The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-13
HEIR TO A DUKEDOld.
CHAPTER I.


whose love of peace often outweighed his
sense of justice.
Whats up now, wonder?" he NUT
tered to himself "Its very odd that girls
who have everything they want should dis
agree But it's their mothers affairs, let her
settle their dispute; / shan't interfere, and
he went downstairs again to svlace himself
with cigar in his study.
"It wasn't fair" said Meta Raeburn
again, with additional vehemence, and her
bright face all agiow with excitement
"Why am | always left out of your plansp
| am as young, as light-hearted. as fond OF
amusement as the rest OF you; my rights
are equal, yet / am the Cinderella of the
family. No, no, don't blame you, mamma"
aud she ran across the room 10 kiss the
cheek of the stout, mild matron, VINO like
her spouse always sought 10 MAINTAIN peace
at any price, and was therefore ruled oy the
most selfish of her daughters. " know
you would treat me justly if you were left
to the dictates of your own kind heart; but
why do my sisters interfere TO prevent 1t
The said demoiselles had listened to this
outburst in the silence OF establishment. 1t
was quite true that the complaints by Meta
were well founded. In SO large family
some one must occasionally reinQuish Il
longed-for pleasure.
Mrs RaeDurn could not take four daugh-
tiers With her wherever she went; but why
was il Meta who always went to the wall?
Perhaps it was because she was the person
who bore disappointment with most
eQuanmity, and neither sulked like Nina,
nor stormed and raved after the fashion Of
Hattie.
But she could not always be stoical. She
had spent the last three weeks shut up in
the house in close attendance upon her
father, who. when seized with an attack of
scatica. could not be s0othed and amused by
any one SO well as Meta
But Mr.. Raeburn had recovered, and his
littla dnnuhtpr's QuiVprlnp and
tingling with intense yearnlng Tor change;
and she could not reconcile herself to the
thought of being eit at home while the rest
were enjoying visit, TO lie prolonged to
week or ten days, al pleasant house III the
neighborEoOd.
III l we're mamma" said Sara Raeburn.
severely, Il should send you TO your room
till you knew how to behave yourself to her.
You must be the most selfish of girls to
wish to deprive us, or either OF us, OF this
visit TO the Larches."
sit can be no treat 10 Meta to go to Mrs.
Hislop's," added Nina III an injured tone,
Tor she has stayed with her so many
times"
only when she is alone" retorted Meta.
Mrs. Hislop is my godmOther, and remem-
bers this whenever she is dull and wants
some one to wind up her wJols. take up
stitches IN her knitting or write her letters
for her; but she has hitherto considered me
too young 10 be included in her invitations
with her sons friends"
"She thinks SO STILL" said Sara, de-
cidedly.
She does not. The last time saw her
she gave me a set Of silver ornaments to
wear at my first dinner party; and is not
her card addressed to the Misses Raeburn
as well as to mamma? / am sure she in
tended to have me On this occasion, and does
not dream of seeing either Nina or Hattie"
But, my dear Meta, demonstrated Mrs.
Inl latNrr e. ntr hon
with papa. You know lie cannot accom-
pany us, because he expects some one who
is in treaty with him Tor that farm in Dor
setshiTe he talks OF selling. 1t is hard upon
you, know" the mother added, remorse-
fully, "but we could not leave papa quite
alone, could we, darliDg?"
Then let Nina stay, or Hattie; she is
younger than l, and have set my heart
upon going with you ever since Mrs. Hislop
said she would have carpet dance one
evening for tie young people. l have never
spent three months IN London like sara,
nor gone 10 half dozen balls every winter
like Nina, nor ridden 10 the hunt with papa
as Hattie does. Somehow l have always
been left out of your pleasures. Why is it?"
Mrs. ReaOurn, who was very fond OF all
her children, watt, the flushed cheek OF
the speaker as she made answer: " Il cause
you have been invariably so good-naturedly
ready to give up yonr place to Nina or
Hattie. | have never meant any Injustice
much yOu wished 10 go to Mrs. HislOp's-"
She stopped short and cast an appealing
glance 1T Sara, who, however, refused TO see
It. Why should these arrangements be up-
set by Mete's whim. She had always sub
mitted to be set aside for her siSters-why
should she refuse to do SO now?
You should have mentioned your wishes
sooner" said Sara, tartly. " You have no
suitable dresses, and the dressmaker will
have quite enough to do 10 finish mine and
Mina's."
Meta met this difficulty triumphantly. 81
have" she said, ''the blue silk papa gave me
on my birthday and there is the pretty mus
lin, with cardinal trimmings, l was TO have
worn at the archery ball, only mamma had
promised old Mrs. Lane seat in the car
Iiage, and so there was not room for me. 1t
is quite fresh and stylish and will do capt.
tally for the dance"
Settle it, then, among yourselves" said
Sara, rising to leave the room. 7" on know
| hate going out with you, Meta, because we
are always asked to play and sing together,
and your voice browns mine, just as much
as your claptrap style Of playing puts mine
into the shade. 1t mamma can endure with
a girl who talks and laughs with gentlemen
much too freely l shall not complain"
Thanks, how very kind and ssterly you
arev' said Meta, resGlutely keeping back The
tears that this unkind speech brought into
her eyes.
cit is my duty to remind you of your
II
"Of course, mamma quite understands that
Mrs. Hisl0p cannot accommodate more than
four of us, herself and myself and two of
the younger girls. If Meta insists on going
Nina or Hattie must be left behind"
at wont he me-" said hoydensh Hattie,
doggedly. TON Hislop will be at home
from college and I've promised myself no
end of larks with him. Do you hear,
mamma? III / find Nine. Sara melting you
to break your word with me Pll play Meg
Mprri1ps Diversions with her nav hats and
bonnets, and you shall find me at Mrs. His
lop's place before her. Then let her make
fuss if she dares."
MY dear Hattie. how dreadfully you
talk" cried poor Mrs. Raeburn. " How un-
kind it is TO worry me. lwish / had insisted
in keeping you i'll the school-room for an
other year.
can behave myself when choose" re-
torted the young lady, tossing back her curly
fringe and making grimace at Meta, whose
| disapproving look made her feel more
| ashamed than Mrs. Raeburn's reproaches.
LET Sara be generous for once and stop
with papa. only vex him with my restless
and noisy words"
place TO dear Meta" said Nina. sauvely;
but then Mrs. Hi,lop has made a point on
having me. No, it's not 'bosh,' Hattie, you
rude CT eature. l met her yesterday when l
was shopping at the town for mamma, she
tapped on the shoulder and told ME must
be prepared for the conquest, as one Of her
| sons friends, Captain DaSent, is heir to
dukedom. But Meta must have known this,
or she would not have been so eager to push
me aside"
With look of wounded feeling her sister
turned to tho speaker, asking, Indignantly:
"How should have known this?"
Alina's smile was an un pleasant one.
Don't pretend to be better than the rest
of us, Meta. Every girl wishes to marry
well, and they say the Duke of Harlesden is
so infrm that Captain Dasent will not be
kept out of the dukedom much longer.
John Hislop and he-the Captain | mean
were at college together, and his photo
graph is in Mrs. Hislop's album.
'Ah, yes; little sandy man. with a de-
cided squint. ! remember his face now"
Photographs never do one justice" OBJ
served Nina "and the Harlesden diamonds
are said to be the finest in all England. But.
of course, you know this too. Oh, Meta,
never thought you could be so enyious, so
spiteful to try. to prevent my being intro
duced 10 Captain Dasent."
Now, don't cry, Nina darling"
PRAY don't be QuarrelsOme, Meta" adj