Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-12-23

"The Sycamores, South Kenslngton,
Sd deAI 1SR

/ intend TO start on our little Cont
mental trip on the 9th, so that, IT you
are coming to keep house and o
after the babies for me during my ABB
sence. you must come at once, for
should like to spend a few days with
YOU first. You have not had a change
this year, so it will do you good. sure
ly, can manage without you
for Il month, having Lucy I'M the two
servants? Claude is in town again.
from Paris. He called to see Percy IN
the city. and looks very i'll ana worn.
1t is strange where Elsie can be all
this time. and that she does not APP
pear TO see his advertisements. o
darling. | hope she is well and happy!
Shall expect you tomorrow. Love 10
all. in which Percy unites.
Your affectionate sister,
Oracle"
"p 81 suppose IL i 81 farce 10 ask
you. but Mrs. Mainwaring celebrates
her silver wedding by Il fa~ncy-dress
hill on the twenty-fourth. | am go
ing: will you join me: and as ferc!
won't assist at tany such tomfoolery,
l shall be glad of your company. you
viii be amused, If you do not care 10
dance. The matter of dress need nov
trouble you. as my dressinaher VII
run You up something in a couple ol
DAYS. | am going as 'Nlght. lou
might go as n Roman lady-that wonid
lust suit your sever style. we wear
masks. of course"
The arrival of this letter stirred UP
strife in the house of Hatfield. MIS-.
Hatfield did not object to Judiths TAX
ING n weeks holiday. but a month
was an u~nheard-of piece of
crateness on the part of both her
daughters. She was really surprised
ut dear Gracie's thoughtlessness. AS
to tba ball. Oracle must be jestlng.
Did Judith for an instant imagine thht
her sister was serious in proposing tue
dress of a Roman lady?-which, so iar
rs Mrs. Hatfield's knowledge Went,
REQUIRED a type of beauty n a sym
metry of figure similar to darling iost
EIsie's OF Gracie's own maturer
charms. but was certainly-most GER
tainly not suited to a thin, saliow race
and figure like Judith's. Could NOT
.Judith see that for herself!
Yes-Judith could, ii Oracle meant
that she was TO wear the classic CARP
of n Roman maiden; but perhaps Gra-
Gle meant a Roman matron, whose
dress would be more suitable.
Mrs Hatfield did not know, n was
sure. hui she thought the idea ridicu-
Io,,s. altogether. What did Judith want
with masquerade balls at her : Dlu
she, who was always so ready 10 eu'
down the expenditure OF others thihh
of the expense, too!
At this stage Mr.. Hatfield put IN an
appearance ard a word OF weight
when he had read his daughters let
ter. OF course Judy was TO go! ana
why shouldn't she go TO the ball, 100
Did his wife forget that she was a
matron of thirty-two when she vent
TO her last fancy-dess ball as Marie
AntoinetteIr Judith was to run away
at once and pack NJ: meanwhile, ne
would 90 down and telegraph to era
Gle that she would reach town about
three O'Clock, Nh. Hatfield's prompt
pess in thus deciding the matter being
due TO the fact that he was out or
%cloudland for the nonce, "A Wlthered
Heart being before the public, II Il
success. and he. consequently, III FUNDS
and not of necessity bound TO cast
about in his mind for the plot M
characters for another novel, which he
preferred to accept as they occurred TO
him.
Judith was nothing loath to profit by
her fathers decision. for she had gone
through a great deal lately, having had,
in addition to her usual cares, the
gnawing anxiety she suffered on FL
sizes account, to put up with her moth
er's constant vitupcration and TO en-
deavor silently to endure her ~unreason-
able expressions of vindictive antipa-
thy to Claude T~omnshend.
EIsie's fight. according to her moth
err, was in consequence of the cruel
treatment To which she had been sub
jected by her ''middle-aged' husband.
What grounds she had for this opinion,
no one knew. the most charitable opin-
ion to form being that her infirmity
of body at times affected her mind.
well Judy" was Grace Fletcher's
greeting to her sister. on her arrival at
the Sycamores, I'm awfully glad to
see you. Take off your hat and have
some tea, then we will go up and see
the babies. Percy won't be home until
six"
As they sat drinking tea. Mrs.
Fletcher ratified on about all kinds of
things: but she never mentioned either
Elsie or Claude. though Judith waited
anxiously. When Grace had exhaust
ed her stock of trivialities, Judith man
aged to put in the question:
sWhat of Claude. Oracle? Has he
any news of Elsie yety'
"Of curse not, Judy, or l should
have told you!-with a tritie of asper-
ity. But you can ask Percy when he
comes in"
However. Mr.. Fletcher himself
preached the subject by saying, sud-
denly, during dinner:
II say, Judy-it is a pity you did not
come up before, Townshend would
have liked 10 see you. He is looking
awfully seedy, and | believe he'll go
wrong altogether If he does o find
her. It's rather hard ON the poor beg
gar. because, you know. he can't very
well help his nature. She ought not to
have married him."
Good gracious me!' cried his wife,
Indignantly, Ito hear you, Percy, one
would imagine Elsie had positively run
away with Claude against his wins'
Mr.. Fletcher nodded with signifi-
canoe, as he said.
az kuoyy EISia'S way-if'S n IttIa I;I,o