The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-03-16

father sent me down to him with the
keys He's got bad attack of govt
this morning and must stay in bed all
day"
Thank Godr' muttered Fred. ''Oh,
/ say, mother, I've got into
Here a significant glance of his
mothers at the maid silenced him.
She knew too well what was coming,
and did not wish that Fred's last
scrape should be the talk of the
kitchen. Accordingly. they retired to
what Fred called his ''suiky." little
smoking den off the dining-room, to
have their troubled conference.
Nearly half an hour later Harry ar
rived and ytas shown. according to or
ders, into the breakfast-room, where.
however, he found only Bell.
Ibid you want me?' he asked, with
breathless eagerness. fs
''I!' she exclaimed, raising her
arched eyebrows in coquettish surprise.
81 thought perhaps-she said she
was to show me in here"
II suppose mother wants you-she
always does. You're probably to
choose a new bonnet for her, or bring
her home leg of mutton. Did you
ever hear the Italian proverb, Mr..
Lynn: 'Fatti di mieele e ii mangieran
lie mosche.' Make yourself all honey
and the flies will eat you up?"
II am one of the flies. What persis-
tent bores they are! They come back
again and again to the honey, no mat
ter how often you brush them away"
he said. pointing his parable with APP
pealing eyes.
How can you be so ungrateful!
am sure no one is so glad to see you as
mother - especially when she wants
something in the city. / must tell her
you're here"
And through sheer nervousness,
rather than coquetry, she hurried
away. He, with true lovers diff
dence. set down her escape neither to
nervousness nor coquetry, bat to horror
of his suit. He was very young.
lie was left many minutes to his
blank despair before Mrs. Maynard APP
peared. She hurried in so embarrassed
and confused as to forget to greet him
with the usual ''Good morning.
20, Mr.. Lynn. IL feel SO ashamed
to have let myself get into your debt.
| know ! must owe you more than
this, but if you will kindly let me
know how much more you can have it
at once"
Here she thrust an envelope into his
hand, which he put mechanically into
his pocket.
Mechanically also he answered: Il
assure you / was only too glad to be of
the least service to you" for his mind
at the moment was full to overlooking
with the bitterness of Bells snub.
Mr.. Maynard" his wife fastened to
say, glad of an escape from the other
embarrassing subject, has had one of
his bad govt attacks this morning and
is confined to his bed. He wishes you
70 look through the letters, to answer
the unimportant ones and send the 9TH
ers up to him. have left the keys in
the Office
When Mr.. Maynard summoned him
to his bedside to give some instructions
about answers to urgent letters, Harry
was more respondent and distract than
ever. This the cid gentleman was not
long in perceivifg.
what on earth is the matter with
your he asked, irritably. IF I've to
repeat everything three or four times
over I'd better get monograph or
new secretary" he added, savagely.
After this rough rebulse and threat
Harry pulled himself together as well
as he could, but was, on the whole, so
dull and preoccupied that
the old gentleman began to suspect a
screw loose somewhere. But then he
was given to such suspicious.
Next morning Mr.. Maynard was so
much better as to be in his study be-
fore his secretary appeared. The mo-
ment Harry entered the room the old
gentleman said, CURLY:
Kindly take these to Thacker, and
you needn't trouble to return here to-
day, as have nothing for you to do"
Of course Harry interpreted the curt
dismissal according to the preoccupa-
ton of his thoughts with Bell. She
has complained to her mother of pre-
attentions, and her mother |
had taken counsel on the matter with !
MIR. Maynard, who decided to exclude
him from his house If not to dismiss |
him from his employment. Of this
Harry had no doubt az all on receiving
a curt command next morning to re-
turn to the city counting-house for the |
present. For three days he plodded on
1T the counting-house, hearing moth
a |