The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1889-12-20

4tiNJ HRs1 lf>3z**4 fttxt& ~ ~ thtfNt Nlo
IA might - s~tzheu ss4st wrong path
M uf them 8as riding bareback colt
In the pasture. the other was doing bat
tlewith a blackberry hedge and had q
very pretty mouth all besmeared with
stainsu
Mr.. Desmond shrugged his shoulders,
Sour girls, said he. sYou nee6nt qo
on to describe them any further, Clip
petit Every body around here xnows--
our girlsl''
.The poor GIRLS" said Mrs. Desmond,
who sat BY, in pale blue muslin, and
eyes 70 match. 'sThey are great dis.
appointment to my husband"
II sindeedy uttered Major Cllppett, sym
pathetically. They seen, to DO nice
young things
'sNiee enough, said Mr.. Desmond, APP
athetically. but girls And Two al
waysso longed Cor boy. Some one for
whom you can chalk out career; some
one who can make name in the world.
Girlsl''
Mrs. Desmond, who believed implicit
fly in her husband. drew funereal
sigh; Major Clippett laughed. Aud Ella
and Essie, who had heard it all in the
shades 90 the drawing-foom curtains,
looked sorrowfully at each other. Essie,
the youngest and rosiest, had washed
the blackberry stains away from her
cherry lips; Ella, the tall girl, who was
q very Rosa Bonheur in respect to colts
and cows and all the barnyard animals,
had put on her white dress and pink
ribbons to do fitting honor to her IA
theirs guest And here they stood look
ing sadly into each other'H eyes. Side
by side 'our girls" went noiselessly up
into the old nursery, whsre they had
played as children.
II always knew that pc !. wasn'tquite
suited with us, said Ess4o
"But never guesysea the reason
why" said Ella.
''What shall we dca" sal Essie.
"What can we dogn plea1ed Ella. 1--WE
are only girls!s
''Yes, know" said brave little Essie,
who from the thffahold OF her four
teenth year was beginning TO take
shy peeps out into the world. ''But
things are not as they used to be, Ellai
II we could only mako papa say: I am
proud Of your II we could only induce
him to look at us as IL we weren't super
huities in the worldr'
'Do you think 1t Is possihle2'' said Ella,
with Frightening eyes and carmine
spots glowing on each cheek.
''We can try" said Essie. "Let us 20
down by the river and talk about itr'
"What.' said Mr.. Desmond, lifting his
bead wearily from the pillow of the sofa,
where he was composing himself for his
afternoon aestd. "0ur girls again? Can
they never be contented? Aren't they
getting along well enough with their
gove pess?''
Eyes, j know, dear" said little Mrs.
Desmond, meelTly. "But they want
wider advantages than Miss Millson can
give them. They want music lessons
from Salyini; and a course OF French
and German at the ConsTrdtoire; and
Major clippett says that his sister will
be delighted to receive them for year
or two, If you don't objectr'
"Object" repeated Mr.. Desmond,
drowsily. "0h, don't object! Let them
do as they please!"
And Mrs. Desmond carried this verdict
to the girls.
Didn't he say he should miss us?"
said Essie, wistfnlly.
"Was he glad that we had some ambi-
tion?' asked Ella. whose hungry little
soul yearned for sympathy as q desert
wanderer sighs for cooling fountain in
the arid sands.
No, children" said Mrs. Desmond,
pitylngly. "You know papa never can
be very enthusiastic about girlsl But
III dare say he will miss you when you
are away
So the two girls left Desmond Court,
dismissed by their father with cold
kisses, like the touch of fish.
Five years had passed away, and tour
girlsD had not returned to the parent
nest Mrs Desmond grieyed for
them, but her husband scarcely
seemed to miss the sound Of their laugh
ter in the dim old garden alleys, or the
echo Of their light footsteps in the
halls.
If they had been boys, now" said he,
''it would have been very different"
Until at length he went up to town tO
yisit his friend Major Clippett
"The girls aren't here, enr saio no.
swell, !" with a yawn, II thought you'd |
get tired Of themp
''Not In the least" said the Major,
brislly. "But in the prosecution OF
their life studies they have been obliged
to leave us. You shall see them in o day
or two"
Plenty Of time; plenty Of time, " said
Mr. Desmond.
well, said the Major, "how shall
Ga