The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-09-16
Selettco Storp.
Pinkie's Revenge.

ceptlon-roOm. L don suppose, II she
is from the backwoods, she has got ears
that can hear through floors"
Girls, | am ashamed of you. How
can you be so unfeeling toward your
own cousin?"
don't care, mamma, she is sure to
be awkward and dowdy. How can we
have her at the dinner-table tonight?
l shall die of modification to have to
introduce her to Mr.. Morris as our
cousin.n
Perhaps she will be too tired to come
down to dinner after such a long ride"
ooh! mamma, bless you for the
thought. You can tell her that she is
too tired. You can arrange it, | know"
"Well, I'll try"
These were the sentences that fell on
the ears of Priscilla Bent as she sat
alone, waiting to see the aunt and
cousins whom she had come all the
way from Kansas to New York to visit,
of whose welcome she felt as sure as if
she had known them all her life.
" Pinkie! What namel" continued
the first speaker. Who ever beard of
such name, except for a dog?"
I" Her name is Priscilla" replied the
mother, but Pinkie was given to her
girl. on account of her pink cheeks"
"Well, shall call her Priscilla"
I" And |, too"
" Your father will not like it," said
Mrs. Bent. "But we must 90 down"
A swift rush of three women down
the staircase, three loud EXPLANATIONS
of dismay at the sight of the empty re-
ception-room, looks of dismay and
whisper of veXation.
" How stupid of Ben! Do you sup
pose she heard"
These were the next scenes in the
swift little drama which here began so
inauspiciously under Mr.. Silas Bent's
roof that morning. And next to these
followed one which seemed almost
justification of all that the Misses Bent
had said in regard to their cousin.
Slowly rising to her feet, grasping her
umbrella firmly in her left hand, rose
who exclaimed in a nasal voice, d" Well,
l was jest a comm to look We up. l
didn't know as that fine black gentle
man o. yourn had condescended to let
you know | was here. I'm most tired
to death, tell you. -Four days and
four nights in the cars is enough to kill
an OK But I'll be all right s soon's
get my coffee. | reckon breakfasts
all cleared away by this time. But l
don't want much-only cup of coffee,
if the cook hain't thrown it out I'm
real glad to see you. | 'spose uncle got
my letter, didn't he?" And pausing in
her breathless speech, pretty Priscilla
Bent looked sheepishly into the faces
of her equally shamefaced relatives. If
they had not been too guilty. disturbed
in their own minds of fears of having
been overheard in their inhospitable
comments, they might have detected a
strange look on their Kansas Cousins
face-a mixture of twinkle and terror
But they saw and heard nothing except
what so thoroughly corroborated their
worst fears. Even Mrs. Bent herself
who had resolved beforehand to be
thoroughly kind to the child of her hus-
bands favorite brother, was thrown off
her balance, and, in spite of herself, the
welcome she gave was curt and cool.
But nothing appeared to daunt the
terrible Pinkie. Radiant good humor
shone in her face; her tongue ran like
clapper, and when the dinner party
was mentioned, Pinkie cried:
mot much. l amt too tired. I'll
lust bunk down, and by six O'Clock I'll
be as fresh as rooster! We don't often
get a chance to a regular dinner party
out in Emporia, and l don't mean to
miss one this winter Say-shall l
wear my very best? I've read about the
kind of clothes you New Workers wear
to dinners. But I've got some A No.
l gowns, l tell you. Now, you just
show me my room, and I'll 90 straight
to bed an stay there till dinner time.
You let your black man bring me up a
tumbler of milk, will we, along about
one O'Clock, and doughnut or hard
tack? Pm used to eatin' heartily in the
middle O. the day."
When the door was finally shut, her
her aunt and cousins exchanged looks.
Horrible" cried the youngest daugh-
ter, Carrie. cts worse than / con-
ceived. How could papa send for her?''
He has not seen her since she was
ten years DID," said Mrs. Bent, dis
mally. "Of course he could not dream
she would be like this. He has always
said her mother was acharming woman
and they lived in Europe for several
years when she was little.o
Bunk DOWN. e aculated the eldest
daughter, Sophia.
L" Fresh as a rooster" echoed Carrie
Mamma, ] shall go to bed myself and
be too i'll to appear tonight. | never
can live through it; never I don't be-
lieve Mr.. Morris will ever cross oul
threshold again"
"Then he is welcome to stay away
said Mrs. Bent, hotly.
While this distressed consultation
was going on between Mrs. Bent ant
her daughters, Pinkie, safely locked il
her room, was holding one with her
self Tears sparkled in her eyes, bu
her face was full of mirth.
CT will!' she muttered. 81 will dc
it! 1t will be good enough for them
/ know can. 1t will teach them {
good lesson. But I'll have to work like
a Trojan to get the dress ready. Lei
me see what | have got that will dol
Ha! / have it! That old tableau dress
will be just the thing"
" How lucky | brought it!' she
chuckled, as she shook out the folds o.
white muslin made in the most anti
quated country fashion. "Now / car
60 to sleep and rest easy for an hour
Awkward and dowdy,' that is wha
/ will be-" and in five minutes mis-
oI;o,o,e Dinlyia Rant ,yoc uounI oclaon