Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-09-09
CLEO.
by CLYDE RAYMOND.

"For fhe Lords sake, William, do
lock at that girl stretched out full
length under that ERE tree, with her
eyes glued fast to that everlastin' book
That's jest the way 1t goes from mornip'
till night. No more good to be got out
of her about Homework than II she
was boy. l do wish you would give
her good sound scoldin', for once In
your life. Mebbe 'twould make her q
little different. I'm sure nothin' / say
does any good
And Mrs. Carson's face wore o very
grum and discontinued look o. she
gazed frow ningly at her fourteen year
old daughter who, sure enough, had
thrown herself down beneath the
spreading elm, book In hand, In an
attitude more careless and comfortable,
perhaps, than either elegant or lady
like.
Mr.. Carson looked ~ directed, but he
showed no signs OF giving the Sound
scoldin'" prescribed by his wife. Evi.
IDENTIFY scolding was not hi; forte.
"Oh, let her alone, Samanthy" he
replied, with q very indulgent smile In
his kindly blue eyes. She's q good
BiTl, M ntWp Suc 1.-Two itAo Ioauiu
better than wOrkin'. Nobody can't say
contrary to that, Samanthy. Who Is It
that allers takes the big prizes on the
lsst day OK the quarter? Why, Cleo
Carson" he answered himself, with an
elegant outburst of paternal pride.
Then he added little more meekly,
eff you can't get along with the house
work, wife, hire some little girl to dc
the dish. washing and chores. Pm able
to pay for it."
Hire q girl I" echoed his wife with
faint shrek, with dotter of my
own big enough to take the heft OF the
work OFF my hands If she'd mind to ?
Not much, Mr.. Carson. If you've
money to throw away like that guess
you can spend 1t for new carpet in
the sittin' room. Lord knows, it needs
one bad enough"
Then raising her voice several de-
grees, she called out, sharply
" Gle o Come here this minute and
wash them dinner-dishes. Amt you
ashamed TO be wastin' your time so,
when there's 80 much to do 2"
At the first sound of her name, ~
Grossly spoken, the girl slowly arose
from the greensward, shaking herself
like some spaniel that had been lazily
basking in the sun.
"If you had just waited ten minutes
longer, mamma !" she pleasantly ex
claimed, coming out of her dreamy alb
attractions as she reached the porch
where her parents were taking theil
" nooning," her mother, however, busy
with piece of sewing in her never-idlt
hands. l was so interested. alfred
Varsrave had just opened Lucile''
letter and"
who's Lucille 2" interrupted hel
mother, impatiently, adding, with
touch of singing sarcasm who evel
she is, she'll not help you do your worl
up, I'll warrant. 30 you'd better ge
at 1t double-auick."
Cleo laughed ,as she entered the hous'
to attack the big pile of dishes that wer'
stacked up on the kitchen table.
She knew that her mothers crossnes
was only on the surface, and that a
heart she was almost as indulgent 81
her blue eyed easy going old father, ant
Cleo loved her dearly.
Poor mamma," she murmured soft
" to herself. How much she miase
by not reading those splendid books
But then, II she did know more abou
them, perhaps, she would be discon
tented, like me, and don't know a
that makes one very happy, after all
oh, dear /" she added, with a dolorou
sigh, +" can't spend all my life in thi
stupid old village"
In truth, Mira. Carson knew no NOR,
about Owen Meredith's grand heroine
than she did of Egypt's immorta
queen whose name she had, by some
odd accident bestowed upon her daugh
ter.
1t seemed queerly inappropriate
too, for there was little in the appear
anee of the half-grown, dreamy eyee
girl to remind one of the renowned en-
chantress.
There was promise of great symme
try and grace IN her figure, for which
her constant habit of loafing." as he
mother called it, in the pure out-doo
air was probably responsible. Aut
there was an abundance of lusterles
black hair twisted up carelessly abov
her forehead. in style of her own, AM
there were those great, dark, dream.
eyes. But nobody ever thought .
calling her pretty. However, he
grand name was usually shorten
eu 10 Olto, WulCu euitcu hoi i"A oo
l ter.
Meantime, the little farce above d.
scribed had an amused an intereste
audience OF one. Mr.. Herbert Stanley
| who had taken the large front chainbe
lover the parlor for n few weeks, WA
seated by the window, immersed In
pile of the latest city papers, an
every word had come distinctly to hl
ears.
He had never taken much notice {
the shy young girl, but now he bega
to wonder II she really did read an
appreciate books of that calihl
and he resolved to see more of her d
rectly.
SO when the dish washing was ov,
and he saw Cleo once more in her Il
Ivorite place under the elm, he sauntere
carelessly up to her and began a col
versation.
At first the girl was very shy, b'
Isoon, finding that he was not larghin
at her, but was really interested in Il
books she loved so we'll, she talkt
with him quite freely in n half chill
like, but intelligent way that surprise
him.
!, While talking, he watched Il
dreamy, poetic fervor that lighted b
great, dark eyes and warmed the pal
abstracted countenance into strong l
tensity, and he thought
"There is something like genius
this child. She ought to have chan
8 In this world"
. "How would you like to live in Ne
York, Miss Cleo ?" he asked her, su
: ldenly.
"in New York p she echoed ,lookil
| at him as II he had said, "how wou
You like to live in fairyland 2"
Yes," he went on, quickly SIN
D ling at her wonderment |; your faith
l. Lis quite we'll able to have you ed
Gated there. You are ambition
and there you might make somethil
E of yourself, you know. Now. n
...ha.. ...a..ld ...illinnl.r faEa nhar