The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-05-02
MRS. BOB.
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER.

Mrs. Trafforl proved herself the most
complaisant of prospective mother-in-law;
indeed she was now so we'll used to this
kind of thing that she felt herself on per.
fectly familiar ground.
well, my dears," she said, II don't see
that we can arrange anything more to,
night. Mr.. Howard, you will stay and
share our dinner, won't you"
81 will with pleasure, Mrs. Trafford,"
he a~uswered-"on one contiti0u-that you
won't call me Mr.. Howard any more"
"My dear Stephen, 1 will do as you
wish, " she said. in her own airy little way.
But do. my dears, go back to the draw
ing-room. ] have Il letter to write and one
or two trifles to attend o."
They went out of the room but Julia
ran back from the foot of the stairs. "is
your letter to Lauriet" she asked.
eyes. thought of writing to let her
know. You don't mind, do you, dearSn
mot n bit. But give her my love and
tell her ! am very happy" said Julia.
Mrs. Trafford threw her arms round her
daughter aud held her tenderly to her. II
am so happy too, darling" she said, "for
he is handsome and charming aud good,
too. Julia. l am sure he is good"
EYES. Think he is good" Julia whis.
pered.
Mrs. Trafford pulled out the bit of tlimsy
cambria again IL wiped q few tears away
when Julia and her lover had gone mp
stairs again. or course, she was glad that
this engagement had come about. For
some time past she had felt herself getting
GU in life. though she was not fifty vet,
and the thought of leaving one or other
Of her girls alone in the world had worried
her not a little. Besides that she had al.
ways believed firmly that the married
state was the happiest state. the most
natural and the most desirable, and she
felt sure that her girls would make good
wives as they had made good daughters.
And yet, now that 1t had come to parting
with the last of them it was an undeniable
wrench, even though this young man
seemed. so far as she could tell, to be all
that she had said OF him in speaking of
him to Julia, handsome and charming and
good, too.
However, she did not allow herself to
look very long upon the darker side of the
~picture-Julia was happy and she had
carried off another most desirable match
from the other matrons of Blankhampton,
and she therefore soon dried her tears II
went downstairs to consult with the cook
about sundry little additions to that even
inR's dinner.
At any other time she would nave touch.
ed the bell and have let the cov6 come to
her; but the occasion had made her feel
the want of human intercourse aud she
became more genial in consequence. So
she went down Into the comfortable SER
wants hall, where a bright little fire was
burning, and told cook that Mr.. Howard
was going to stay to dinner and that they
must have n little more added to it.
The servants, of course, knew very we'll
what was going oE upstairs, though they
did not as yet know that Miss Julia and
the handsome young man who had been
so much about the house Of late had act
ually come to an understanding. Cook
suggested that the thick soup and roast
duck of which her ladies' dinner was to
consist should be supplemented by Il bit
of fish anu a little dish of outlets and as
sured her mistress. to whom she vas de-
voted that she hud plenty of time before
eight O'Clock to manage 1t comfortably.
So Mrs. Trafford left it to her and turn
ed to go upstairs again. But ut the door
she turned back. II nus tell you what
has happened" she said, "for o have
both been such good servants to me. Miss
Julia and Mr.. Howard IRE engaged"
1t was very pleasant to hear their con-
CALCULATIONS, to hear Cox descant on Mr..
Towards good looks and pleasant ways.
II am sure, ma'am," said Cox. half shyly,
THAT the young ladies have got three as
handsome gentlemen MS ever married into
q family"
And the gentlemen three as sweet
young ladies as couldb be found anywhere"
said Smith. But If you'll pardon me
speaking what think, ma'am, Miss Julia
has always been my favorite."
Yes, Smith, l know it," answered Mrs.
Trafford, with n certain suspicious devil
ness about her eyelids. "It will be n
great loss to me, but If it is for her happi-
ness l shall not mind-mind, why am
delighted about it."
Eyes, ma'am," answered Smith. you
said just now, ma'nm that we have been
good servants to you. I hope we have, for
you've been a good kind mistress to us,
and it's missises that have most to do with
the making of servants. I've been In SER
vice a good many years now, mum, and I
know by this time what missises md ser.
wants and young ladies are. And our
yOuAS 1AutSsy SAGy w IuNlCo. ~.
Well, the result of this bit of confidence
was that when the two ladies md Stephen
Howard went down to dinner, Julia found
a nice little posy of white flowers IDOL her
serviette and written on a card attached
to it was this message-"With respectful
love and good wishes, from Smith and
Cox"
ooh, Coxl"cried Julia, the tears SPRING
{rr sr<1 l,r avn, A., x,r Cfn~tDn ITo-,
ard, he gave Cox a sovereign for herself
before he went away that night, and ~
other one for Smith, and perhaps never
in all this world dds posy of simple white
flowers give SO much pleasure to five peo-
pie.
CHAPTER xI.-THE GREAT ST. EYES ROB
Berry
That evening Stephen Howard went
back to Brentwood where he found his
sister alone, in the little drawlng-room or
boudoir, reading n book. She looked up
as he entered and laid her book down on
her knee.
"Well?" she said, In a questioning tone.
"Well," he returned, half smiling, sit's
all right-l've done it."
Mrs. Bob at once jumped up, letting her
book fall just as Mrs. Trafford had done q
few hours before. MY dear boy" she
cried, "you don't mean it. You are sure
you really like her. Stevie?"
Eyes. l am quite sure" he said, stendi-
ly. you don't suppose l should be such
a Sool as to marry her or any other woman
If ] didn'tt"
well, one never knows" Mrs. Bob an
swered, and then she put her arms round
his neck and Rugged him %tenderly. Il
hope yoa will be very happy, dearStevie,"
she said, fondly, "but it's a risk, my dear,
In u circumstances"
"Oh! not II bit of it, he returned, con-
fdently.
But she will know nothing Of"
Nothing" he broke in, sharply.
But won't that make things more diff
fcnlt for you, or at least a little awk-
wrrd."
II don't think SO; on the contrary, in
fact, for everything will work better" he
answered.
Mrs. Bob sat down in her chair again
and looked up Mt him anxiously. "She is
q nice girl, Stevie, a dear girl and q good
girl, too, I nm sure-and she's fond of you
too"
Eyes. She fond of me-" he repeated.