Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-09-29

y
are coming to keep house and look
after the babies for me during my alb
Scnce. you must come ut once. for
should like to spend few days with
YOU first. You have not had change
this year. so it will do YOU good. Sure
ly. mamma can manage without you
for Il month. having Lucy and the two
servants: Claude is in town again,
from Paris. He called to see Percy in
the city. and looks very i'll and Worn.
1t is strange where Elsie can be all
this time. and that she does not ap-
pear to see his advertisements. Poor
darling. I hope She is we'll and happy.
Shall expect YOU tomorrow. Love to
all. in which Percy uniteS.
Your affectionate sister.
"Gracie.''
"P. ST suppose it i sa farce to ask
YOU, but Mrs. Mainwaring celebrates
her silver wedding by a fancy-dress
ball on the twentyfourth. ! am go
ing: will you join me: and, as Percy
| won't assist at tany such tomfoolery.
| shall be glad of your company. You
will be amused. if you do not care to
dance. The matter of dress need not
trouble YOU. as my dressmaker will
run YOU up something in a couple Of
days. l. am going as Night You
might 60 as Il Roman lady--that would
| Just suit your severe style we wear
| masks. of course.
The arrival of this letter stirred up
strife in the house of Hatfield. Mrs.
Hatfield did not object to Judith's tax
ing a weeks holiday. but Il month
was an unheard-of piece of inconsid-
erateness on the part of both her
daughters. She was really surprised
ut dear Gracie's thoughtlessness. AS
to the ball, Oracle must be jesting.
Did Judith for an instant imagine that
her sister was serious in proposing the
dress of Roman lady?-which, so far
| as Mrs. Hatfeld's knowledge went,
required a type of beauty and a SYM
metry of figure similar to darling lost
Elsie's. or Gracies own maturer
charms. but was cer1alnly-mosr GER
| tainly not suited to thin. sallow face
and figure like Judiths. Could not
Judith see that for herself:
Yes-Judith could. if Oracle meant
| that she was to Wear the classic garb
of a Roman maiden: but perhaps Ora
| Gle meant Il Roman matrOn. whose
dress would be more suitable.
Mrs. Hatfield did not know. she was
sure: but she thought the !'.t'a ridicu-
lous. altogether. What did .Iu,.:th want
with masquerade balls at her age: Did
she. who was always so ready to cut
down the expenditure of ot!iv-'S. think
of the expense. too!
At this stage Nh Hatfield put in an
appearance. and 4 word OF weight
when he had read his daughters let
| ter Of course Judy was to go. And
why shouldn't she go to the ball. too:
Did his wife forget that she was Il
matron Of thirtytwO when she went
| to her last fancy-dess ball as Marie
| Antoinette:" judith was to run away
| at once and pack up; meanwhile. he
would go down and telegraph to Ora
Gle that she would reach town about
three O'Clock, Mr.. Hattield'S prompt
ness in thus deciding the matter being
| due to the fact that he was out OF
cloudland for the nonce, "A Withered
| Heart being before the public. and
success and he. consequently, in funds
| and not of necessity bound to cast
| about in his mind Cor the plot and
! characters for anOt:.Ir novel. Which he
preferred to accept as they occurred to
| him.
| Judith was nothing lnath to profit by
| her fathers decision. Cor she had gone
| through Il great ,ieai lately. having mad,
| in addition to nCl usual cares. the
| gnHwing anXietr size suffered on Ell
| sizes accent. to Du. up with her moth
er'S constant viiI;,"r:: ION and to en-
| dcavOr silently ~ eI.Glirc her unrcasOn-
| able expressions 81 vindi..lvc anilpa-
thy to Claude TCmnsheni.
ElSie'S fight. according to her moth
or. was in consequence of the cruel
| treatment to which she had been sub
! icrtcd by her "mi;ldle-age'l' husband.
| Whit grounds she had fri' this opinion.
| no one knew. the most charitable opin-
| ion to form being that her infirmi1y
| of body at times affected her mind.
well. Judy" was Grace FletcherS
| 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
! ed her stock of trivalities. Judith man
| aged to put in the question:
What Of Claude. Oracle! Has he
any news Of Elsie YETI
| "Of course not. Judy. or ! should
have told ycu".'-with a trite Of aspel-
ity. But you can ask Percy when he
| comes in"
| However. Mr.. Fletcher himself
preached the subject by saying. sud-
denly. during dinner:
81 say. Judy-it is a pity you did not
come up before. Townshend would
have liked to see you. He is looking
awfully secdy. and | believe he'll go
wrong altogether if he does not find
her. It's rather hard on the poor beg
gar. because. you know. he can't very
we'll help his nature. She ought not to
have married him.
! Good gracious me- cried his wife,
Indignantly. "to hear you. Percy. one
would imagine Elsie had positively run
away with Claude against his will
| Mr. Fletcher nodded with signi1-
| canoe, as he said:
| II know Elsic'S way-it'S Il little like