Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-11-03

"Eul Grace VIII hardly care FOR so
many peopier' Ruth Leger cried. siiak-
ing back her glossy chestnut curls. aud
niblling her pencil refiectively. "Yon
know that she disIikcs going into any
thing like general society yet
II know nothing of the kind" Mrs,
Leger replied. with asperity than
her most mitigate acqualntances would
give her credit for displaying. If She
had INDUCED in any such feeling. |
should consider her n selfish AMI indif-
ferent sister; burt do not think, Ruth.
that you can call her that
This last sentence was given with an
air OF virtuOus and dignided rcproof
that brought an irreverent smile TO the
girls rosy lips. Ruth possessed Il keen
sense or tho ridiculous.
~ do not think | can" she admitted,
,lemureIy. Grace Is the best of sis.
tiers and daughters, and in return for
all thai she does for us, we should con
slider her a little. IL Is not very UNI
natural. after all, for a widow 10
shrink from dissipation and s~ociety~-ls
it:~
THE girl looked up with an Innocent
ly-uuestioning air to meet her mothers
keyerc frown.
'sNothing is unnatural or surprising
in this i%rreyerent and undutiful age
even the fact that Il pert chit of a girl
lectures her own mother on propriety
and decoruin."
Mrs. Icger's voice trembicd with the
sndignatlon that possessed her. her
still fine eyes flashed; and for a little
while she stitched IN la IN offended ST.
lcmcc. while her daughter drew quaint
~ pretty profiics all over the invitation
D on her desk, and carelessly won
dered whether the storm would blow
over.
Mother and daughter were the sole
occupants OF q long. low. luxuriously-
cosy drawing room, opened by three
French windows ON to a crceper-grown
yerandah and a sunny. velyet-smo0tli
lawn.
Mrs. Lcger. seated in the depths of a
comfortable arm chair. with IN e,c-
broidery frame before her and the mel
low sunlight failing upon her plump.
pink face aId plurnper jewelled hands.
looked. Ia her well fitting suit of lrs-
frols silk and rich lace c,tp, the person
fjcation OF comfortable opulence aud
case. while Ruth. in soft dove-coior,
lighted up with charming dashes of
vivid carnaiion. presented a pretty
picture or girlish grace aud beauty.
Things had gone well with the Ieger
family Of late, and in her Utmost heart.
Mrs. Lcger WAS not disposed to gruni-
bic. even at the hard fate that had de-
priycd Grace of her husband on her
wedding day. A richly endowed wild
owed daughter. driven to find refuge
for herself and all her belongings in
her mothers home. v'is SO much more
desirable IA b%rionging thar even the
most atrcrtiOnate OF wives.
ssYou sec, sad as the shock WINS. II
was mere r lily s. fen d 10 us I'll, Mrs,
Leger would say. contidentlally, 10 her
dearest friends. "Dear Mr.. Santiey
showed such trust aud implicit conf
dencc In my Grace that he left his for
tune. Internationally. 10 her; II
seemed almost rs though the poor Eel
low knew iie fate that was In store for
him. 1t must be il great comfort To
my darling child"
Whether Tire s.it' in question referred
to the fortune or the confidence, Mrs.
Ieger left to the imagination OF her
hearers, who gencraliy agreed la think'
ing that. whatever II might be ia
Grace, The former was at least a con
ISOLATION To her mother,
EyVIr the HloInent when the young