Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-02-29

and circumstance, a certain grave de-
meanor and atmosphere of earnestness.
He did not dance; he did not even
want to dance; but he did not exactly
disapprove of other people dancing II
anybody did choose to indulge in SO
foolish a caprice; and on the evening
when he had been lured by friend to
one of the Cambridge Assemblies. and |
had met there his immediate, unques-
tionable, irresistible, worldly little fate, |
he had even felt suddenly a sort OF i'm |
potent rage with himself at not |
being able to dance. True. he did not |
want to dance any more than he ever |
did but then, she wanted to dance, and |
how could he ever please her If he
couldn't do exactly the things she did ?
Still he had pleased er, and with very
| little effort; for the quiet, earnest youth
was tall and very handsome, and would
graduate with honols; In consideration
of which attractions his earnestness
| might easily be forgiven, even, indeed,
| if the earnestness itself had not GER
| tain charm of it's own, as at least a
| novelty. So, if Robert had pleased her,
and she had pleased Robert, unlike
each other, as they were, and every
body acknowledged that it was a perfect
not be possible that she would please
Roberts relations? though rot SO much
as a slipper-bow would she sacrifice
| from her pleasant worldliness to secure
| that mIch-to-be-desired result.
AS It CHANGED, test Of her
resolution in this respect was
offered Immediately. Mrs. Marvin
and Edith had hardly been shown to
their chamber, after their arrival to the
| Longworth home, before Edith opened
her travelling bag and exclaimed in dis
may:
"Oh. dear oh. dear Mamma, my
pencil is all broken to bits, and my
| crimps are all out of curl. Whatever
shall W. do? Oh. know Esther said
| she would be in the next room if want
| ed anything"
In another minute she was tapping at
Esther's door.
81 am sorry to trouble you, but nv
slate pencil is all broken to bits in my
bag Could you let me have one Of
/ yours ?''
"Thee would like a slate pencil ?''
said Roberts serene sister, with evident
bewilderment.
"Yes, for my crimps, you know. They
are all out of curl, md SO tumbled up
that can't possibly go down stairs
| looking SO"
''But could thee not comb them out
l could lend thee comb to comb them
OUT
Il could, of course, but you've no
| idea what fright | am without crimps
| Robert never saw me with my hair
straight, and / know he would hate to
have his mother see me unless / was
looking my very, very best. Of course,
you know, | have another bang in my
trunk, Edith made this rank con ess-
ion wi b a wild instinct that it would be
| best for Roberts relatives to know the
| worst at once, SO that any posi- lie con-
| cessiOns to be made afterward, though
she would not yet acknowledge the pos
| sibility of concession, would strike
them in the light of unexpected i'm
provement, "but my trunk hasn't
! come; and SO if you could lend me
pencil p
IL am afraid have no slate PEN
Gil, - faltered Esther.
well, pipe would do; haven't you
| a pipe handle? just common white
pipe, such as the children have for
soap bubbles, you know"
IF thee will wait moment, [ will
see." said the discrt ct Esther.
Edith in the meantime made her way
back to her own room and waited in
suspense, while Esther went slow
down stairs, questioning her cOnscien e,
and yet very 10th to disappoint the lit
t e witch who was depend NJ upon her.
She had made up her mind to be very
tolerant OF the worldliness of Roberts
taucee, but 10 be suddenly called upon |
to aid and abet her in it, was almost |!
more than could be reasonably expect
ed of her, even by Robert. And vet |
1t would be SO unfortunate to begin the !
visit with family jar She ha ter |
rible consciousness that there was
pire in the house-Richard, her little |
nephew, had had it for soap bubbles |
only week beforehand to tell ii lie |
even a white lie, and permit hersel to |
be unable to find it, was something |
more terrible to Esther's conscience
than even conniving at curl. As 1t
happened, however, she really could |
not find 1t. Here was certainly sufi-
cient excuse for going back empty
handed; and yet, and yet-when she |
came to the foot OF the stairs, Esther, in
s ead of going up, turned aside into the
kitchen.
Bridget, could thee spare moment
to 60 across to the corner grocery and
get me pipe-a common white clay
pipe ?''
Bridget.
Yes. Bridget; pipe; a pipe for for
blowing soap bubbles" stammered Es-
Their. Thee knows, Brldget-a pipe
such as Richard had for his plny"
"Yes, [ know" said isridge,, wiping
her hands on her apron. and then re-
| moving the apron. And is it soap
| bubbles they do be wantin' to blow al
ready? Faith, I'll send 'em up plate
| full tor dinner"
Edith has won her first battle,''
wrote Mrs. Marvin to her husband thai
| even ng, land without a wound or scar
on either side. | only wis., you had
| been here with your detective camera
to get an instantaneous picture ofthe two
| girls when Edith opened the door and
| Esther handed her the pipe"
| As Edith had confidently expected, it
was the first of a long series of victories
over Roberts relations, which she
nSer the ppg h aeTn Of herr
French slipp+rs, but by quietly teach
ing them to like her just as she was.
She had an Infinite amount of the