1t was unfortunate Mona should
have met them at the hall dOor,-Edith
Carson told me about it.-but it could
not be helped - says Violet calmly.
No. it couldn't be helped" says lit
tie Doatle. But their Intervention only
appears to add fuel to the fire of Lady
Rodney wrath,
1t shall be helped" she saws. in a
low. but condensed tone. For the fu-
tuIe forbid any one in my house to
take 1t upon them to say whether | am
IN or out | am the one to decide that.
On what principle did you show them
IN here? she asks, turning TO Mona,
her anger Increasing az she remembers
the rakish cap; why did you not say,
when you were mmcky enough to find
yourself face to face with them, that |
was not at home?o
Because you were at home,n replies
Mona, quietly, though in deep distress.
That doesn't matter says Rodney;
ut is mere formula. If il suited your
purpose you could have said SOL don't
doubt-readily enough"
81 regret that | met them, says Mo-
ma VINO. viii not say she regrets she told
the truth.
And to usher them in here, Into one
OF my most private roomsl Unlikely
people, like the Carsons. whom YOU have
heard me speak of in disparaging terms |
n hundred times' I don't know what |
you could have been thinking about. |
Perhaps next time you will be kind |
enough to bring them to my bedroom
lou misunderstood me, saws Mona. |
with tears in her eyes.
II hardly think so. You can refuse |
TO see people yourself when il suits YOU. |
Only yesterday when Mr.. Boer. our
rector, called and | sent for you, you |
would not come
-, u don't like Mr. Boer," says Mona, |
''and II was not me he came to see
still there was no necessity to in
suit hlm with such a message as you
sent, Perhaps with unpleasant
meaning, you do not understand that
TO say you are busy is rather more a
rudeness than an excuse for ones non
ut was true says Mona, II was
writing letters for Godfrey
Nevertheless, youmight have waived
that fact, and sent down word you had
"A headache
But | hadn'ta headache, =" says Mo-
ma, bending her large truthful eyes with
embarrassing ealnestness upon Lady
Rodney.
"Oh, If you were determined re-
turns she with Shr1ltr