The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-05-19
TWO WAYS 0F ASKING.

S"Tears, idle tears Niobe dissolved 1! My dear child, what on earth is the ihatter?"
 Time, four, of summer afternoon; place, pretty boudoir, furnished in the fashion of to-day, modelled on the style of Louis Quinze, with dash of Liberty thrown in, and modern &C., cessories, such as crystal flower vases, three-volume novels and photogra oh stands, juxtaposed with Queen Anne silver and knicknacks, ancient and modern. Drdnadtis perS0n@, grace ful figure in white, fluug with an air of desolation on the floor beside sofa, her charmig nuque visible beneath delicious little rows of golden curls, her frame shaken by sobs; an older woman standing few yards distant, dark, beautifully dressed, good look ing enough for anything" without being distinctly handsome, aged some- where within the right side of thirty, and wearing an expression half com- passionate, half amused. There is 8 suspicion of raillery in her voice, which is felt and deeply resented by tho fair sorrower. Anger is often akin to sorrow, as pity is to love, and the voice which responds to the ques- tion when reiterated is decidedly pet ulant.
 "1 wish you would go away and leave me alone."
 "1 shall not do anything of the sort" returns the other. "I am going to talk to you, and I do not care in the least whether you are angry or not, although I would much rather you would take my remarks in good part"
 "Oh," responds the voice, still smothered in the sofa-cushions, but losing nothing of its resentful quality. "I know how clever you are, and that you think that you can manage every ones affairs great deal better than themselves"
 She intends this to be "nasty one," and as matter of fact, it does not fall very pleasantly on the cars of her in terlocutor; but she sits down on the sofa and replies with good humor, "Well, my love, 1 may confidently ssy that l could manage your affairs a great deal better than you manage them yourself, and that if I were you, 1 would have MT. Clement Lascelles at my feet in very short time."
 "Perhaps you have him there now !'' says the prostrate one, ceasing to sob and trying to sheer instead.
 "Well, Dolly, dear, to tell you the fVrrt h | Fnt1 '. that young man the charm which I observe he has for-for some people indeed, l consider him poser, with an exasperatingly good opinion of himself, and, if yon ask my candid opinion, I think that he would be all the better for being kic-"
 Dorothy flounces up in a moment. "I will trouble you not to insult my friends" she cries, with flaming cheeks. "And it is not very easy to believe your sincerity when he was sitting in your pocket all last night, and you were out walking with him for two hours this morning."
 "In any case," replies Mrs. Dalton coolly, "your remarks prove that l have had time and opportunity to form an opinion of his qualities. don't deny that he is good looking but 1t Is intolerable that he should be so conscious of it. admit that he is ndt without certain amount of clev- erness, and has been fairly we'll edu- cated but I violently object to his thinking himself able to sit in judg- ment on people good deal older and cleverer than himself"
 "On yuA, for instance" cries Dolly
 "No, was not thinking of myself though I admit the soft Impeachment (the one regarding my age, at least) and what dislike most of ail is hii placing himself on e pedestal to be looked at and longed for by-by pretty, silly little girls, who ought to know better"
 Dolly stiffens her back, and says with an assumption of dignity which sits indifferently we'll upon her. "If you will excuse me, should prefer moi discussing MT. Lsscelles with you You are perfectly welcome to your opinion of him, and claim the lib- erty of retaining mine" Then, hea majesty suddenly toppling over, sh<