Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-08-09
A STUDY IN GRAY.
From the cOrrnal Magazine.

pected under the circumstance, that
there was ''no fool like an old fool"
: His wife broke the exasperating intelli-
gence as gently as she could TO her
young guest, and Maisie-well, 1t would
require the powers Of better story
teller than myself to describe her emo
tions.
She was not merely wounded to the
quick, she trem oled with rage. She
could not believe what she heard; the
possibility Of such a catastrophe had
never dawned upon her; she felt as II
some one had boxed her ears. She was
dazed and stupe6ed, then she felt as If
she should 60 mad. She could not sit
quiet the whole day. They had told
her nothing yet about the boot shop, or
that mamma-in-law was pretty. Maisie
had some pedigree pride.
Maisie had been rather we'll educated.
Her mother had sent her to a nice
school, and she had not only accom-
plishments, but ladylike manners. But
for her conceit she would have been a
nice girl. She had sometimes hoped
that she might grow up good-looking,
but she did not believe that she was
ugly-nor was she, but she prided her
self on her cleverness, and that is rela-
tive term.
Mr.. and Mrs. Brown might have been
odd people, but they were kind-more
than kind, and told Masie she might al
ways consider their house her home.
They did not suppose a pretty silly
little woman like her mother-in-law
would desire to have the trouble of look
/ ing after her. But the new Mrs. Cook
ham Dene, II silly in some respects, was
| wide enough awake in others, and
though Of a babyfed aspect, had the
spirit Of tyrant. Moreover, she was
jealous. She had not been we'll brought
up, and she did not see why Masie
should be well brought up either. At
all events, she was not going to let the
girl give herself airs.
So one day an imperative and formally
grateful letter arrived from the head OF
the family, and his daughter had to be
packed of back home again. Mrs.
Brown said it was really too bad OF that
silly old fellow; her husband thought
that perhaps on the whole they were
well rid Of the child. Good, easy man,
he dreaded complications, and he liked
to see the household expenses kept
down.
Maisie journeyed back home sorrow
Alphabetically, with a touch OF
dread. She knew now that her father
held her of no account. She had mis-
givings relative to her mother-in-law.
Mrs. Brown seemed to doubt whether she
would be able to put the interloper into
her right place, though Maisie had said
that she meant to do so, that she did not
intend her father to be imposed on. Had
Maisie been boy, perhaps she would
never have gone home, but run away to
sea; as the expression is. But girls are
not wanted In the mechantile marine,
and she had no money, and she was
bit cowed by the turn affairs had taken,
and she was desperate. Oh, II only her
mother-in-law could be strnck dead by
lightning, or If only she would obliging-
ly tumble down stairs and break her
neck! But fortune was singulary apa-
thetic.
When Masie got home she noticed, as
the cab Grew up to the door, that every
thing looked amazingly spick-and-span.
New paint everywhere, an ethorescence
OF scarlet geraniums, and the s'rubby
old garden a model OF suburban -aGoo-
priety. New short window blinds with
brass bands, the front door chocolate
and gold, and the ornamental ironwork,
which used to be q dirty cream color,
painted and gilded as If the once
gloomy old villa had been turned into
seaside boarding house.
Inside, sticky new furniture, gaudy
patterns, and plenty Of gas just being
| lighted, though it was scarcely dusk.
A prim domestic. Everything quite
en- reoIe. but not in the best Of taste. All
the s'shabby old rubbish" that her
mother had been so fond OF banished.
Papa. she learned, was lying down with
a headache; he was not to be disturbed.
The promoted shop assistant was out
and would not be back till dinner time.
Dinneri Good heavensl thought Maisie,
who, in spite Of her appetite, was or a
frugal disposition. Only Phil was at
/ home.
And here Phil came. A youth Of
comical but blighted aspect. 1t was
easy to see that he lived at war with his
kind. A fondness for catapults was
written upon his face. His antic dispo-
sition was shown by an irresistible pro-
pensity to slide along the banisters in
-stead OF going down stairs properly.
He had a crushed and browbeaten ex-
preston, but whipcord in abundance
surged from his pocket, and, though he
smoke in a whisper, he was munching
some sticky substance, and his eye
royed in an unQuenchable spirit OF mis-
chief. =,
''Wen, Maisie," he said, what do
you think Of it all, eh?'
He eyed her with gloomy inQuisitive-
ness. and added: "You will have to
mind your p's and q's, my dear. Just
look" he proceeded; 'peep in there;
would you ever have thought 1t the
same room? Mustn't they have been
making the money spin? 1 only came
back from school yesterday, and l
would rather be there than here. It's
beastly slow. am not allowed down
stairs. am glad you are back; 1t will
be somebody to talk to; and have you
vnv money, Maisie? for am getting
tired Of 1t, and mean to run away and
enlist or something"
Maisie's heart sank within her, but
her mother-in-law's greeting, on her re-
turn in a neat little brougham, was
quite gushingly affectionate.
Certainly she was pretty. Maisie was
obliged to own that, pretty OF course In
a silly, frivolous way, and her advances
were most conciliatory, but Maisie hated
her with a blind unreasoning Jealousy
that made her Jingle to the tips OF her
fingers. and was the more uncontrol-
liable because she felt instinctively that
she had to deal with a clever woman
| - - 4, - ;ntariactnal hut in a