Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-15

"eyes" of which he spoke were the mere
languid roll of pair Of blue optics that
might quite a. well have CHANGED upon me
as him.
| Well, Mol had come to stay, we discovered,
but with the exception of an occasional CRY
from the nursery or the roll of the perambu-
lator under our windows, we heard and sa ~
little of her. Tom went back to West Point
and Winthrop Joined the sophomores of
Cornell. To Malcolm and me, who were en-
gagged IN choosing profession, remained the
privilege of becoming better acquainted with
the Princess Mol.
She had reached the age Of 1Smonths when
l was first called upon to rescue her from a
position of peril Gradgrind, the maid-my
mother is English, and calls her American
| servants by their surnames, to their own
mystiacation and resentment-had "stepped
of piece" and left the perambulator oscil-
lating on ledge Of rock at Newport.
It was a charming day, and the Princess
was, I observed, as gathered her from tho
sand into which the perambulator had eventu-
ally plunged, arrayed in her best She wore
little coat of silky cloth, and white plush
cap that reared up in the crown in an alto
gether fetching manner.
Happily no one but Gradgrind, who was
instantly threatened with dismissal, received
any injury from this mishap; but it was the
beginning of curious alliance on my part
with the Princess Moll
In the extremity of my wrath banished
Gradgrind from the spot. She came back,
however, or rather she did not actually go,
! and besought me, with wringing of hands,
not to report her carelessness to my mother.
In vain. l was adamant-until she began to
cry, when l told her that the thing must
never be repeated, and myself adjusted Moll
in the coach.
The Princess seemed instinctively to per-
ceive that Gradgrind, whom she never ap-
peared to love, had in some mysterious way
come off conqueror in this affair, and pouted
her disapproval at both me and the maid
When stepped back to allow the coach to
precede me, she made frantic gestures with
her hands, which were encased in small white
mittens, and fairly drove Gradgrid from her
post. She then bent her eyes upon me in an
imperious manner, which caused me to
cringe.
"Ah, but, dear Princess,"I mentally ex-
postulated, 1--WE are on the avenue, and it is
the hour for Miss Reardon's ride You
couldnt-you wouldn't have your brother
turn nursery maid here"
But the mittens continued to beat the air,
until, muttering to Gradgrind, keep close
beside me-" took my place at the helm, and
miserably trundled the coach Moll gurgled
triumphantly, as well she might, for it was
the successful preface to her scheme. Daily
after that she contrived to attach me to her
train, until one morning Malcolm, encoun-
tering the interesting trio at the gate, de-
manded.
II say, is it Gradgrind or Mollm
Now Gradgrind, who had face of the
heavy, manly type, and figure like an en-
cyclopadia, was not the sort of person to
afford to laugh good humoredly.
Don't you see the fix I'm in-the kind Of
prisoner of ChiIlon I've got to bes It's a
scheme of Molls to enslave me, and there's
no more escape from her than from q Norm
She's had me at the casino and on the ave-
nues till I'm the figure of the day. She stops
at the bazar and calls my attention to the
rugs, and she even went so far as to demand
a Persian lamp, which-heaven help mel
bought for her and permitted her to carry
home"
Malcolm grinned. Gas if she didn't try her
little game on me, and as il I'd allow myself
to be gulled that way! Gradgrind to the
Princess Mol, and the Princess Moll to Grad
grind I'm the slave of no infant" So
was slave-and to an infant. Well, / had
suspected it. But why should Malcolm stand
there tapping racket on bis arm and grin
ming like gargoyle? suppose the fellows of
my club looked that way when | passed-and
Miss Reardon.
had discovered the intention of the Prin-
cess to thwart all possibility of match be-
tween me and the latter, for which she had
taken the popular method of making me APP
pear ridiculous in the eyes of the one woman
before whom l desired to shine Only that
very morning we had passed her, the Princess
imbibing the juice of an orange through a
column of striped candy, while l wiped the
escaping nectar from the front Of her coat
with my handkerchief. Gradgrind eontrived
to look provokingly detached from us at that
moment too
Miss Reardon, sweet girl, never so much as
smiled, but bowed gravely, and with a linger
ing expression which would, under other cir
cumstances, have filed me with happiness.
The Princess frowned, withdrew the striped
column from her lips, and said, go way
in unmistakable accents to the lady who pro-
posed To do her the honor of stopping to look
at her.
pray don't notice Der ill-humor," urged,
terrible abashed for Phi. d. and club man
"She hasn't learned to make distinctions yet
she regards all young ladies as her natural
enemies Would you believe me, Miss Rear
don, she is frightfully jealous Of mei
Miss Reardon smiled. ''Of youf How sin
gulr!'
yes And she absolutely will have me
Caddinz about with her. You can't fancy
the KIND of machine am reduced to. I've
heard-Tye read about the tyranny Of
woman, but shouldn't have believed that 1t
commenced at the age of Is months.
turned to the maid Here, Gradsrind.
take my sister over to Violet Patch, and tel
my aunt
Moo! moo, moor shrieked the Pm
cess
THAT my mother looks for her At lunch
today. and"-
But the coach was lurching violently back
ami forth, swayei by Nolis angry Oh tsctions,
Moo n-o-o' moor
You have-sot-co 60 said intensely,
catching her hands, and holding them IN tie
firm GRASP Of which l lave read trial
grind is going t. tale you 20 Aunt NELL
cents, and I am going 10 walk with Miss
Rearcon-
At this size redoubled tsr screams, ana
heaped slich terms Of infant ooioquy uf'oa
Miss Reeri-n trait biushed for my family
She dass.L GEaYs hAaars sn-1-I *