The Opelousas courier., 1898-01-08

U W way or the other.
I realize I am only a forlorn remnant
Of the good old times. Go on, Juliet,
since you persist in going"
And with O smile, and a merry little
threatening of her finger, Juliet Ches.
ter turned away and went out into the
crisp October morning. lovely, deli.
cate girl of twenty, with a pure, pale
complexion, and eyes and hair of jetty
black, and whose cheap dress Of dark
blue flannel set off her slender, supple
figure as charmingly as a tender green
leaf sets off a rose.
sixteen-year-old Dell Chester fol.
lowed the re~treating figure with proud,
glad eyes for a moment, then began
clearing away the remnants of Mr..
Chester's late, solitary breakfast OF
broiled chicken and soft-boiled eggs,
with mullins and coffee, whereas Juliet
md Dell had breakfasted two hours
earlier on oatmeal and toast.
you're not sorry Juliet has secured
The position, papa?" she asked, won
leringly, her wonder increasing to
see Mr.. Chester close his eyes and lay
lis head forlornly back on the chair.
"Child, child! How fortunate it is
you are not old enough to appreciate
;he torture Of my sensitive feelings!'
"But, papa, dear, I cannot see what
Inference it makes whether Juliet uses
he caligraph at home, OF exhibits it
n the elegant Office on Broadway.
Where is the difference, papa, as long
IS she makes just as much money!"
Mr.. Chester shook his head forlorn-
y and solemnly.
81 little thought to live to see the
lay when a Chester daughter of
nine-would be obliged to work for
Ter living-and in a public store on
Broadway, too! I wish I had died
when your poor mother did"
ooh, papa, don't!"
"It would have been SO much better
so much betterr'. he groaned. ct
Know I am in the way with my old
fashioned notions, and the pride of
station I cannot overcome. I only
hope that Percy Tregonell sleeps peace
FULLY in his bed of nights, that's all!
{ know I never could if I had cheated
ny relations out Of their inheritance,
IS he has done!'
"But, papa, you know the law gave
The estate to Cousin Percy, instead of
is. He couldn't help it." .
Couldn't help it? Nonsense-when
your grandmother had brought me up,
and taught me to believe, all my life,
hat Tregonell and all its belongings
were to be mine, and not to go to the
Tregonell branch. And to know a
Tregonell stepped ina selfish, heart
less, overbearing-"
"Oh papa, you should not talk that
way! You have seen Cousin
Percy"
"And I hope I never may! If he
had the first instinct of a man, a gen
leman, he would have invited us back
to Tregonell, where I lived all my
young days, and had US make it our
home for the rest of our lives"
Dell smiled as she Strengthened the
t~able-cover.
"Would you have invited Cousin
Percy to live at Tregonell if you had
gained the lawsuit, papa?"
ST wish you would drop the subject,
Dell,"h he said, petulantly, ssand bring
me hismorning's paper, ifithas come"
Dell obeyed, silently.
While fair Juliet was hurrying to
the Office on Broadway. trying not to
.eel discouraged because Of the lack of
appreciation her father expressed at
her earnest efforts not only to gain a
livelihood, but to keep the elegant, sell
dsh gentleman supplied with all the
Injuries to which he had been accus-
somed in the palmy days of old, before
Ill his substance vas spent in fighting
he law about Tregonell.
"All the same, I am doing only my
I am just in the groove where
God a me to be, and all I have to
do is toperform the work of the present
moment as bestI cam"
And strengthened by tho honest,
womanly thought, Juliet was her sweet,
happy self again, when she entered the
office and took her seat at the marvel
BUS little labor-saving, brain-resting
instrument, the operation of which
brought 9 generous salary to her every
week.
q am doing my duty-my duty"
she kept saying eonsoliugly to herself.
her fingers flew cyer the KEYS, and