Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-01-23
PINKIE's REVENGE.
BY HELEN JACKSON.

here to-day!"
"Sh-sh-, she might hear you"
"Nonsense She is down in the re.
ception room. / don't suppose, if she is
from the backwoods, she has got ears
that can hear through DOORS"
"Girls. am ashamed of you. How
can you be so unfeeling toward your own
cousin.'
Il don't care, mamma; she is sure 10
be awkward and dowdy. How can we
have her at the dinner table to.night2 |
shall die of modification to have to in
troduce her to Mr. Morris as our cousin"
"Perhaps she will be too tired to come
down to d nner after such long ride
1t is little awkward to add another to
a set Ginner party
"Oh, mamma, bless you for the
thought! You can tell her that she is
too tired. You can arrange it, l know"
"Well, l n try"
These were the sentences which 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. 1t was by blunder of the
servant that she had been shown di-
lectly up stairs into the drawing room,
which communicated by folding doors
with the room where were sitting mo:her
end daughters.
'Pinkie! What name!" continued
the first speaker. "Who ever heard of
such name, except for dog2'
''Her name is Priscilla" replied the
mother, "but Pinkie was given to her by
her father. when she was little girl, on
account of her pink cheeks
"Wcll, will call her Priscilla"
"And too"
"Your father will not like it," said
Mrs. Bent. But we must go down"
A swift rush of three women down the
staircase, three loud ordinations of
dismay at the sight of the empty recep-
ton room, looks of dismay and smoth-
cred whisper of vexation.
"How stupid of Ben! Do you suppose
she heard"
These were the opening scenes in the
swift little drama which here began 80
inauspiciously under Mr.. Silas Bcnt's
roof this morning. And next to these
followed one which seemed almost a
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 a
tall, an exceeding tall young woman,
who exclaimed in a nasal voice, "Well,
/ was jest comin' to look ye up. /
didn't know as that fine black gentleman
o yourn had condescended to let YOU
know l was here. I'm most tired to
death, l tell you; four days an four
nights in the cars i, enough to kill an
OK. But I'll be all right as soon's get
my coffee. Ireckon breakfasts all cleared
away by this time. but | don't want
much, only cup of coffee, if the cook
amt thrown it out. I'm real glad to
see you. | s'po uncle got my letter,
didn't hc?' And pausing in her breath
less speech, pretty Prise LA Bent looked
sheepishly into the faces of her equally
shame-faced relatives. If they had not
been too guilty disturbed in their own
minds by fe RS of having been overheard
in their inhospitable comments, they
might have detected strange look on
their Kansas cousins face, mixture of
twinkle and terror. But they saw or
heard nothing except what so thorough
ly corroborated their worst fears. Even
Mrs. Bent herself, who had resolved be-
forehand to he thoroughly kind to the
child of her husbands favorite brother,
was thrown off Ecr 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 q
clapper, and when the dinner larty was
mentioned, Pinkie cried:
''Not much l amt too tired I'll Just
bunk down, and by 6 o'clock I'll be as
fresh as 4 rooster! We don't often get
achance to regular dinner party out in
Emporia, and don't mean to miss one
this winter. Say-shall l wear my We v
best? I've read ABOUT the kind of
clothes you New Workers wear to dinners.
But I've got some A No. l gowns, ] tell
you. Now, you just show me my room
and I'll go straight to bed an stay there
till dnner-time. You let your black
man bring me up a tnmbler of milk, will
you, along about l o'clock, and a
dougbnut or hud tack I'm used TO
eatin' heartily in the middle O. the
day."
When the door was finally shut upon
Pinkie her aunt and cousins exchanged
looks.
"HorIib.e" cried the youngest
daughter, Carrie. 'It's worse than |
ever conceived. How could papa send
for herr"
''Hc has not seen her since she was
ten years DID, said Mrs. Bent, dsmally.
'Of course he could not dream she
would be like this. He has always said
her mother was charming woman, and
they lived in Europe for several wears
when she was little. 1t is horrible,
girls"
Bunk down" CALCULATED the eldest
daughter Sophia.
Fresh as rooster" echoed Carrie.
"Mamma, shall 60 10 bed myself and
be too ill to appear tonight. l don't be.
lieve Mr.. Morris will ever cross our
threshold again."
''Then he is welcome to stay away"
said Mrs. Bent, holly.
While this Il stressed consultation was
going On between Mrs. Bent aud her
daughters, Pinkie. safe locked in her
room, was holding one with herself
tears sparkling in Eer eyes, but her face
was full of mirlh.
Il willn' she muttered. Il will do
it! 1t will be good enough for them. |
know l can. 1t will teach them good
lesson. But III have 10 work like II
Troinn tO oat the Il race roaby nt M, N