Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-07-18
CHAPTER VIA VISIT TO MATCHAMl

CHAPTER VIA VISIT TO MATCHAM!
few DAYS afterwards little note came
bv hand from Lady Lucifer to the little
lady at No. st. Ewes.
INV dear Mrs. Trafford," it said-"We
are having a large party at Matcham for
shooting next week and it will give Lord
Incffer and myself much pleasure ifayou
and Miss Trafford will come TO us from
the 21st to the 2Sth of the month. Mr..
and Mrs Markham and Mr.. Howard will
be with US then. I know you will find it
pleasant to meet them. If you can give
the man who brings this note an answer
it will be a convenience to me, as ! should
like to know before post time if you can
come or not.
Ny dear Mrs. Trafford, yours sincere
" Violet Lucifer."
Now it happened that Jalia was not at
home when her mother received and open
ed this letter Mrs. Trafford did not hest.
tate about what answer she should make.
| She went to her liJlla desk and wrote a
| sweet Hoie to her dear Lady Lucifer to the
| fleet that she aud Julia would be charm
ell to come to Matcham on the 2lst of the
| month.
VERY sweet, I'm sure. of Lady Lucifer
! to think of u.s. she said, as she saw the
admirable Cox go out to the groom wait
| irg on horseback at the door. 81 wish
| Julia would come in"
She saw that Cox asked the man some
| question, for he took the note and still
| waited while Cox went back into the
house, re-appearing in two or three min
utes with Il tall glass of beer or a neat lit
| tie tray.
Really, Cox is an admirable and valu-
Ill
She was not sorry to have groom in
| the Lucifer livery standing for a time at
| her door. Mrs Trafford always had half
an eye to effect on the Mauleverer spin
| sters three doors away.
How she did wish Julia would come
| home, but the minutes went by and julia
who was at that moment in the principal
! music-shop of the town turning over the
latest songs, did not make her appearance
| and her mother had to possess her soul in
| such patience as she could. Just before
| lunch-time, however, she came, to hear
the great news and to say with some-
| thing like dismay-"M Mother dear, really
| don't see how | am to go without frock
! or two"
! Now Mrs. Trafford had but lately lad
two smart weddings to drain heI slender
purse, and Julia was a good girl who
| never put her mother about in the way of
| expenditure if she could help it. But
| Mrs. Tratford was a wise and Skillful gen
| eral; she knew when to hold her hand and
when to pile on all her strength, and she
| laughed at Julia's drsmayed face
"Oh, my dear, you must have frocks and
| so on" she said ''You know we do not
| 90 to Lord Lucifer's to stay every day.
| shall not need much-I shall have a new
tea-gown for | really want a new one
apart from this visit. But | think that is
all, nobody will look much at me. But
with you it is different; you must have
a couple of evening gowns and new
| mOrning-frock, and anything else that you
| want"
1T is awfully extravaganza" protested
Julia.
at is imperative, my dear" returned
| Mrs Trafford, in a tone which did not adj
| NIT of argument.
Yet all the same, she felt that it was
| good of her girl to be willing even to think
of cost at such a time. Nobody has
such good children as | have" she said TO
herself. and her thoughts included her
niece, Madge, as one of her children just
as much as her own daughter, Laura.
Immediately after lunch they went off
| TO the uGeSS-lllttktF anu ntlU II CONSULTATION
with her. 81 will have something quite
inexpensive, mother" said Julia, as she
went. 81 can get something very smart
in soft silk or cashmere, and you must
have your tea-gOwn of rich material"
81 suppose l must" said Mrs Tratford
| doubtfully.
She was very unselfish little woman,
and would have gone cheerfully to pay
her grand visit without so much as a new
| pair of gloves in order that one of her
girls might be freshly dressed and well
| finished Off in all the little details of her
costume. But Julia was unseltsh, too,
and Julia insisted upon the material for
the tea-gown being of a rich and suitable
kind and arranged fully with the dress
maker that the trimmings should be
neither poor nor skimped. Oh, yes; they
were good girls, not Il doubt about it'll
| ITO no continued