Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-03

conscientiously believed that the depth of
her grief for Lavinia equalIed the depth
of the crane 1ounces on her gown, but in
reality such was not the case. During
the whole of her life Miss Lavinia had
been more or less of a trial to her sensible
elder sister. of late she had been the cause
of considerable anxiety also, for there
was very little Stiffness of which Miss La
yinia was not capable and she had had in
later Years but very little care for the dig
nifty of her old name and none at all for
the dignity of her old self So on the
whole the relief TO Miss Theodosia's really
weIl-organizad mind was great deal
more than she was herself aware of as
vet Still it must be acknowledged that
Mrs. Trafford, who was little : oman of
an extremely sOciable nature, did pine for
the sight of fresh face or two, so that
when she had been at B3scombe close
upon a month, and Miss The0iOsia sug-
gested for about the twentieth time that
she felt sure she was dreadfully bored
and that really they might ask somebody
else now, she accepted the nUw idea with
alacrity.
'.You must be getting tired of me, dear
Miss TheodOsa," she said, sweetly. Sup
posing that you ask sOme other friend
down and I will make way for her"
"Oh, i did not mean that at all cried
Miss Theodosfa, looking at Mrs. Trafford
with wide open eyes OF alarm. You don't
want TO desert mech! pray don't dear.
You just suit me and YOU are so kind and
bright and ympathetic-pray do not talk
of leaving me to my Ioneliness-don'tp
oh, my dear, / shouldn't think of leav-
ing while it is any comfort to yoU to have
me STAY" exclaimed Mrs TraffOrl. visions
Of that twelve thousand a year floating be-
fore her mind. But do not want you TO
be getting weary of seeing me here. You
meant then 10 ask someone else whilst l
am still here?"
YES, precisely so" replied Miss Theo-
dosia, meekIy. You see, dear, this is
Just the best month of the year for the isl.
and, and l don't think there would be any
improperly in my having few visitors
now. thought we might ask Mr.. and
Mrs. Stephen down. Do you think they
would Gomez"
81 should think they would be delight
ed" answered Mrs. Trafford, promptly.
though as matter of fact she was by no
means sure that either Stephen or his wife
would care to leave London just then.
But at all events it will be very kind If
you ask them, though, of course, | cannot
answer for their being able to come"
Later in the day therefore pretty note
of invitation was sent off to Mrs. Stephen
Howard. and by the same post went an
urgent letter from Mrs. Trafford begging
her, if possible-for her sisters sake-to
accept it.
al know it will be most inconyenient
for you to come here, dear, just now,"
she wrote, but IL it is possible to do so, ]
beg you TO come. The island is looking
lovely, the house is most comfortable and
the carriage and horses are always at my
disposal. Miss Theodosia is very anxious
that you should come, so for dear Laura's
sake | trust yOu will be able to come"
Thus urged Julia wrote back that they
would come on the day after tomorrow
for ten days, that they could not possibly
stay longer than that because they had
accepted an invitation to dine at the
house OF cabinet minister whom they
only knew slightly, and could not, with
out probably giving great offense, get out
of it,
"There is something for nearly every
day between this and then" said Julia, in
conclusion, but only four or five formal
dinners which / think | can easily get out
of by explaining the circumstances.
On the day appointed, therefore, they
went down and reached BOscombe in time
for dinner Everything went well. Miss
TheOdosia cried little when she received
Julia and embraced her tenderly and re-
peated her little speech about the house
of mourning and her kindness in coming
to it,
"On. nor; cried Julia. sit is no great
kindness on our part, dear Miss Theo-
dosia, unless it is kindness to ourselves.
We were delighted to come, weren't we,
StevIe?"
THAT we certainly WERE" said Steph-
en-, thus directly appealed to for an opn-
ion.
at is most kind of yfu to say so, my
dcar-k,nder ~til to feel 80 towards q
lonely old woman who has very few at
fractions to of T. GU" said Miss Theo-
dosia. in s1H >Iu VOICE.