The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-04-09

No-iiO St'I oIitS rainier well. InOugn she
never learnt properly. and | have got a
rather good seat on horseback; then we
Dotn play tennis, not badly; and then
Wen, don't know if there is anything
else. Our tempers, / think may say. are
both good land suppose we are both what
you would call lively. At any rate, we
don't belong to the slow Sort
no, am sure you don't,' said Mrs.
Dutteld under her breath.
Perhaps Pm the livelier of the two.
w hat do you think, Carrier
Il don't think there's Il pin to choose
between US there" pronounced Carrie.
i really believe that's about all. Well,
Aunt Alice, has that helped you TO make
up your mind?''
II can't say it has, stammered Mrs.
Dutlield in painful perplexity.
They have both got good points," she
subsequently explained 10 Harry, ''but
at any rate, should have to see them
dressed for dinner before | decide. So
hiuch depends upon the way III which 4
girl puts on her things, you Know
henry said nothing, but gave one OF
MS comprehensive grunts, and buried his
handS little deeper in his pockets.
lhere are few people coming TO dinner
tonight" Mrs. Dutfield said i'll the course
of the forenoon, but l am afraid you will
not find it very lively"
why nOt?'' asked Chrissie encourag-
ingly. we generally find things pretty
lively, thank you, Aunt Alice
1es; but, my poor children, you can
not after all, do all the talking yourselves,
and. unless | am much mistaken, you
Will find the two young men who are
coming tonight very taciturn.''
The faces OF Chrissie and Carrie fell a
little.
Are there no laxative young men at
all in the neighborhood, Aunt Alice?''
Mrs. DulHeId tidgeted on the chair.
Not may just at present, TO tell the
truth. And, III any case, | have certain
obligations toward these two, especially
toward George Ingram. He has really
not been quite himselfsince AIDE Il s mar
rlage, and L don't mind telling that / had
hoped
'oh, so they are victims of Adela?" OBJ
served Carrie, her eyes dancing mis-
cilieyously.
up! inquired Chrissie in tone of some
disgust.
Not expected to do anything; but it
Woald be all act of Christian charity to get
them to talk. George Ingram has had
such gloomy fits lateIy that positively
nave jeit quite nervous about letting him
ont OF my sight. He is just the sort OF a
man to do something desperate"
~ hen Chrissie came down that evening,
e. d.
made III the fashion Of two years back and
not yet recovered from the creases Of the
voyage, she found the draw ing room in
possession OF two men who were obvi-
ously taking great pains to place the
length OF the apar ment between them.
These proved 10 be Mr.. Ingram and Mr..
AiIan the former a goOd-loOkinp but
gloomy individual in the thirties, the lat
ter belonging to the 'broken lily type
or youth, With sensitive mouth and a
mournful gaze. lnaSmuch as they had
both been MORALLY stricken by the fair
Adela, Mr.. Ingram and Mr.. Allan pos
seSsed point OF reSem blance; bur, where
as the one took n sort OF atfectionate in
terest in his broken heart. keeping alive
his love-sorrow with something that was
almost melancholy pleasure. the 9TH
er'S grief took the shape of a universal
and badly-suppressed rage, directed to-
ward his fellow creatures indiscrimi-
nately.
You have robbed me of her." his
gloomy gaze seemed to say 10 every NOR
tai on which it CHANGED to fall.
''Adela must be very pretty" Chrissie
wrote in her first letter home. 'She has
left her path strewn with rejected lovers
which is rather awkward for her sue
ceSSOrS."
This first evening was one of intense
agitation for Mrs. Duf1ield. 'There can
D6 no QOiDl, SIG ISIlGCleU, WniI6 she
was eating her soup, that Chrissie talks
better than Carrie. She has actually got
George Ingram's tongue loosened. | am
not quite sure that l haven't seen him
smile once"
Then, while helping herself to fish.
Carries profile, With its crown of silky
fair hair, CHANGED TO present itself at an
angle which was peculiarly fascinating,
and straightWay Mrs. Duffield's ideas be-
came troubled. That hair unquestiona-
bly, represented trump card in the social
wOrld-to what glorious advantage might
it not be displayed Mrs Duffield's fing-
ers were itching to be at it.
The balance between the two sisters
hung at provokingly even angle. Some
where about the roast it was Chrissie who
was first in the running; somewhere
about the ices it was Carrie who had the
better chance. On the whole indeed, it
may be said that Carrie carried Oft the
hon0rS Of the evening, for not only was
there the wonderful hair, but there was q
distinctly charming voice, which, soon
after dinner, electrified the drawing
room in general and Mr.. Allan in partic-
ular-thiS aforementioned gentleman ac-
tuaIly reviving from his part of broken
lily sufficiently to turn over the music
pages.
''Neither the Potter nor the Brandon
girls are tit TO lie heard in the same room
with her," was Mrs. DufIield's reflection,
as she sat listening and swelling with
quasi maternal pride.
Il think it's you who will go back to
Australia" Carrie confided exultingiy to
ChriSsie, together with the goodnight
kiss of that first day.
"Do you still think it is / who am
going back to Australia" inquired Chris
sic next morning, having dismounted,
with glowing cheeks, from an early cam
ter IN the park, during which vari-
Gus Of the fences had been most success
fully experimental upon. AUNT Alice
has been watching me from the drawing
room window ali the time"
Carrie made a grimace and shrugged
her shoulders.
Its my own private opinion that
Aunt Alice will never make up her
mind"
Which was very much what Aunt Alice
herself said when Intercepted on the
subject after breakfast.
Not come TO q conclusion YETI" fumed
Henry. "What more are you waiting
for? You have looked at them by day
light and candlelight. Is there any other
sort of light to which you wish to submit
them?"
1T is not the light, Henry; but you
must surely see that neither of them is
properly rested after the journey. How
can [ judge Of them so long as they have
scarcely got over their SeasickneSs? 1t
would take at least fortnight 10 be quite
sure that they were looking their usual
selves. At the end of that time you may
depend upon it that l shall be ready to
ship one of them back to Australia"
The tussle was a tough one, but Mrs.
Duf1ield carried her point in the end-as,
in fact. she generally did, all her tremors
notwithstanding.
And now there began for this devoted
woman a tineof the most exquisite tor
ture. Fifty times day during the week
that followed did she change her mind
from Chrissie to Carrie, and from Carrie
back again to Chrissie.
The chances OF each were so good that