The Chickasaw messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1880-1900, 1888-03-29
C0NQUERING A QUAKER.

don't know what you mean 10 take. .
said Helena Marvin, looking into the
room where her sister was pacing.
''Takel' said Edith, hardly pausing to
answer as she moved about the open
trunks from closet and bureau, s'whv.
I'm going to take everything. A"
Don't you mean to make any conces-
sionsw
mot a concession
You think it will be better to defy
themf'
Defy them! no, indeed What a hor-
rifle ideal'
Then what do you mean to dol'
Il mean to please them
But how can YOU possibly please
them if you wear silk dresses and curl
your hair9"
4 don't know; perhaps sha'n't; but
I'm going to try And / know never
should please anybody if left my hair
straight and the pretty Cambridge
belle thought 20 herself that it would be
a pity. indeed, if She who had always
pleased everybody without trying, could
not please Roberts relatives If she did
try,
But this visit to Robert relatives was
naturally contemplated with even more
than the usual trembling excitement of
the young fance. For Roberts father
and mother and sisters were all Quakers,
with traditions and beliefs and customs
according to which they ought to con-
template with horror and distress this
union Of their only son and brother with
a wording. And such worldling
Such fascinating combination of laugh
ing eyes and merry lin and curling hair
and tnkling bangles and rustling long
silk skirts and coquettish bonnets and
bewildering laCes and ribbons and little
slippers Oh, dearl oh, dear how they
would hate her And Edith did not
want them TO hate her She had not the
slightest desire to defy or to horrify them.
She was very anxious, indeed, to please
them. But combined with this anxious
desire TO please was a quite unconscious,
though equally firm, determination not
to win their affection BY concessions.
Not 80 much as the bow of a slipper
would she offer up on the shrine of de
votion to Roberts relations Worldly
she was; worldly she would be sure
to remain; and it was best that they
should understand from the first that
she was thoroughly addicted to silk,
satin and lace whenever she could get it.
But she had a faint hope that, once
brought in contact with her worldliness.
they would find it pleasanter than they
thought. Why not2 She had conquered
Robert; why should she not Conquer
themi Robert had not fallen in love
with her in spite of her airs and graces;
he had fallen in love with the airs and
graces themselves. He had often told
her 50. He had repeatedly pointed out
the particular little curl over her adora-
BILE forehead that had first won his at
tention, and had assured her that it was
a certain bit Of lovely lace about her
throat that had completed his subiuga-
ton. And that dear little curl was not
only curl, but was q boughten curl.
held in is place by hairpins, and as fic-
titiously worldly as a curl could possibly
be. True, Robert was not exactly a
Quaker; he was only a descendant Of
Quakers. lie had not definitely re-
uounced the world, although there chung
to him, from the force of heradity and
training and circumstances, Ger
tain grave demeanor end atmos-
phere Of earnestness, lie did not
dance; he did not even want to dance;
but he did not exactly disapprOveof other
people dancing If anybody did choose to
indulge in SO foolish a caprice; and on
the evening when he had been lured BY a
friend to one Of the Cambridge s'as-
semblies. and had met there his imme-
diate, unquestionable, irresistible, worldly
little fate. lie had even felt suddenly a
sort Of impotent rage with himself at not
being able to dance. True, he didn't
want to dance any more than he ever
did bit then she wanted to dance, and
how could he ever please her if he
couldn'r do exactly the things she did?
Still. he had pleased her, and with very
little effort; for the quiet, earnest youth
was tall and very handsome, and would
graduate with honors; in consideration
of which attractions his earnestness might
easily be forgiven. even, indeed, if the
earnestness itself had not a certain charm
a.
ert had pleased her, and she had pleased
Robert, unlike each other, as they were,
and everybody acknowledged that it was
q Perfect love match on both sides, why
might it not be possible that she would
please Roberts relations? though not so
much as IA slipper bow would she sacri-
fee from her pleasant worldhness 20
secure that much to be desired result.
AS it Glanced, test of her resolution
in this respect was offered Immediately.
Mrs. Marvin and Edith had hardly been
shown to their chamber, after their ar
rival at the Longworth home, before
Edith opened her travelling bag and ex-
claimed in dismay
ooh, dear! oh, dear! Mamma, my
slate pencil IS all broken into bits, and
nv criups are all out of curl. Whatever
shall / dos Oh / know Esther said she
would be in the next room if ! wanted
anything 2
in another minute she was tapping at
Esther's door.
Il am SO sorry to trouble you but my
slate pencil is al broken TO bits ii my
bag. Could you let me have one Of
yoursf'
ssThee would like q slate pencil?n said
Roberts serene sister, with evident be
wilderment
eyes, for ny crimpss yen know, they
are al out Of curl and 50 tumbled that I
cant possibly 90 down stairs looking 50. "