Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-22

| certain knowledge, those pampas plumes have been there six months. Things look sort of dun-colored, don't they, mother?"
 At this rectquestion, Mrs. Lorimer's eyes travelled slowly from the dingy mantel ornaments to Dicks dissatisfied | face:
 "There arc no flowers in the garden | none in bloom, that is. Moreover, don't believe in assumption of any sort. She is not coming here for visit. She Is coming to stay. She may as well see us at first as she is to see us for all | time"
 "Then we had better whistle in the dogs and get out of these white shirts, [" | said Lorimer, with disarming laugh. Lorrie was the. only one of the tribe | who ever venturcd to comment on their | mothers dicta or to turn her into gen tie ridicule. But she was not to be tested with to-day, even by her first | born:
 Don't be disrespectful, Lorimor. It | was not by my orders that you banished the dogs. Raphael seemed to think they might shock Mrs. John Lorimer's city nerves. consider that what is good enough for me shou be good enough for Johns wife" Dick Lorimer had habit of per tinaciously sticking to his text: ''Un- occasionally, mummer; and what made me think about flowers was remember ing how you told us about the fine do- ings and the gorgeous decorations when father brought you here bride" The faintest possible flush mounted into Mrs. Lorimer's sallow checks; her eyes flashed, and her square jaw be- came, if possible, still more square.
 That was different. Times were different. Everything was different. It was my sisters who did it. John has no sisters. Moreover, your father never took me anywhere as bride brought him here. White Cliffs was my fathers wedding gift to me. And-and-" she turned her eyes wistfully upon Lor- imer's handsome face, while l meant to do the right thing by all of you boys, I wanted I.orimer's wife to be the one to take the reins when am gone"
 Lorimcr put out soothing hand. It stayed the fast-hying llnitting-needles for brief while.
 White Cliffs will need no new mis- tross for long years to come yet, mother You are worth any two of us to-day"
 Say a dozen of us." said Dick, lib arally "But to return. Don't you think, all of you, that few camellias would set the old room off handsome Iy?"
 There's bushels of them in bloom over at Glenburnie." This from Rafe.
 "Glcnburnie!"
 Lprimrf turned a warning glance upon Rafe. Mrs. Lorimer slowly repeat ed the word in thick voice:
 "Glenburnie!"
 She had folded her trembling hands in her lap and turned wondering eyes on the daring suggester of this plan for beautifying the White Cliffs sitting room.
 Rafe stood his ground with outward composure:
 "Ycsm, at Glenburnie. rode past there yesterday, and the japonica bushes were loaded down with blos- soms."
 ''Thcy sell the flowers" said Richard, combatively, ''and we are as free to buy them as anybody"
 ''She sells the fiowerSr' Scorn, sur prise and disgust struggled for the mas tery in Mrs. Lorimer's voice.
 "Ycs, ma'am. Why not?" The frown on the mistress forehead deepened. Lorimer looked beseeching- ly at the boys. Did they not know as well as he did how hard their mother had struggled for the Stoicism she would need for this coming ordeal? And was it not pity to have it shat tered by dragging Glenburnie into such necessary prominence? There was l ominOuS silence.
 Dick got up, and, after moving aim lessly about the room for a second, mutt tered something about reporting prog | ess," and made his escape. Rafe, going over to the window that gave him the \ best view of the White Cliffs flower | garden, tried to whistle down his dis | comfort, but only succeeded in increas- ! ing his consciousness of it, until in | spircd to say: II see a few lantanas and \ one chrysanthemum out yonder. I'll \ pull them, and put them in a tumbler | in her room." Then he, too, disap- \ pcared. Mrs. Lorimcrs trembling voice \ broke the silence after awhilc: And they knew that would sooner see White Cliffs draped in crape from \ garret to cellar than made gay with a \ flower that grew at Glenburnic."
 "Is not that putting it rather strong.
 mothcr?" said Lorimer, stepping to re- cover the ball of worsted which had fallen from her lap. He lxncclcd to re- ! place it in the tremulous hand she stretched out for it. There was some
 thing very pitiful to the strong man in
 that rcprcssed agitation. He pressed
 his lips to his mothers withered white palm with caressing tenderness.
 She rewarded the knightly gesture
 with wintry smile, as she passed her
 disengaged hand over his ruddy cheek
 in a flecting caress. But the dark mood
 was not to be so easily dispelled. The
 frown came back as she said, in an un.
 compromising voice:
 II cannot put it too strong, Lorimer.
 It is impossible. You boys only guess
 at Q few things. Imeant when the last
 one of you came of age to have told you
 all about it. was waiting for Dennis | to b0 tweutV-One Then I meant tc