The Opelousas courier., 1893-11-18

/, at length, as he con-
t~emptuously tossed aside the paper.
'eHere. Eva, child, another cup of
Coffee
As his daughter received the empty
cup, he noticed something of an ez-
preston Of sadness on her usually
bright face, and his conscience re-
preached him as being the cause Of it.
Since the death of his wife, whom he
had tenderly loved, his daughter had
been dearer to him than anything on
earth. and he did not like to see her
looking unhappy.
what is the days programme,
Evie?" he asked, quite mildly.
"Hadn't you better drive down with
me to Chester and see the Lyme girls
while [ call on my lawyer?"
"No. thank you, papa. The Lyme
girls are coming here to tea and Gro
quet this afternoon"
"Ahl And who have you to meet
them?"
Eva's hand was a little unsteady as
she poured out the coffee, and her
aunt, Miss Maddox, quietly answered
for her:
"Young Nh. Motif and his sister,
and the Harmon girls and Jack River.
ton, and Mr.. Patton will bring g
friend with him"
The equire's brow darkened.
wasn't Jack Riverton here yester.
day."
"No, not yesterday"
"Well the day before then. Seems
to me he is always here. Pity hi
father don't keep him more closely to
his desk in his Office, or that he can't
find some other place than my house
in which to pass his superabundant
leisure. And / don't see," he added,
irritably-"I don't see why he should
have been invited here, when ] have
already expressed my objection tx
him."
"He is not particularly invited, This
| sister answered. 'It is only the Sec
ond meeting of our little croquet club
all that We can find to amuse us IN
| this dull country neighborhood. And,
of course, you can't blame him fol
coming with the rest"
Eva's soft, dark eyes had filed with
| tears.
"Papa," she said, with q little
tremor in her voice, "why do you OBJ
iect to Mr., Riverton? Everybody
likes him but YOU"
The squire hesitated q full half min
ute, as he make a pretense of care
fully buttering his egg.
az have nothing. against the youni
mans character he said at length
still more impatiently, ''but ! don
like him personally-that is, his ways
/ wish to hear and see no more of hin
if possible. [ object decidedly, Eva
to your accepting the attention which
he has recently been paying you, an'
I must request you, Matilda, not b
encourage his visits here =
81 am sure | don't encourage him,
Miss Matilda replied, bristling o little
we'll aware in her own mind that Mi
Klyerton needed nc encouragement
from her. But I can't understand
brother, what you can find to objec
to in Jack Riyerton's manners. Ever
one says they are delightful, and 70
never found fault with him unit
lately
"Ihat is Just it, His hay
entirely changed of late. When a ma
comes ~corrting my daughter"-this i
a very positive tone of voice-I lik
him to ppear as a man, and a man {
sense and business. He should CON
to me in the first place and say frank
that he wishes my consent to his at
dressing my daughter as he-er-hnd
that he-er-has o regard for her, {
something plain and simple of thi
kind. But Riyerton is q spoony, an
is making n fool of himself. If thel
is anything that I thoroughly despis'
it is to see a tall young fellow like thu
languishin9 around a woman, maxim
sleeps eyes at her on all occasions
even in church-and dawdling aboI
for hours in the moonlight, repeatir
poetry and calling her darling m
dearest, and other such baby name
It's disgusting
Here Eva, whose cheeks had bee
or .dnnIly assuming the hue of Il
damask rose which was pinned at b,
throat, suddenly leaned back IN b,
cntir AMI burst into tears.
She knew now that papa must ha'
overheard that talk between herse
and Jack, when they sat in the moo
] light under the dropping roses rig
beneath his open window.
And she hadnever dreamedth that pal
could be mean enough-no, she won
: not shy that-but unfeeling enough
listen.
AS she softly cried, with her dain
handkerchief pressed TO her eyes, 8
heard her fathers concluding word
/, when you find q man making 10
: in this idIotic way, you may be TO
tiye Of one thing-that the love il on
skin-deep, and that be will make