The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1894-02-09

| farmer and his wife had told him that
! she mopeG q great lcll-Was to bring
| Miss Barnasconi ont to- Beck 5 Heath
| the very next day.
| Mrs. Jack was very grateful for her
| kind friends visit. but, even from her,
| she seemed to Shrink Il little, in Il Shy,
| silent way, which was the very anti
| pode Cf her old buoyAnt, frank, fearless
manner. But. when Barney Observed
| that She was looking pale and aueS-
| toned her about her health. Mrs. Jack
| persisted i'll declaring that she WAS
! quite well only Il little weak ana that
| she needed nothing but rest and quiet.
| Rest and Guiet"' exclaimed Barney
| TO herself, sitting behind the stout pony
on her way homcWard Rest and
quiet with Il vengeance. A long rest
and very perfect quiet it'll be it we
don't look after her She is as TIM as
Il whipping and us white rs hfS
pocket handkerchief. Something must
be done, She is just enc Of those wo-
men who give way al of Il sudden,
and slip through your fingers like
ray OF moonshinc, il you'll lct 'rn."
Upon this reflection Barney took q
resolution
:
card was carried into Mrs Lilly with
Il request that the lady might be allow
ed to say Il few words to her ut once
Mrs. Lilly examined the card attentive
ly through her double eyc-glass, and
gave permission for the person to
come in," in a tone which considerably
influenced the servants manner in lish
ering Barney into the drawing room
m 1 -,
Her appearance caused Mrs Lilly to
open her bcad-lke eyes To their utter
most, and fix them on her visitor with
Il stony gaze which made her look more
like Il WAX doll than usual the Two
women were oddly coatraStcl, both in
appearance and manner,
Barney had arraEed herself in her
best for the occasion. She wore blue
anu chocolate color ana Il yellow silk
handkerchief round her neck, and the
bonnet with white ribbons and roses,
out Of which confusion Of bright tlnts
her dark. black -browed face asserted
itself strongly 1t was rs if one had
dressed UP the WeatherhrOWued fig
ure head OF a ship in gau2y draperies
and gaflands.
Mrs Iilly's pink ana white counte-
nance was framed in smooth nandeaux
of shining black wig. The black velvet
band duly marked the termination OF
her WaNen forehead. She wore Il black
satin gown. and Il lace collar and cap
and heavy gold chain TO which was
attached her eyegiaSS. And her slow
soto vocc utteranccs were as different
as could Well he imagined from Bar
ney's abrupt speeches. delivered in L
bass voice from the chest.
Good morning. ma'am," said Bar
ney, cutting short all ceremonies and
plunging into the middle Of her subject.
I've come to speak to you very seri-
onsiy about Mrs Jack
'About-Mrs -
About your sons widow, Mrs lack
Lilly. Shes very i'll"
Whats the natter" asked Mrs Lii |
iy, startled out of her dignity for the |
moment. How do you know? When |
did You see her,
i saw her yesterday. She Il not in |
danger. if you mean that. |
She hasn't got cholera, or smallpox. or |
tynhus, but she just wasting ana pin |
ing and fading. And She ought to be |
looked after, and have Il medical man |
to see her, and | fancy be would recon- |
mend change of air, But Of course,
my opinion is worth nothing on that |
score
Nothing at all, returned Mrs. Lilly, |
who had recovered from her nlompn- |
tary discomposure. But may | ask |
why you have done me the honor to |
come and say all this to me? Do you |
know you quite frightened me by your
very abrupt manner Of announcing the |
illness of Mrs. John Lilly junior?'
Il am a busy person and have not |
time to make roundabout speeches. |
I'm sorry il I've frightened you, but |
You seem to have recovered by this |
time. However. the reason why | came
to tell you all this is the poor young |
thing has no mother and you stand in
the place of one to her, and she ought |
to be looked after
Pray, did Mrs John Lilly junior
send you herey
Not she! And she would scoll me
sonndly If she knew | came. But I |
have done my duty, all the same No; |
she declares she is quite we'll
Mrs Lilly was getting into 4 condi- |
ton or rigidity impressive to witness. |
Once or twice she had opened her |
mouth to make a speech, which should |
qnell this incredibly intrusive person |
with the outlandish name But Bar |
ney was too quick for her, and did not |
wait for the sentence to be got fairly |
under way. Indeed, having accom- |
plishcd the object Of her visit, which |
was forcibly to call the attention OF |
Mrs. Lilly to the daughterin- laws con
dition. the music mistress pulled out |
her watch, declared she must be Off to /
her work, gave very brief good morn |
ing to the lady of Percival House. and |
scot free from the crushing
reproof which Mrs. Lilly hal it In her |