The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-21
MRS. srANIER.

brows and a slight acerbity of tone She
actually lays down her novel land the third
rolume, too), and says this, as though hon
lstly DESTROYS OF information or scandal.
'She is widow, l hear replies her
brother, lazly. He yawns and pulls with
languid affection the ears of the small terrier
lifting on his knee.
'Oh. of course, they always are widows"
taid Mrs. Vyvyan.
"Well why shouldn't they be? Fellows
will die, you know. BY the by, did you
hear about Fred's parsnipS? He"
Never mind the parsnips. Fred Erred is
her husband) is always making an ass of
himself about one thing or the other. Tell
me what else you have heard about this
new conner"
"About Mrs Stamer? Not much. She has
taken The Holmes, it appears, and has one
little daughter. l know nothing more of
her, and l shouldn't have known that il
Deventry hadn't regularly button~holed me
and made me listen to him"
"How odd it is. That sort of n woman has
always only one child, and it is never a son.
Why don't they have two, and why not a
boy sometimes?'
sometimes they have I know widow
that has three little sons"
"A widow in society. no doubt. But this
Mrs. Stamer has apparently no connection,
duced), IN fact, nothingr'
''She has money, and the best place to be
had now in the neighborhood.'
Il suppose" fretfully, "she will expect us
to call"
LET her expect. and don't call. Why
should you? Stay at home and avoid this
grievance"
But if everybody else calls shan't like
to feel am the one ill-natured person in the
parish. Why on earth can't she say who she
is, or mention cousin, or a sister, or an
aunt? Charlotte Grynde saw her yesterday
and says she is too pretty to be proper"
IF ugliness is patent to responsibility,
Miss Gryndc is all one could nossibly desire"
says Captain Blackwood. "She is, beyond
all doubt, too proper to be pretty"
Charlotte is trying. certainly, but I think
she is Il good soul" saws Mrs. Vvvvan care
lcssy of her dearest friend" "Stamer-
Stamer. 1t is good name enough, but per-
haps assumed
WHATS in name?' quotes her brother
ave have all heard about the rose, you know,
and considering what we have heard she
must be superior to any rose. If her sur
name was Brown, Jones or Robinson, it
wouldn't take the luster out of her eyes or.
add an inch to her nose, which, hear, is
pure Greek BY the by. she has got the most
questionable Christian name"
How Questonable?'
ut is almost improper" says Captain
u
warm. and laughter of the pronounced sort
is beyond him "She calls herself Audrey
1t sounds STACEY. doesn't it? A woman who
respected herself wouldn't 20 round with
that name. would she? It's so disgracefuly
out of the common
"a name signifies very little" saws Mrs.
Vyvyan, severely, who doesn't like being
ridiculed even by a pet brother
Look here, Pussy" says Captain Black
wood. Don't you be the first to taboo this
poor little woman. She is only your own
age. I hear, 27'' Mrs. Vyvyan is 32l; 80
don't be hard on her. No doubt she has had
bad times enough, without our coming down
heavily upon her."
II shan't do anything of course, until
other people move" said Mrs. Vyvyan,
much Modified by that happy allusion to
her-or rather Mrs Stamer's age. The other
people mean the Bishop, Mrs. Bishop and
Lady Mary Gore.
And don't be too hasty. even then" adj
vises her brother, who is good-ratured
young man, some three years her Junior.
'By the by talking of haste, / would take
three inches off her tail, ii were you.
shouldn't delay another hour"
"Off whose tail?' startled.
"Gilly's. These Irish terriers don't look the
thing with tails"
"Oh! the dog" says his sister in relieved
tone. II thought you were speaking of
I don't understand dogs, but take off
Gilly's tail if you like, only-don't hurt
her"
"Here comes Charlotte the GRINDER so I'll
retire" says Captain Backwood glaneing
down the avenue through the open wiadow
''She has got on her new black silk, so she
means mischief | won't have any tea this
evening, thanks unless you will be so good
as to send it to the library. And. Pussy. a
last word; if you really want to make your
friend thoroughly happy just expatiate on
what you have heard of Mrs. Stamer's
beauty"
A sound outside, n weli-known semi-mas-
culine step. aud Captain Blackwood flies to
regions dull, but inaccessible.
In spite of its many spinsters society in
Pullingham is eminently goodnatured. Just
now it is grieving excessively at having to
hold back the right hand of fellowship from
the stranger at The Holmes. But as The
Larches have not gone TO see her in their
landau, The Elms have not dared to show
her the light OF the countenance in their
phaeton, and so on in the lesser degrees of
pride. each member shrinking from the intia-
tive in this matter.
At the end of week. however, things
come to climax. The Bishop, n wonder
fully unworldly man ms bishops go, waking
to sense of the situation, drags himself
away from the contemplation of his straw
berry BEDS and persuades Mrs. Bishop to
put on her best bonnet and come with him
TO make formal call mt The Holmes. This,
poor woman, she does in fear and trembling.
Lady Mary Gore has not yet sgnified her in
tenton of visiting the new conner and Lady
Mary Is own sister to Duke! Surprising
Mrs. Bishop should be putting her foot i'll i'll
Awful thought!
She feels little faint but having donned
the bonnet in obedience to her lord, ascends
the Noah's ark they call coach and drives
away with him to call upon this unknown
woman who may or may not there the feel
ing of faIntness returns) be respectable; she