Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1893-12-07

QlgDlneu. ana yet ne cou'iuStSu
self to have no small share or WISDOM
and dignity. But he wore these guam,
ties loosely, so as not to be 100 haru
upon his fellow creatures. he was not
q fat man, but he had a portly pro-
truding stomach, on which a neaNy
watch chain and seal were dlspiaseu
conspicuouSly.
Mrs. Lilly was short and plump. she
had n smooth, white-and- pink complex
ion still, despite her fifty-four years,
and very pretty little features, hhe d
dolls, Indeed, as her c~ountenance WIS
very smooth, very waxen In coioriis'
and very ~immoyable, she would raNe
looked precisely like a magnined wax
doh had Ii not been for n certain {
ance in the expression of her Jet-Dlack
beads of eyes. She wore a Jet-DlacK
band Of velvet across her WHITE lore
head.
The other persons at table were Re-
becca, Edgar and Emma, the eldest
daughters and only surviving son OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Lilly.
II won't come in unless you all finish
your dinner just as il / wasn't here,
said Mrs. Jack. Don't move. Edgar,
~please!' And she sat herself down on
q chair near the window, which was
open.
You must not sit there in h
draught. nv dear Bell" said Mrs. Lilly,
in a severe tone. You look painfully
flushed"
"Oh. it isn't painful at ALL" replied
her daughter-in-law, smiling and show
ing two delightful dimples In her lam
= ~o1. 81 .rnt ynFs nIrl1NTlV
and the day is lot. / would rather sit
by the window"
1T is very dangerous to sit near an
CIen window in the heated and fevered
condition you are in," persisted Mrs
Lilly.
Bell rose with n jerk and changed her
place.
And how is Henrietta? p asked Mrs.
Lilly, after a pause.
"Oh, Popsy's very well, bless her."
replied Mrs. Jack.
"'popsy, eh?' said Iir. Lilly, showing
his long teeth, and looking round so as
TO bespeak the attention of all present.
How do you make out Popsy to be
short for Henrietta, ha? HopSy would
be nearer the mark, ehT'
Mr.. Lilly set the example Of laughing
ut his own joke. He always did. And
it was a very good plan and prevented
mistakes.
Edgar and Emma laughed, too n
n subdued giggle. Rebecca, who was
dressed with severe simplicity and
q huge string of beads with a cross
round her neck, waited with folded
hands and dOwncast eyes until her
IA her should say grace after meat.
My dear husband always called the
child Popsy," said Mrs. Jack. quickly,
and | shall keep the pet name he gave
her.
This time Mrs. Lilly might have been
| daughter-in-law's face painful" And
Mrs. Jacks bright eyes had tears in
them.
Tut, tat, tut! No, no, no! Hopsy's
the thing; quite as pretty, and much
more like Henrietta" said Mr.. Lilly,
with n fresh display of teeth. He
checked his laugh IN the midst, when
his rolling eyes alighted on the down.
cast face of his daughter Rebecca, and,
somewhat hurriedly, recited n short
grace.
Upon this Miss Rebecca rose and
went away, saying shortly that she had
business to attend to. Emma got up,
too, and dawdled about the room in a
p~urposeless way; the great point of at
traction to which she had always re-
turned, as a moth to the candls-tiame.
being a large looking-giaSs over the
sideboard. Edgar babe his s~ister+in-law
good day, and went down to the office.
Are you busy, Mr.. Lilly? Can L
say a word to your asked Bell, as
her father-inlaw rose from the table.
Yes, Bell. Oh, yes, certainly, If you
don't mind my pipe. Come down into
the snuggery with the missis.' No Sc
crets from the missls, / suppose?"
Mrs. Lilly and Bell followed the mas
ter Of the house down stairs into a
very tiny room-little more than a
closet-with n long window down To
the ground, opaling on the garden.
A ~honeysuckle, full Of flower, hung
partly across it A pleasant fragrance
was blown into the room from the old
fashioned garden full of box borders
aud wallfiowers and spicy carnations.
On a small, round table were set forth
a case OF spirit bottles, a tumbler, lem
ons, sugar, a stone pitcher of cold water.
a pouch Of tobacco and a long church
warden pipe. Mrs. Lilly mixed a
tumbler full of cold gin and water.
filled the pipe. gave 1t into her hus.
bands hand, Lit 1t, and Their sat down
with her needlework in one of the
two arm chairs In the room. This
was the invariable custom in Perciyal
House and had been for more thar
thirty years. There was never any
change In the proceedings, unless III.
ness prevented Mrs. Lilly's presence in
the "snuggery," in which case her place
was taken by her eldest daughter.
Mrs. Jack knew the routine. and
waited silently but with little ;mpa.
tient tapping of her foot, until the rrop
wns mixed, and the pipe began to send
forth a curling line Of smoke.
Then she drew her chair nearer "
her father-in-law. He sat sideways r.
the window, leaning back in his easy
chair, and with his glass within easy
reach OF his hand. His wife sat next
TO MIN, facing the garden; his daughter
in-law opposite to him, at the little IN
oie' so that a line drawn so as r.
touch all three would have made I,
kind of triangle, with the window 70,
its base. ~
Mrs. Jack leaned bor cyosro -.