Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-09-03
HETTY'S COUSIN.

due cdtHUFlC! anu l Sdlu green; you
must be color-blind, Margery. Num-
Der forty cotton-I said thirty as plain
as could speak. Four yards of Her.
cules braid; wanted only three yards
and half Assorted needles-and l
told you to get No. Z. Bone buttons
Il wanted pearl. suppose you don't
know the difference. And cambria for
lining the waist! Margery, did you
ever get anything right in your life?"
and Miss Barbara Drill turned to her
niece with an expression of despair
II don't know. Aunt Barbara, l know
try" answered Margery. looking
very much Inundated. 1t was hard
to be found fault with in this fashion
before her Cousin Hetty-and there
was such contemptuous pity on Hetty's
face. Perhaps you do. but l can't
let you do any shopping for me again,
that's certain. You are needless to
the last degree. will have to 60
to town myself this afternoon and get
these things changed, and l did want
to finish that dress to-day; it seems too
bad. Well, perhaps it is partly my
fault ought to have known better
than to trust YOU"
II think it's going to storm, Aunt
Barbara" said Hetty. otis been
laundering for an hour" ''Only heat
thunder l guess. Anyway l amt
sugar or salt, and I must have these
things. If it should rain. Hetty, be
sure you shut down the windows in
the parlor and the spare room. l put
them up to let things air. l won't
leave it to Margery-she'd be sure to
forget it." "I'll remember, Aunt Bar
bara-you can trust me- said Hetty,
with n superior air.
well, guess I'll go right away.
SOS to get back by supper time. Mar
gerry, do you think you can manage to
get supper il amt back. or will you
make some mistake about that too?"
Margery walked across the room and
took seat by enc OF the side windows
OF the kitchen. Her heart was beating
suffocatingly. and she did not say good
bye to her aunt when the old lady
went out few minutes later Hetty
did. however; and insisted that Miss
Barbara should borrow her best silk
umbrella Your old cotton one isn't
fit to use. Aunt Barbara" she said,
land you're so good yourself that
everything you use ought to be Of the
best" Miss Barbara looked pleased,
and kissed Hetty's smooth fair cheek.
She was not singular in liking little
fiattery now and then. Margery's eyes
were so dim with tears OF resentment
and modification that her aunt looked
to her only an indistinct black object
as she walked of down the country
road. Nothing had been just right
with Margery since Hetty's arrival a
fortnight before. Her aunt had not
seemed so kind. and her own faults
seemed to have come into sudden and
glazing prominence.
Pretty, bright and clever Hetty
rather threw into the shade poor little
Margery, who had freckles, very in
significant nose. and utter absence of
style and tone" as Hetty expressed it.
and never been ten miles from home
in her life. Hetty lived in city and
had seen everything. She told Mar
gerry dozen times that she actually
pitied" her for being such a little
ign0ramus. and was inclined to be very
patronizing-which Margery resented.
OF course.
II think" said Hetty. who had been
standing in the doorway looking at
the clouds. ''that I'll take that book
I'm reading and 60 upstairs to my own
room and have an hour of perfect en-
joyment. can lose myself utterly in
an interesting book, and this one is
absorbing to the last degree. What
are you going to do. Margerye" "Oh.
you needn't concern yourself at al
about me-" answered Margcry. IN
get along we'll enough. l would not
expect you to entertain me, in any
case" Then l need not feel that
am guilty Z rudeness in leaving you
now" said Hetty. in a tone OF studied
politeness. You needn't feel any,
thing" rejoined Margery. Only that
you are in very ill-temper. said
Hetty. as she took up her book and
moved toward the door leading into
the hall. Il don't pretend to be
saint. and I've noticed that those who
do are really the worst at heart"
said Margery, launching a last dart
out OF the bitterness OF her soul.
Hetty did not deign to make any re-
ply. She went out and closed the
door, and Margecy heard her going
upstairs.
How l hate herr" she thought and
suddenly throwing herself down on
the old sofa by the pantry door, she
burst into tears. She cried until she
was exhausted. and when Mt length
she got up and bathed her face, she
felt great deal better. though she still
felt that she hated Hetty. "She's been
doing the superior over me ever since
she CAME she thought IN never
like her as long as the world stands"
Shc began to think what she would
have for supper, and remembered that
there were no eggs in the house. So
she went out to the barn to look for
some. She knew where all the hens
nests were in the hay in the barn loft,
and soon had her little basket full. IL
think I'd better make some muffinsn