Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-08-22

4hIIU I)C EtIN ", ~ UOU 90 UOt UtG ttUC
to repent it,"
Mary" remarked Miss Cornelia with
sharpness one morning before breakfast,
"evcry human creature, do believe, in
this ncighborhoodh has asked me, in some
way or other, your intentions in regard
to that man across the ravinc. AS if
ever was taken into your confidence or
given the faintest intimation of your in
tcntions! am your husbands aunt, of
course and, ono would suppose, the per-
son most likely to be consulted in all
matters connected with the family. But
you have never treated me with proper
consideration or respect, and l may as
we'll give up expecting it"
Mrs. Beverley was lTralyzed by the
suddcnncss Of this onslaught, its viru-
lcnco and the time selected for it. In
most natures cOmlntiNCnCsS is at low
ebb before breakfast; the system usual
| ly Graves something more sustaining
| than excitement. Then, too, Miss Cor
nela's habit was to come down late.
| Nothing less than an overwhelming need
to free her mind would rouse her from
| her slumbcrs before eight o'clock in the
| morning. Whenever she made the eX-
| crtion, some member of the household
might confidently count on having a very
| bad quarter of an hour.
| Mary's heart sank like lead when she
behold her relative enter the dining
room and scat herself at the table.
"Intentions?' she repeated vaguely
Il don't think I understand you, Aunt
Neclie" She WAS tying ON Rams eat
ing apron, carefully moving aside his
heavy curls to avoid fastening them with
the strings, and she did not raise hel
head or glance towapl her aunt
"Oh, yes you dol" asserted Miss Cor
nclia. you understand perfectly. You
know as we'll as do that that man ha
been paying you all sorts of compromis
ing attentions, and that he is going tt
address you, if he hasn't already don,
so. 1 know nothing, of course. l an
nobody. But that is what everybody
says"
Feeling very sure that u storm of un
usual violence was impending, Mar,
quietly directed the servant to take tn
little boys and their breakfast out to tn
kitchen. Miss Cornelias tongue wa
unbridled when her temper was up, anC
} she did not care what she said or VIII,
heard her.
AS soon as the door had closed behint
the children Mary turned to her aunt
"Who says the things you alluded t.
Just now?" she demanded.
Everybody. And they say that your
going to marry him, too, and ask m
about it. It's perfectly disgraceful. l
makes me furious to think of it; and I'v
denied it until my tongue cleaves to tn
roof of my mouth, and nobody will be
lieve me. They are not going to believ
me, either, as long as you allow him t
come here. The only way to put sto
to the outrageous gossip is to forbid hiI
the house at once"
The knowledge that we are the sui
ject of comment and impertinent cor
lecture that our affairs are being dis
cussed and canvassed, always come
with n kind of shock. That peopl
should gossip about us is revolving, eve
when we ourselves are given to gossi
about others; when we are not, it bt
comes insulting in addition. Mar
talked so little of her neighbors' affair
that to discover that they talked a grea
deal of hers made her exceedingly angry
Miss Cornelia's proposition to CARROT
gossip and rob it of subject matter b