St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-14
Fan Francisco Call.

1t was very KIM OF MIS-. Ordyity W
give him an opportunity to plead his
suit to her pretty, willful daughter.
Was it not for that purpose she had
gone away and interviewed her maids
IN the kitchen? And when Eta fol-
lowed her thither. insisting on her re-
turn, had she not discovered that some
Of her carnations wanted tying up, and
srotted out into the garden to attend to
Them?
But it was to no good purpose that
The good lady - more compassionate
Than her daughter-took pity on the
young fellow, whose unsteady and
anxious blue eyes showed but too
plainly the depth of his feelings. Eta
.acitly refused to be wooed, and when
ne pleaded for hearing she shook her
head and kept so close to her mothers
side that at last he heaved great sigh
and took his leave.
Then Mrs. Grayley put down her
gardening gloves and scissors, ana
turned to the cruel maiden Indignantly.
81 am ashamed of you, Etta Have
you no feeling, that you treat an old
friend in this way? Poor Dolph En-
stein deserves better usage'
LET him come as friend. and | will
WELCOME him gladly; but you know,
mamma. that he will not be content
with that"
Yes retorted Mrs. Grayley, 81 do
know that for years he has liked you,
and cherished hope that some day you
would be his wife, and you encouraged
that hope"
"Oh, no, mamma: never:
But say you did, until l was silly
enough To be persuaded TO give you ha!i
dozen terms at finishing schooi--
college, mamma" Eta corrected.
Call it Whot you will, J. very much
regret that L ever let you go to it. You
went a simple, sensible girl, eager to
study and improve yourself: you came
back TO me self-absorbed, sentimental
and silly"
Mammal"
my dear, Pm sorry to say this, but it
is too true. You managed to get into
set of idle, eXcitable girls, who lmbued
you with all their own extravaganza
ideas. Instead of being loving. intel
liGent companion to me, you're always
dreaming of reading what you call aS-
thetic poetry, and l should designate as
trash; and as for the Ernsteins, you
have affronted Lola and meet her with
YOUR GOODNESS, while DOlph. if he is
wise, would think no more of YOU"
Eta grew crimson with modification.
To be lectured so sharply by the dear.
indulgent mother, who hitherto had
been so patient with her. was bad
enough, but 10 be threatened with the
loss of her lover, as if it would be
serious calamity, hurt her pride.
MIR. ErnStein cannot accuse me OF
4i,+in .r,itI nd I3Un told him
frankly that / do not wish to marry"
"Why?" Queried Mrs. Grayley.
''That is curious question to come
from you, mamma. Are you in such
hurry to get rid of your troublesome
daughter that you would give me to the
first that asks my hand?"
'tNever mind what | would or would
not do" was the grave retort. For
that | am anSWerable to my own con-
science. But answer my inquiry Why
do you not wish to marry AdOlph Ern-
stein? Have you heard anything to his
disadvantages"
''Oh, no! Every one knows that he
Is the best of sons and brothers."
That only responds to my second
question. Now for the first. You con-
Tess that you do not dislike the young
man? You've long been aware that he
owes you with all his heart and that
his parents are quite willing to receive
you as a daughter? One of your motives
for going to college was to improve
yourself in German because it is their
native tongue; yet now you refuse
their sons proposals, and L ask again
Why?"
II am very happy at home with you.
mamma faltered Eta, letting her head
iroop that she might avoid the piercing
scrutiny of her mothers eye; but
quickly conquering an emotion of
which she was ashamed, she raised her.
lelf to her full height and looked Mrs.
6rayler boldly in the face.
81 will not stoOp to prevaricate.
would have liked, perhaps loved, Dol if
Oeach other in thought, sentiment and
feeling, and-and if he were not in
rade!'
Mrs. Grayley raised her eyebrows.
please to remember, Eta, that your
.ather was only a struggling county
practitioner, yet he was gentleman,
md so is Mr.. Ernstein, although he is
N business. Moreover, must remind
you that my annuity dies with me, and
ny small savings will not amount to a
sum that will place you on an equality
with the upper classes. AS for the Eth
stems, they are well to do. They keep
handsome establishment, and coun-
Try house. If you were DOlph'S wife
you would have"
But here Eta interposed, crying hys-
erically:
''What could they give that could
ttOne for the horrible fact that they are
ailors? Oh, mamma. to be known as a
;ailor's wife; how could l endure it?''
Very deliberately Mrs. Grayley picked
Up her scissors and drew on the glove
she had cast aside.
''Pray wipe your eyes, Eta: your
ears are quite uncalled for,' she said
oddly. II begin to agree with you that
Dolph has made mistake. The girl
Who despises him because he manfully
Ices his best in the state of life in
which he was called cannot be worthy
of his love, and l shall do all in my
power to induce him to forget you.'
Eta walked away, writhing under
The sarcasm of her mothers tones, and
entering the house assembled to hel
chamber. where, not given to cOntem.
plating her own charms, she stood be-
fore the cheval glass gazing at herself
In mournful musing.
If Dolph had been professor or {
poet-ifhe had shared her enthusiasm
for the transcendental-if he had pos
sesSed the merest spark of romance in
his composition-she could not have
treated him so coldly, but SHOULD
have been thrown away upon him." she
cried paSsionately. 'He has no soul
All my aspirations would have beer
dragged down to earth by his grossel
materially, and l should have been /;
most unhappy woman, pitied by none
for who would eXpend any sympathy OF
the wife of tailor ?''
Then Eta sat down, and. opening he
desk, wrote little note to her rejected
suitor.
''They were wholly untitled for eacl
other" she told him; ''their minds were
not tuned to the same chord; they
must be content to dwell apart till shak
ing off the bonds of earth they scarce
into that higher life where they SHOULD
re able to understand all that was nov
Dim and misty and incomprehensible
Eta was rather doubtful whethe
Dolph would comprehend this last sen
tence; she was not quite clear about i
herself, but it sounded so we'll and wa
written in her best hand; so she ad