The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1893-12-14
CHAPrER yIII-(ContinueI1

Veyed him with calm attention, anu, on
accepting tribute of toffee from his
hand, observed that her grandma had
black hair, but that she (Popsy), never
theless, liked him better than her
a-"gran6mas" views on the
subject of toffee being probably OF
narrower and more limited nature.
Altogether Mr.. Warren showed him.
self to be so much less stern and Sc
we're on acquaintance than he had
seemed to be on first sight, he displayed
so genial an appreciation of fun, ana
even so great liberation for mon
sense" that Bell was before long EN-
boldened to tell him how afraid she had
been Of him, and how she had specu-
lated ON the probability of his wife-as
she then supposed Mrs. Boddington to
be-being very much in awe OF him.
Mr.. Warren did not appear gratified
by this testimony to his "awfulness. !"
II suppose" he said, you wondered
what on earth made a pretty young
woman like Mrs. Boddington marry a
sun-baked old fellow like me"
Bells wonder had, 1t may be remem-
bered, taken q different direction She
had wondered what made him marry
that lazy, roundabout little woman"
but she did not say so, of course. She
merely replied, demurely, "Oh, no, /
did not, indeed, Mr.. Warren"
You know l am twenty years older
than my sister. Jane is only my half
sister. AS long as 1 was in India, busy
and responsible, l never thought about
my age. But since have come home"
added Mr.. Warren, quantity, and strok-
ing back his thick white hair as he
spoke, Il seem to be twenty years
older than everybody"
You're not twenty years older than
Barney" said Mrs. Jack gravely.
Yes, I am! Fifty years older than
Miss Barnasconi! She has all the fresh
ness Of youth upon her. The very roses
morning. No; the only staid person
OF about my own age with whom l
am acquainted in Codlington is Pop
sy."
1t was wonderful, Bell thought, how
easy her daily task had become in a
short time. The children, on the whole,
behaved better than she had dared to
hope for at first. And whenever they
showed SYMPTOMS Of downright rebel
lion the threat of appealing to Uncle
Robert" Sufficed to bring them back to
tolerable obedience. Bell became rather
proud Of her powers of discipline and
made little boast about them to Mr.
Warren, who smiled and nodded.
She saw very little Of Mrs. Bedding
ton. That lady seldom left her room
before twelve o'clock. But occasionally
she would sarnter into the school room,
magniticently arrayed, a few minutes
before the lessons came to an end;
and her appearance there was the
signal for utter INSTRUMENTATION ON the
part of Jimmy and Jenny.
One day, when on entrance into the
schoolroom the children were making
a more outrageous clamor than usual,
and she had vainly babe them be
quiet, Mrs. BoddIngton said, Really,
Mrs. Lilly, wish you would invent
some method Of making the children
mind what is said to them. I thought
you would be able to manage them
better"
They are not usually so naughty"
returned Bell, with her usual inconsid-
crate frankness, but they seem to be-
come disobedient directly they see you.
Jimmy! Jenny! Don't you know that
you ought to mind what your mamma
says more than any one elseT'
Il shall mind what Uncle Robert
says" exclaimed Jimmy, because,
when I'm good, he let's me ride on the
pony"
And he gave me doll with wax
arms and legs and five shillings not to
tease Mrs. Lilly" cried Jenny, in a
shrill voice, n0dding her head violently
up and down.
There was a short silence, during
which Bell felt that Mrs. Boddington's
languid blue eyes were surveying her
with an amount of attention which that
nonchalent lady seldom bestowed on
any face save her own in the looking
glass. And Bell, who was greatly TAX
en- aback by Jenny's revelation, began
to color violently under her employers
steady gaze.
Don't be silly, Jenny" said Mrs
Boddington, at length, in her usual
lazy drawl, and went leisurely out OF
the room again. But in few minutes
she returned holding a visiting card ir
her hand. "Oh, look here, Mrs. Lilly
she said. 'tis this person some relation
of yours?''
Bell looked at the card in astonish
ment
Mrs. John Lilly, Percival House
| why that's my mother-in-laww
"Oh, really? I don't know how Ions
the card has been in the card basket
suppose must return her call. VIVA
sort Of a person is this Mrs. JOIN
Lilly?"
"She is my husbands mother" an
| swered Bell, shortly, and-if the trut1
must be told-sharply. For there wa!
a new tone Of patronage, q little ali
| OF cool condescension, an indeinabl,
suggestion of the distance between elm
ployer and governess in Mrs. Bodding
| tons manner which our inpulsive Mrs
Jack felt, and resented unrefectingly
And, having made this abrupt answer
she tied on her bonnet and went away
Mrs. Jack was altogether more dis
| turbed and agitated than the inciden
seemed to warrant. What had put he
| out so much? There were tears il
| her eyes when she reached home-ho
tecrs Of vexation. And her cheeks wer
| burning. She ran into her bedroom ant
locked the door, nd tore off her heav.
bonnet with its rusty Grape, and, sit
ting down by the bedside, leaned he
head on the pillow and began to cry.