The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-21


to the other.
The evening Of her arrival Lali would
not, with any urging put on clothes Of
Marion's which had been sent into her.
And the next morning it was still the
same. She came into the breakfast room
dressed still in bucksliin and moccasins,
and though the grease had been taken
out Of her hair it was still combed flat
Mrs Armour had tried to influence her
through Mackenzie, but to no purpose
She was placidly stubborn. 1t had been
unwisely told her by Mackenzie that
they were Mhrion's clothes. They
scarcely took in the fact that the girl
had pride; that she was the daughter Of
a chief and a chieftainess herself, and
that it was far from happy to offer her
Marion's clothes to wear.
Now, Richard, when he was lad,
had been on journey to the south seas
and had learned some Of the peculiari-
ties of the native mind, and he did not
suppose that American. Indians differed
very much from certain well bred Poly
nesians in little matters Of form and
good taste. When his mother told him
what had occurred before Lali entered
the breakfast room, he went directly to
what he believed was tho cause and adj
vised tact with Cancellation. He also
pointed out that Lah was something
taller than Marion, and that she might
be possessed of'that general trait of hui
manity-vanity. Mrs. Armour had not
yet got used to thinking Of the girl in
another manner than an intrusive being
of lower order who was there to try
their patience, but also to do their bid
ding. She had yet to grasp the fact that,
being her sons wife, she must have
therefore position in the house, exer-
cising certain authority over the serv-
ants, who to Mrs. Armour, at first
seemed of superior stuff. But Richard
said to her: "Mother, l fancy you
don't quite grasp the situation The
girl is a daughter Of a chief and the de.
scendant of a family Of chiefs, perhaps
through many generations. In her own
land she has been used to respect and
has been looked up to pretty generally.
Her garments are, l fancy, considered
very smart in the Hudson bay country,
and a finely decorated blanket like hers
is expensive up there. You see, we have
to take the thing by comparison, SO
please give the girl chance" "
And Mrs. Armour answered wearily:
81 suppose you are right, Richard You
generally are in the end, though why
you should be do not know, for you
never see anything of the world any
more, and you moon about among the
cottagers. l suppose it's your native
sense and the books you read. "
Richard laughed softly, but there was
a queer ring in the laugh, and he came
over stumblingly and put his arm round
his mothers shoulder. 'Never mind
how get such sense as | have, mother.
l have SO much time to think it would
be wonder if 1 hadn't some. But l
think we had better Try to study her
and coax her along and not fob her off
as very inferior person, or we shall
have our hands full in earnest. My
opinion is she has got that which will
save her and us, too-a very high spirit,
which only needs opportunity to develop
into remarkable thing, and, take my
word for it, mother, if we treat her as
chieftainess, or princess, or whatever
she is, and not simply as a dusky person,
we shall come off BETTER and she will
come off better in the long run. She is
not darker than Spaniard anyhow" "
AT this point Marion entered the
room, and her mother rehearsed briefly
to her what their talk had been. Marion
had had little sleep, and she only lifted
her eyebrows at them at first. She was
in little mood of Cancellation. She re-
membered all at once that at supper the
evening before her sister.in-law had
said How" to the butler and had eat
en- the mayonnaisewith dessert spoon.
But presently, because she saw they
waited for her to speak, she said, with
little flutter Of maliciousness: y
Wouldn't it be well for Richard
he has plenty of time, and we are also
likely to have it now--to put us all
through course of instruction for the
training Of chieftainesses? And when
do you think she will be ready for a
drawing room-her majesty Queen Vic
toria's or oursP
"Marion!" said Mrs. Armour severe
ly, but Richard came round to her, and
with his fresh, childlike humor put his
arm round her waist and added, MA
rion, I'd be willing to bet (if l were in
the habit Of betting) my shaky old pins
here against lock of your hair that
you may present her at any drawing
room--ours or Queen Victoria's-in two
years if we go at it right, and it would
serve Master Frank very we'll if we
turned her out something, after all"
Mrs. Armour said almost eagerly: 81
wish it were only possible, Richard.
And what you say is true, / suppose
that she is Of rank in her own country,
whatever value that may have"
Richard saw his advantage. "Well,
mother" he said, "a chieftainess is a
chieftainess, and l don't know but to
announce her as such and"--
And be proud of it, as it were, :"
put in Marion, "and pose her and make
her prize-a Pocahontas, wasn't it?-
and go on pretending world without
endl" Ma1ions voice was still slightly
grating, but there was in it, too, faint
sound Of hope. Perhaps" she said to
herself, "Riohard is right
AT this point the door opened, and
Lali entered, shown in by Colvin, her
newly appointed maid, and followed by
Mackenzie, and as wo said, dressed
still in her heathenish garments. She
had a strong sense of dignity, for she
stood still aud waited. Perhaps nothing
could have impressed Marion more. Had
Lali been subservient simply. an entire
| ly passive. unintellipent creature, she