Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-04-22

Liz SueStS WeTe dlISduy arriving, NIL 1cuo
himself among them, he having, according
to the fashion of New York business men,
arrived home only in time to dress for din
ner. His heart was so full of affectionate
welcome for his niece, whom he remember
ed as a beautiful child of ten, only half a
dozen years ago, that he did not at first note
anything but the lovely uplifted eyes and
theaffectionate voice.
AS the dinner progressed even unobserv-
ant Mr.. Bent became aware that his niece's
attire was not what it should be, and that
her voice was too loud. "But the women
folks" he said to himself, "can soon straight
en- that all out, and the child's as pretty as
a picture"
So also thought the Hon. Mr.. Morris,
who to Carries vexation, on being told by
her that the young lady in white was a
cousin, who had arrived most inopportunely
from Kansas, had exclaimed:
"From Kansas! How delighted I am !!
That is the State of all others 1 am most
interested in seeing. If all the Kansas
ladies have 80 wonderful a complexion as
your>cousin, that is another reason for visit
ing the region. Pray present me to her,
will you? 1 should like to ask her many
questions. Perhaps, eh ?" he stammered,
with the curious mixture of diffidence and
audacity one so often sees in Englishmen-
"perhaps your mother will be so good as to
let me have the pleasure of sitting by her
side at d%inner-that is if it will not disar-
range your plans"
81 am quite sure mamma will not relln-
quish the pleasure of having you chiefly to
herself at dinner" responded Carrie, her
heart full of anger and modification.
Nevertheless, several times in the course
of dinner Mr.. Morris heard the shrill voice
and thought to himself:
"What a pity the American voice is so
h%igh-pitched
When the gentlemen joined the ladies in
the drawing room Mr.. Morris looked eager
ly for the Kansas cousin. Not seeing her,
he accosted Mrs. Bent with true English
bluffness:
81 don't see your niece from Kansas. L
hope she is not gone. I was counting on
talking with her the rest of the evening""
With mingled resentment and confusion
Mrs. Bent replied:
"My niece went up stairs Immediately
after dinner"
In truth, Mrs. Bent was in a state of
nervous bewilderment. Without for a mo-
ment suspecting the real cause of Pinkie's
withdrawal, she had perceived that the girl
was greatly moved as she came swiftly to
her when they were entering the drawing
room.
"Aunt, l must ask you to excuse me. l
am going up stairs to change my dress; l
was not dressed as I should have BEEN"
"Never mind, child, W mind"
Pinkie was gone.
It did not take long for her to finish her
transformation touches. The dainty white
surah silk with billowy reach of white lace
from belt to helm, the soft, clinging gloves
to the shoulders, the opal bracelets, the
white ostrich feather fan, the white satin
slippers-all were in readiness. But at last
Pinkie's heart failed her.
ut was a shameful trick to play on them.
I shall cry I know 1 shall, and I'D rather
die than cry before that Englishman."
At last she stole down slowly, hesitating'
ly. Black Ben caught sight of her first, and
reeled back with excitement.
It was an unerring instinct which led
Pinkie, on entering the drawing room, to
glide swiftly to her uncle's side, and putting
both hands into his, say:
"Dear Uncle Silas, won't you make my
peace with aunt, and ask your friends here
to forgive me for masquerading at inner?'
Before she had half finished speaking the
company had gathered close around her.
IL must say" began Mrs. Bent, in an
cry tone. But Pinkie went on resolutely
81 could not resist the temptation to live
up to the New Workers. idea of a Kansas
girl, just for an hour or two. You know
that I was exactly the sort of a person you
all expected to see from the West" She
gathered courage as she saw smiles. eyes,
you all know it," embracing the group in
her appealing glance, ''and we out West all
know it. Then forgive me. You ask them
to forgive me, dear Uncle Silas won't you ?"
But Uncle Silas was laughing too heartily.
He bent over and kissed her forehead.
81 ask them all to forgive me for kiss
ing you," he said. "a capital joke, Pink
lie ~
"The best piece of acting I ever saw"
cried the Hon. Mr.. Morris; "quite clever,
very neat. Upon my word, though, I do
not think now, really Miss Bent, I. should
not have seen through it. don't think
you could have deceived me-"
"Ishould not have tried" replied Pinkie,
very simply. Yet there was a certain un-
defnable something in her tone that made
the Hon. Mr.. Morris change color.
There are no words 4. which to describe
the embarrassment of Mrs. Bent and her
daughters.
"Had Pinkie overheard what they said
about herr"
They sounded her as far as they dared,
but they never found out.
TO only one person did Pinkie ever tell
the whole. That was to the Hon. MI. Nor
ris, after she was his wife some weeks.
81! thought ii was unjust in them, Frank"
she said, $50 cruel, I'd just give them a les
son and let them see that manners may be
only skin deep-easily put on or off. But
I'd never have done it, Frank, if I'd seen
you first; I wanted to run out of the room
as soon as l saw you look at me.
"You needn't have done so, " replied Hon.
Mr.. Morris, "for 1 thought as soon as my
eyes fell on you that I had never seen so
lovely a face before.
"Did you really ?" asked Pinkie.
"Really," answered the Hon. Mr.. Morris.
THE NOISE OF THE FINGERs.-When