The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-01-13
JUST TO BE MEAN.


pers, oh, it is too much, 1 think you
might have consulted me first You
ought to have known how | would
feel about 1t. And Emma Griswold
coming, too Just one of the incest
girls in the whole school and SO aris-
tocratic. Oh! why didn't you say
something about il to ne before yoa
went over tbere2'
1T was just because | felt sure you
would fnss, Elizabeth, that | didn't
mention IT," Aunt Barbara's voice
was firm enough, but the hand that
held the pairing knife shook a little,
and she kept her eyes steadily on the
pan of apples in her lap.
Then you didn't care how [ would
feeI2 You did it to vex me-
Il think you know Ine better than
to believe that, Elizabeth"
Then what possessed you? Why
couldn't you have asked the minister
and his wife. or Miss Stephens, or,
Il asked them that | thought it
would give the most pleasure to-
When | went over to the poor house
on Christmas day with basket of
apple pies and doughnuts, and saw
how pleased all those poor old souls
were for even that little 'tention, l
had feelin', that | oughter do more
An if you'd seen how balf crazy they
was at the notice of spending the day
ont, | guess you would d beer salts
fed that I'd done a kind thing in ask
ing them"
But you knew | had asked Emma
Griswold to come New Years even
ing and stay three days? What will
she say to sitting down to dinner with
an idiot by and five paupers2'
You told me you told Emma Girls
void ter come, because it yer didn't
she'd have ter stay at the school all
her vacation, and it would be lonely
for her. Now that's the reason | ask
ed my friends, | don't want them to
be lonely neither And if yer friends
too fine ter sit down ter table with
them five old women that amt got
any home of their own ter eat dinner
in, why, then, you and she had better
take your share up stairs on tray
"Ill write to her not to come-that
will be the better way" Elizabeth s
| voice shook with anger 'I:won't in
suit her by asking her to spend her
New Years day with five old paupers
and an idiot boy"
Sans little weak in his mind,
but he amt no idiot, Elizabeth
I'D planned to hire him to stav
away from the table while Emma was
here: but now you've asked those 9th
| er five"
well, since they are asked, why
not make the best of it and help me
get ready for them?'
because there's no best about it,
half sobbed Elizabeth.
Come, my dear, them clothes did
not want any more sprlnkl!n', and salt
water won't whlten them"
But EIlzabeth's tears continued to
| fall on the garment she WAS ironing,
| and very angry tears they were.
Nv hat matter with Izzy?' asked a
strange rough voice, and silly Sam
came IN and leaned on one end of the
ironing table, an apple in one hand.
Sam was always munching apples.
There's nothing the matter with
me, and if you had any sense at all
you would keep your questions to
yourself" ;" flashed out Elizabeth.
She =. ing just to be mean Sam" "
said Aunt Barbara Don't mind her.
Come over here and take the wood
basket out to the shed. 1t amt got a
stick III it."
Sam trudged out with the wood
| basket, his eyes still on Elizabeth
/ She was never very kind to him, but
he cherished no resentment, and
would have waited on her like a slave
if she had allowed it. But Elizabeth
looked on the boy as ''one of her eros
ses, and barely tolerated his presence
She had been away at school when,
on the death of his mother who was a
dressmaker in the little village, Miss
Barbara had given HIM home; and
there was no use IN arguing with
Miss Barbara when she had made up
her mind to anything. She found
Sam useful if not ornamental. and
she felt that she was doing a CHART
able thing in keeping him; so Eliza
beth's protests and reproaches fell on
stony soil
The last piece in the clothes bas-
ket was finally ironed and hung on
the clothes horse, and then Elizabeth
went upstairs to her own room. Her
aunt called her when supper was
ready, but she did not answer. She
was III no mood TO care for food. Ly
ing on her bed. wrapped up in big
blanket shawl, sne was making herself
utterly miserable in brooding over
her various crosses" In the first
place, it Was dreadful to have to live
on a farm instead of iu the city, tc
keep no servant, and to have to iron
and bake and wash dishes and sweep
instead of living at ease and ordering
servants to wait upon her. And il
was hard to go to bed regularly at
nine O'Clock, when one would enjoy a
concert or party. And now, when
she had hoped at least to have some
pleasure in visit from Emma Girls
void, she was told that five old women
from the poor house had been asked
to spend New Years day with them
Emma will tell all the girls, and
they'll think it SO strange" thought
poor, foolish Elizabeth, They'll think
we don't know anv nice people at all" ]"
There were dark rings about her eyes
when she came down stairs the next
morning, but her face had an express
sion of unusual determination.
Aunt Barbora," she said, when
breakfast was over, and she had finish
ed washing the dishes, have decided
to write to Emma Griswold not to
come. l can make some excuse tha,
will answer"
Now, Elizabeth, / wouldn't dc
that" said Miss Barbara, who wa:
making mince pie at a table near the
window. Il can explain to her JUS
how it was, and she won't think ,
thing about it"