New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-21
THREE OFFERS.

,ho.s We're me DAYS of Gro iuet when tennis was
an unknown gauie-'snd looAed Iuesliohihsis
with an ANXIOUS glance. at Toh, my brother, "ao
broup ut tlis ulcA pcctcd ana unwcconc SUMMONS
WHAT Is the matter. Tom ! asked. III"
Inc say why he wanted ne
oh a lecture vi sonic sort. | suppose! Ic,
turned Tom with impatient disgust You S'oou
on one es i'll church last night, or turned Ill your
toes rs yon came ~ TO brcakias. III. h.nds
Tom was unsympathetc: he thrust his hamos
deep into his pockets and sauntcfcd away. Iu'
the girls their faces fun OF oominisera ration cir
from every corner of the lawn toward me. 1heir
nnrtentous faces and poricntous tones were cou-
1or,ing, hut not inspirit'ns.
Has papa cent for you. Mab?
why does he want You ?" A.,
You broke pot In the conservatory Niao'
Poor Nal: ! saw him looking at you az az
breakfast this morning in a peeullar way. Ana
your collar was frishttully askcw.' ,.,,,.
Is il straic ht now ," asked. looking anviously
from one to another Of the sympathetic group.
yes; but your dress is torn. Here's PIN !:
pin it up beneath the sash. on. and what green
stain there is your houncc H., ,
moved toward the house. followed by many
.SY onn i Ian Sntidy. Nab Can't you smooth
Your sash hos come united
Nab, your hands are arMbhy. Remember to
Keep Your hands behind yon: .,,,u,., .,o hall
coward the study. the pleasant sunny back
room, where my stepfather studied the lnnumI,
able faults of his stepfanhly. and the nrs.
methods Of correction and prevention. was )u't
seventeen and in some respects. Young for my
years my heart wa. beating fast as paused
ut the study door With two ho1 ht1e h'nH> H.
snoothcd back hair looked down rncfnliy
at NY stained print gown. Then J scn;v tap?T,!'
Come in answcrei my stcrta' n"r's smooth
mellow tcce and me-sy SntsTi ,rcor
distant cousin. my fathers ward. set in a low
chair near him. She was a tall. graceful, very
gentle girl of twenty: her elbow resting on ncr
knee her chin upon her hand. she sd, o"llng up
At her guardian with a rcvcrrnt.al glance As
] entered Size hushc'. looked %,ouhttlll at me.
father as though awaiting his coinmand:
YES: 1ewill ask YOU 10 leave MS. i" Sa'd.
smiling at hcr-sInlins in wcpeaSed way. as
She smiled ,oo-a faint. sweet. shy little sm !c.
She ROSE from her chair and moved quietly aw'y.
softly closing the door behind her. | and M
stsrfather were LETT alone
The benign smile with which no had followed
Mabel lnscrca for ln,nnfr al,t ms s" 20
altered his attitude nut his elbows. clad in spot
Jess broadcoth. on the arms If lis study cn'lr.
Jet his anCer,ips meet and let his brown eyes r''>t
criticall;
No doub, contrastca unfavorahly with Mabel.
Ny pink print dress was TO" short for ne bore
and there, In patches, the PINK had faxed int"
white an unsiehtlr greer stain dlSf"rr"d the
founcc IN front Nv hands snn-hrowrcd
md as the s1s had warned me grrhhv.' Wv
face was freck cd my fiir hair disor(cred. was
keerlly conscious Of nv defects: and N my hA-
mil,ty stood in the lmpcs, Of attitudes. apollo
gizing for my existence by an extremity Of en-
barrSSmfnt.
-P,Thaps you can find 4 seat. Mabel" said my
stepfather IN his mild level voice; y" oHe hrt
World I was ~Meb.~ Ru' my st"ptather never
descended 10 the frvoli'y of ret names.
f0%nd se,, A. sea- IN n-timr n1rt OF r fnc
my strpfsther indicated a strnch'-hirk"i cn"ir
which stc"d Just opp. site his own. and returned
.i. % b." .p. %fs y s"a ss !i:"s him.
"You are hrcathless, my dear. am in no
1 coiored ruiiily. NV heart was 'fntter.ng
in very brcathless way indeed To strive t.
"compose7 my,cf whilst my s1"pfa,her sa'
hopeless: every effort only deferred ME desired
effect. crossed my feet thcn hastily un"r So
them ! pushed h!ck my hair: then f"'"d ~
hands ami tried TO look uncrEs 'I"tls that ny Ia !
was rough.
And my stepfa,hcr all the tim" sat mo, ioness
Now and then. IT intervals. his fH-"r-tps t3pPl
one another softly: bat What was the OILY IN
of irnpaticncr tl.at he made His brown eyes r"-
garled with "ritira' but f"rhraring rl"nce
his large. pale. c!pan-s! 'vci face were IN "\prcS-
sion Of conscious -cntie'iess and n''ience.
II have two very imp"p;on, pieces Of ;i news
excite vo no SS S ah one OF IN those
elementary virtues without which n" charact !
worthy Of admiration or "frr:n can b" rii'f
Yonr poor dear mainma--I do not Wish - blame
her'-my stepfather broke of and sghed i'll
dulgenty-"l do pot wish To blame her for youl
briMging-np: Tie wises' nf MS sometimes orr ana
her errors must b. nardoTcd however much we
must regret them For Your SIX" mus resr''
them-o.cpore them. She und"rvnl ned thos" hab
its Of scfconfro which, inru ":tc1 early. "r" tie
most helpful factors in pro incing 4 wondniy chT
acter-surii Il character as-ss. for INSTANCE. on'
Cousin Mabcis strong yet submissive. sei-r"
liant Yet dependent. dirniach yet mex ,..,
My stepiatliers glance wandered away iron
me: he smiled benlaniy, rejecting on vlrtue'
Iii / hal had the supervision Of yonr very
and Your sisters. Mai" wou!d haze lear ,t in ~
nrrscry. i'll c;r!v h-byhooI, th3e' ha0i's whirl
you now find il wel'-ni-h impossible l.
learn Your mn1 is fassi!y strung. NY dear-c>
cuse the expression. You have m"ntol tan
quillty. Even al this moment ven arr exert
and impatient. I have. AS | Say. 20 import N
pieces Of news 10 break yon hIi ! viii wa
for five minutes or So, until &0u have composed
yourself little and cease 70 fidc"t IN that nervous
manner.
Perhaps the minitrs that p'sscd before m step
father again addressed me were IN actual nlmhe
only five / know that they seemed like tllr'y.
You are seventeen. Mabel, If rcne,nD"r cor
Yectay- he said AT last. Drcai;inc III" silence
"seventecn, two months and i've days. Ccrrec
me il au rot exact
Yes, papa / was seventeen on the frs
Of May"
"Yonng!-voung,- Le mns"d. regarding me will
when she married inst. MaD,l r% love. have
You eyer thought much upon tilc suffice, of-of-
well l may say Of marin, Mabel
Inc question WIS confusing. IL don Rho"
You don't know" he repeated, tolerantly
with faint. very faint amusement, That lis
very youthful answer Yon are old enough, a
all events. to have realized that it would he dc
sirah!c that some Of YOU should marry. You
poor dear mother brought Inc larcc and cApensv
family arc at ffoI Il have s,riven TO stand il
fiatter mysc'f thai my devotion and patience nav,
been even more Than parental, yet-yct my pars
is but slender. Mahe: and IT. will certainly X
Yves, answered. doubtfully and vaguely
II shall BE- glad if You will tell me, nv dear
II you have rtia!ity-respect, estcem-fo
any person in particul,r:'
gaspcd. did rot laugh, though my thought
flashed forward 10 the merry time should ores
emily enjoy when the study door should nav,
closed behind me. and. out Of my stepfathcr'
earshot, the girls grouped in easy bnt inelegan
attitudes around me- ! should repeat this spcecl
Dramatically 70 an appreciativc, mirthful audience
By-and.byc my brlllancy would bc applaudeI
For the present. WIS dumb and my dnlnbnes>
81 fnoliah 10 NJ II ,phn