Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-22

inner asked, abruptly.
 Out there with the rest of the dogs, suppose"
 II think would rather have him in here He is getting old. you know"
 Duke was Dennis' favorite setter, and Dennis was among the missing members of the White Cliffs circle. As Lorimer opened the door to admit Duke, the sound of wheels crunching the gravel on the drive, quite close at hand, met his ears. An eager light came into his eyes. He seized his hat and hurried towards the spot where Dick and Rafe were already stationed.
 The mistress of White Cliffs laid her ball of gray wool, nll bristling with shining needles, aside with slow delib- cration. Her face was ghastly in its pallor. She stood up in her place, but made no forward motion. They must come to her. A fretful outcry, as of a sleepy child wakened against its will, smote on her ears. She started at the sound. Had John, so young, so inex- perienced, mated with a widow? Could he have made such a fool of him. self? The door was standing wide open. It sounded to her as if fifty pairs of feet were shufling about on the resonant marble pavement A for eign voice rebuked the fretting child. The boys, her boys, John among them, were all laughing and talking at once. They had forgotten her. She had been standing there ''hours-" She was al- ready dethroned-a lonely, old, super fluous woman. No, they were coming to her. She leaned heavily against the tall back of her chair, then started as If from sleep. Johns wife was holding up a sweet, tired face to be kissed.
 CHAPTER IL
 Among the ancestral belongings of White Cliffs was tall corner clock of solid mahogany. It was trustworthy timepiece, in spite of antiquity and long service. When this majestic heir loom struck nine, with the deliberation becoming to its age and dignity, Mrs. Lorimer, senior, made a final disposi- tion of her wool and needles by drop ping them into the gay calico bag which swung from one arm of her easy chair, and addressed the family circle imper- sonally:
 ''I think will conduct my sons wife to her room. She must be fatigued after her journey"
 The eagerness with which this sug- gestion was approved might have been construed rather unflatteringly by Mrs John, had not she herself been most eager to act upon it. It had been an extremely difficult evening for them all, and no one was sorry to terminate 1t at so early an hour.
 The men drew into a narrower circle about the broad fireplace, as the two women disappeared through the door held politely open for them by Lorimcr.
 Rafe extended the tobacco canister hospitably towards John. Four pipes were simultaneously exhumed from four pockets. Dick, eager and young, voiced the common desire:
 'Now, then, old fellow, let us hear all about it. You see, your letters were tremendously scappy and unsatisfac- tory"
 "Tremendously so."
 Lorimer had come back to the fire place and appropriated the easy chair, on whose arm swung the gay bag. He was studying Johns face intently: 'Wrote us by one mail that you had se- rious intentions concerning young lady in your boarding house, and the next information we get is that you are going to bring your wife home to live; will be up at once."
 John fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair. The steadfast gaze of Lorrie's was more than he could stand:
 Not to live, but to stay for six months or so. had given up my place. And Nora wanted to leave town for awhile."
 "And never to tell us that she was a widow! A confoundedly handsome one, Johnnie, no question of that"
 The new-mnde groom flushed hotly. Lorimer made haste to say:
 "Dick and Rafe were seeing to the luggage when you introduced the little lady as Mrs. Johns niece"
 John addressed himself directly to his younger brothers:
 "My wife was not a widow. The child is her niece. That is all am at liberty to tell you just now, except she was as much of surprise to me as any of you. I did not know of her existence until after the ceremony was performed. hope mother will not take dislike to her. She won't be any more in the way, in this big house, than a stray kit ten."
 Dick laughed: You've hit upon an unfortunate comparison. Stray kittens are mothers speclal detestation. But guess between us all we'll contrive to keep this one from being ostracized." He wanted to comfort John. They all did, in fact. The bond of brotherly af- lection was very strong among the LOT inner boys. Johns face was not that of happy groom. It wore an unfamiliar look of anxiety-somewhat as if, hay ing consciously wandered very near the edge of a precipice, he wGs calculating the chances of plunging over. Lorimer turned his eyes from Johns flushed face to the dusty pampas plumes which Dick had criticised so severely. He smiled at the undue importance the boy had given them. The mantel vases might have been ornamentcd with sides oi bacon for all the notice they had ex- cited. Everybody had been stiff, un- natural. uncomfortable.
 'Your wife is beautiful woman, John," Lorimcr said, soothingiy. John answered almost combatiyely: