Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-02-15
CHAPTER VII.

0OMcuON VI OlAeI. Dell ulu uOl 1CGl
such glow of pleasure and enthusi
asm in communicating her news to
Barney that evening, as she had antic.
ipated. She was very glad, of course,
to have got this employment 1t was
most excellent thing. But, if Mrs,
Boddington could have been little
more friendly and sympathetic, and il
her children had not been so spoiled
that they would prove to be, and
hard; and, above all. if the pay were a
self as all these Ifs" passed through
her mind. 81 don't know YOU. YOU
thankless gr,lmbler!'' she said to her
own face in the glass. And she took
good care to breathe no word of dis
content or disappointment to Barney.
But that shrewd parsonage very soon
perceived that Mrs. Jacks spirits We're
not so high as they had been, and by
a rigid cross-eXamination she soon ar
rived at complete knowledge of the
details of the interview between Mrs.
Jack and her employer.
"Well," said Miss Barnasconi, nod
ding her head re1ectively. Il think
you've come off very we'll. She didn't
beat you down at ALL
BEAT me down, Barney! Why, I
thought"
you thought she would object to the
smallness Of your demand and offer
you more? All, my dear, what Il baby
you are!!'
Mrs. Jack blushed, and protested that
she had not expected anything, of the
kind. 'Not really expected it. you
know, Barney" She added truthfully;
although, perhaps, some vague idea of
the sort might have gone through my
mind without my consent. But I as
sure YOU l am most glad and thankful
to have got this situation. And if can
only get one OF two more pupils
"Ah! my dear, l hope you may not
find these too many for you. It's u
firing business; more firing than you
know Of. But won't discourage you.
And so the two gentlemen brought YOU
lone? Well, that was civil 1 had
just come in from a lesson and hap
pened to be at the parlor window when
you drove up, and l can't get it out Of
my head that I've seen the face Of that
elder man before. / only got glimpse
of it, but it seemed familiar somehow.
What's his name again:"
"Roddington-Mr Boddington''
N-no; no, can't recollect any one
Of that name"
That same evening arrived a large
parcel, directed ''To Miss Henrietta
Lilly. with grandmamma's love-" and
containing the promised frock for
Popsey. Why, it's like workhouse
garment" cried Mrs. Jack Indignantly,
holding it up before Barney.
And, indeed, it did look some
thing like the costumes one
is accustomed to associate with
long files of uniformly clad human crea-
lures walking two and two. It was of
an indescribably muddy hue, and in tex
ture resembled jack towel. why.
think Of my putting Popsy into this
hideous thing!' exclaimed Mrs. Jack
again; II could CRY, I'm so vexed at
''Popsy won't cry" observed Miss
Barnasconi. philosophically, land even
her powers of destruction will be taxed
to tear it. I should have it made I'D
forthwith
Barney never fattered her friends
maternal vanity, and perhaps there was
no circumstance in the friendship be-
tween the two women more honorable
to both.
'Well, I suppose 1 must have the
thing made up" said Bell, at length,
yielding to reason "But''-with a sud
den flash of the eye and flush of the
cheek-the very first money 1 get from
my teaching shall go to buy Popsy
pretty frock-pale pink with white.
That I'm determined
"Oh, my dear, what baby you are!'
cried Barney, in her deepest octave.
And then Mrs. Jack laughed, and said
she was afraid she was rather foolish
about Popsy.
Mrs. Jacks first experiment at i'm
parting the rudiments of the English
grammar to Miss aud Master Bodding-
ton did not go off with the smooth
ness which might have been wished.
Jimmy Ind Jenny were exceedingly I'M
peasant children. with utterly unframed
wills, and tyrannous as only spoiled
children can be tyrannous. They were
dull, too, and altogether reduced Mrs.
Jack to state bordering on despair
within the first hour.
I'VE don't like grammar" cried Miss
Jenny; teach us something else;" while
Master Jimmy announced that us for
bis part he did not intend to be teached
at all, and forthwith got under the
table and became 50 lion in bis den,"
with the painful popularity Of snap
ping at the legs and feet Of all who
approached him.
Poor Bell found herself terribly un-
able to cope with this unruly couple;
and after having tried entreaties and
kird W0rds-at which the young Bod
diLgtons became more violently ungov-
ernable than ever, and then threats and
sharp words, at which they laughed and
made faces-she was reduced to the
necessity Of declaring that she would
appeal to their papa, and left the room
Tor that purpose. Instinctively she had
come to the conclusion that an appeal
to Mrs. Boddington would be Of no
avail, but she thought that stern-look-
ing father would probably make him
self obeyed. AS she crossed the hall,
she met him face to face. He had
just come in, apparently. He wore rid
ing boots and carried whip in his
hand, and a fine Newfoundland dog
followed at his heels. He took his
hat off and bowed to Bell, but without
offering to shake hands with her.
You are not afraid of my dog?" he
asked. Down, Neptlne!'
49, 90 -