The record-union., 1891-02-01
THREE FEET OF OBSTINACY.
BY L. B. wALFoRD.

thyme-Scented downs above, were covered
with bright-clad holiday makers, who,
according to taste, either sailed hither
and thither athwart the dancing waters,
strolled and rested beneath the warm
cliffs, or rode and drove about the open,
undulating country behind.
sit is most vulgar place." said lady,
calmly.
The speaker never went near the sea,
and never scaled the cliffs. To her view
there was only one spot tolerable in the
whole observation-disclosures oasis in the
desert by which she was surrounded.
81 go to the park. yes, every after
noon,' Mrs. Chevenix now proceeded
(she was sitting in ''the park" as she
spoke. 81 go in the afternoon, and also
in the evening. There is really nowhere
else, You know. There are few people
to be seen there; and one gets away from
all the shocking noises; the bands, and
the organs, and the niger MINISTRIES. OF
course it is stupid, but still it is better
than doing nothing, and as [ have to be
here, / must make the days pass some
how" Then the speaker yawned behind
her fan.
when do you expect your daughter?"
inquired lady who sat by her side.
Anu tdlly-O1 COuISc l.
shall be glad to see Hattie, but / am not
sure-I almost wish''-with some hesita-
tion-'the fact is, my dear Mrs. 10th
bury''-all at once confidence was
decided upon-''the truth is that Wind
bourne is not the place for young girl of
my daughters temperament. Hattie is
dear child but she is a curious sort of
affectionate, impulsive creature; and there
is one thing she will do, and no one can
prevent her, she will make friends. She
will pick up people here, there and every
where. OF course Hattie is charming
girl, and l am very proud of her-you
will admire her immensely, l am sure,
and so will Colonel Lothbury-but you
will soon see what i have to go through
in the matter of my daughters introduce
ton. She will not have been here three
days before she will come flying in with
the news that she has found somebody
who is coming to call upon mel"
Maternal instinct was not at fault. To-
ward evening on the third day after Miss
Harriet Chevenix made her appearance
on the scene, she entered her mothers
department with joy printed on her
countenance, and the anticipated an
nouncement on the tip OF her tongue.
.'Now, don't, my dear Hattie, pray
DON'T cried the elder lady, and poor
Mrs. Chevenix was very much in earnest
beneathher laug hing exterior. II know
what you are going to say, child, and L
but well, i suppose itmust come. Let me
hear the worst, then. Who have you dis
covered? Who have pitched their tents
here close to us? Who is coming to-mor-
row to call on me?''
mammal! How could you know?o
Hattie was all ablaZe with establishment
''KnowI' There was something almost
ludicrous in the bitterness of the re-
joinder. who would not know? 1
have learned by experience. Until you
came here l had peace and security.
Ever since have been treading on the
edge Of precipice."
"Oh, mammap' The young girls head
dropped a little, and the light died out of
her ewes.
well, well, my dear; of course I did
take me up too seriously" Mrs. Cheve-
nix was not an ill-natured woman.
Here, come and kiss me. / did not
mean to be be unkind, Hattie''-quite
gently-''but you do try me, you know,
my dear. You have some expectations
You are not quite like everybody else.
And. your father has no notion of keeping
any one aloof; and am afraid that you
that / see little of the same kind of uni
versal bon camaraderie in you. Ell? Is
it not so? But you see, Hattie, that does
not do in these days; it really does not
do,' reiterating the words with emphasis.
ut leads to all kinds of awk wardness.''
Hattie's lips parted. Protest painted
itself upon her cheek.
''Yes, yes, l KNOW" nodded her
mother, with "A smile. II know what
you would say; but spare me, my dear
child, and spare yourself also. l am late
as it is, and | had meant to put on this
new lilac dress tonight, There will be
no time now," glancing diSconsolately at
the robe which was spread out upon the
bed. "a new dress always takes so long
to arrange. Run away, there's a good
child, and get ready for dinner yourself.
Remember, we have to dine at Z, in order
to secure good seats at the concert
''Oh, are we going to the concert again?'
exclaimed Hattie, in tone that told its
own tale.
again p' repeated her mother 'You
have only been once, and"
''And it was as dull as ditch water Oh,
well, ] will go if you wish it, mamma.
But, mamma and the speaker paused,
while the color with which her cheek had
been sutfused on first entering the room,
again rose and softly mantled there.
Mamma, I-we-May-I-"
"Oh, you have been with May, have
your
AUNT Sophy said might take May to
the downs, and we started quite early,
and had a glorious, delightful time. And
we had our tea there. We took Aunt
Sophy's tea apparatus"
'Well, my dear? Get on a little faster,
my dear" Mrs. Chevenix, glanced
again at the lilac robe. "You can tell me
all this another time, you Know" she
limited.
I'VE had a little adventure before we
came home, murmured Hattie half turn
ing away, and yet stealing shy glance
of triumph as she spoke.
''Oh, adventuren poor Mrs. Chevenix
groaned. Il knew it. l knew what was
coming as soon as ever you appeared at
the door. Your face betrayed you, child.
You are at your old tricks again. with
growing irritability. 'Well, who, for
goodness sake, who is so glad to know
We are here?' And who is coming to see
me Tomorrow"
''Sir John and Lady Pulborough.''
Mrs. Chevnix started from her seat as
though pistol shot had been let off at
her ear. 'What? Who? Who did you
say? Why, Hattie
But Hattie had flashed out of the room
the instant the words escaped her lips.
1t was her saucy revenge, and the little
mink meant to have it.
From the above it will easily be seen
that Hattie Chevenix was, in popular
phrase, not her mothers child. In her
eyes it signified less than nothing whether
or not those with whom she came in con-
tact had fine-sounding names, large
houses, rich clothes, horses and car
riages-in short, all the apparatus of
wealth and fashion. On the other hand,
she was a thousand-fold more particular
than her parents ever had been, or would
be, as to what her friends and acquaint-
ances We're in themselves. If they were
good, kind, simple and pleasant, Hattie
loved them: and, being of Il lovable
nature, it must be added that she found
far more of her fellow-creatures worthy
of affection than might be supposed.
But false pretense, arrogance and af-
1 Il IL.