Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-12-30

ner sister III Serc1ety, and dare say
made myself so pleasant and agreeable
you know what a way that is of minel
that Miss Ada mot your lady, of course,)
may have thought / meant something
Especial by it, and there's no saying but
what it might have come in time to our
keeping company, only l happened just
then to see Matilda, and-and I haven't
been near the ParkinSonS ever since
So you can see for yourself that meet
ing might be awkward for all parties
concerned. and l really must get out,
James,
Jauncey forced him back. Its all
nonsense, Tweddle," he said, you can't
back out of it now. Don't make fuss
about nothing. Ada don't look as if
she'd been breaking her heart for your
You never can tell with women .
said the hair-dresser, sententiousE
land meeting me sudden and learning
it could never be-no one can say how
she mightn't take it!''
Il call it too bad" exclaimed Jaun-
cy. Here have l been counting ON you
| to make the ladies enjoy themselves
for [ haven't your gift of entertaining
conversation and don't pretend to it
and you go and leave me in the lurch
and spoil their evening for themr'
IF 1 thought [ was doing that
said Leander, hesitating.
: You are, you know you are!" per-
sisted Jauncy, who was anxious to
avoid the reduction of his party to so
inconyenient a number as three
''And see here, Tweddle, you needn't
say anything of your engagement unless
you like. 1 give you my word won't,
not even to Bella, if you'll only come.
AS to Ada, she can take care of herself
unless I'm very much mistaken in her
So come along, like a good chapr'
Il give in, James; give in,' said Lee
ander. "a promise is a promise, and
yet feel somehow I'm doing wrong to
go, and as if no good would come of it
I do, indeedr'
! And so he did not stop the cab sec
ond time, and allowed himself to be
taken without further protest to Fen
church Street Station, on the platform
of which they found the Misses Parkin-
son waiting for them
Miss Bella Parkinson, the older of the
two, who was employed in Il large toy
and fancy goods establishment in the
neighborhood of Westbourne Grove,
! was tall and slim, with pale eyes and
auburn hair. She had some claims to
good looks, in spite of slightly pasty
complexion and Il large and decidedly
unanliable mouth.
Her sister Ada was the more pleasing
in appearance and manner, Il brunette
with large brown eyes, an impertinent
little nose and a brilliant, healthy color.
She was an assistant to milliner and
bOnnet-maker in the Edgeware Road.
Both these young ladies. when in the
fulfllment of their daily duty, were
models of department: in their hours of
ease the elders cold dignity was rather
apt to turn to peevishness, while the
younger sister, relieved from the re-
straints of the showroom, betrayed
Il lively and even frivilous disposition.
1t was this liveliness and frivolity
that had fascinated the hair-drasser in
days that had gone by, but if he had
felt any Self-diStrust now in yenturing
within their influence, such apprehen-
sions vanished with the first sight of the
charms which had been counteracted
before they had time to prevail.
She was well enough, this Miss Ada
Parkinson. he thought now; Il nice-lOOll-
ing girl in her way, and stylishly dress
ed. But his Matilda looked twice the
l,oI, -r,I, IL,
betlOthed (at that time taking weeks
rest in the country rose before him, us
if to justify and confirm his preference.
The luckless James had to undergo
some amount of scolding from Miss
Bella for his want of punctlality, Il
scolding which merely supplied an OBJ
ject to his grin; and during her remarks
Tweddle upon his long neglect, and
used it to the best advantage.
Perhaps he would have been better
pleased by a little less insensibility, Il
! touch of surprise and pleasure on her
part at meeting him again, as he allowed
himself to show in remark that his
absence did not seem to have affected
her to any great extent.
Il don't know what you expected, Mr..
Tweddle," she replied. Ought I to
have cried both my eyes out? You
haven't cried out either of yours, you
know"
"'AIen must work, and women must
weep as Shakespeare says" he OBJ
served with vague idea that he was
making rather an apt quotation. But
his companion pointed out that this
only applied to cases where the women
had something to weep about.
| The party had q compartment to
, themselves, and Leander, who sat at
, one end opposite to Ada, found his
: spirits rising under the influence of her
lively sallies.
That's the only thing Matilda wants."
he thought, "a little more liveliness and
go about her. / like a little chaff my
self, now and then, must say
| At the other end of the carriage Bella
| had been suggesting that the Gardens
might be closed so late in the year and
regretting that they had not chosen the
new melodrama at the Adelphi instead;
which caused Jauncy to draw glowing
pictures of the attractions of Roserwich
Gardens.
Il was there year ago last summer"
he said, land it was first-rate-open-ai
dancing, summer theatre, walking,
! fireworks, and supper out under the