Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-04-27

the larger aud elderof these, "what
made yon come by so much earlier a
train than you said 2 We would
not have gone out for worlds if we
had known. Why, you had not
even a carriage sent to meet YOU
"It dld not matter, mother, thank
you," SAID Tom, kissing her. owe
are here; that is the great thing,
you know. Let me introduce Cap.
tain Fox 70 you" taking one of the
men by the arm, "and this is Mr..
Grifliths, and this Mr.. Ryan" Then
he turned from them to scrub his
cheek for a moment against the
cheek Of each of his handsome Sis.
ters in turn.
"Aud you bave had something
to eatV said Mrs. LlngtOn, look
ing at the tray.
"Oh, yeS, many thanks !" cried
the three visitors in the same
breath.
Yes, Pussy looked after us
Splendidly," answered Tom.
Her attention tbus called 10 her
neice, Mrs. Langton turned to P1sy.
"You may take my Sunshade up
stairs for me. Mary" she said IN a
cold voice.
"Yes, Aunt Agnes Pussy re-
piled, looking more frightened
than ever.
Tom raised his eyebrows as she
disappeared and glanced signif-
cantly ct his mother, as if to ask a
question of her. But Mrs. Lang
ton either did not or would not see
the look and kept up a steady flow
of conversation with the newly
arrived guests. Toms eyebrows
went up almost to the roots of his
hair, but just then he could not say
anything more plain than to ask
the reason of the tone by look
But half an hour later, when the
guests had all been shown to their
rooms, he knocked at his mothers
door, and receiving permission tC
enter went in and put a question
/ plump and plain to her.
whats wrong with little
Pussy?' he asked bluntly.
81 did not know that anything
was wrong with little Pussy, a;
you cali her," Mrs. LangtOn replied
IN an icy tone. elias Mary beer
complaining to you, pray ?"
Ton sat down impatently, will
his hands thrust deep down lntC
the pockets of his coat. Com
plaining-no, OF course not. Is il
likely ?"
eyes, very likely" returned hii
mother dryly.
"Well, likely or not, she did no
complain in any way Tom declar
ed. "But I've got eyes in my head
| can see like other people
"And what do you see? de
manded his mother sharply.
Tom looked in some surprise a
the tone more at the tone than al
the actual words. "Well, my deal
mother he answered mildly, q
see that my cousin, my father
only nelce, is very shabby for ont
thing"
"Beggars must not be choosers,
retorted his mother quickly.
~ don't think that the child o
my fathers only sister onght to b'
looked upon as a beggar in thu
house," said Tom gravely. "Ant
the poor child could not help he
father and mother dying and leav
ing her as they did. Blessing me
they didn't do it on purpose, die
they ?"
81 really cannot say" replied
Mrs. Langton in a very unsympa
thetc tone; "but, be that as it may
1 have quite as much as | can.dO {,
dress myself and your sisters OF
my allowance, without spending
fortune on an interlOper like Mar.
Chichester. So pray let me hea
no more of this exceedingly un
pleasant topic"
She waved her hand as if t
show that she wished him to go
and Tom, with a vexed feeling tina
he had probably done more harm
than good by his well meant IN
- reference, went hurriedly out o
the room, almost wishing that h,
had not said anything about hii
little cousin at all. lie though
about her a good deal while he wa
dressing for dinner. Yes, a gOot
deal, Hang 1t, it was a sham
, that jOst because poor little gu
did not happen to have been Dor
! under the same roof, or not of th
| same branch OF the family, sh
should be treated as an InterlOpel
if not actually as an ontcast. II