The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-04-21

vised and cleveriy excited:
The ruse accomplished Its purpose.
Before they rejoined Bell the adjutant
had obtained permission to call upon
Miss Stella that evening.
They parted at Captain Zenith's gate,
the ladies going within and the adju-
tant walking to his hotel.
Had their breasts been crystal and
their hearts III view and easily read it
would still have been difficult to de-
termine whether Miss Stella or the adj
jutant experienced the greatest gratifi-
cation in the progress they were re-
spectively making in developing the
acquaintance.
At the tea table of the Zenith's the
adjutant was subject of conversation.
During his call on the previous even
ing the eldest of the sisters, whose
name was Mollie, had been very SEN
sibly piQued by the fact that Miss Stel-
la monopolized very large share of
his attention. In fact. Mollie was old
enough to be sometimes jealous of her
younger sisters. In this case she was
jealous of Miss Stella. Continuing
the conversation the latter young lady
said:
II rather expect him to call this
evening"
"WeII, II he does come, as he may,
for last evening l invited him to do
So" said Miss Zenith, You will stay
out of the parlor, Miss"
Indeed? AS time goes on We will
see about that! My present conviction
is that l will be member OF the party
assembled in that stately front apart
ment this evening. IL you find the
sight of me there at all Inpleasing to
you you may avoid the pain Of it by
retiring to the kitchen with our undo
mesticated enemy from Ballycrag. II
you yearn for solitude you might with
draw to the quiet precincts OF the bake
room and there as TRANQUILITY as pos
sibIe mediate upon the swift and SURE
approach Of old maidhood!"
Miss Impertinence! | will request
Ma to send you to your own room II
you do not instantly apologize to her
for your insolence to me-"
"And dear, sensible Ma will not re-
gard -our officious request
''Cf late you have grown altogether
too forward. Every time we have
COhpduy YOU Quinn souao ny ~ VA
terrain them
And succeed much better than my
ancient sister; eclipse her and win the
attention she covets. 'Tis ever so;
youth always wins when 1t has to
compete only with age. Was it not SO,
Mollie dear, during the past generation
when you were girl?"
MA, don't you hear that chit? Why
don't you send her to the nursery?
I'm sure that people must think that
we are very common indeed! 1t is
shockingly unrefined to habitually per-
NIT the children of the household to
rush into the drawing room every time
any one calls, and precociously per-
sist in such efforts to entertain them
as disgust the guests and disgrace the
family"
Jealous? Really jealous OF oo's
little sister,"
IF Lieutenant Jaquese calls on US
this evening l shall see that you do not
go into the parlor while he is there. 1
have tolerated your disgraceful anu
humiliating precocity quite too long.
Now l will check it.
LET me tell you something sooth-
ing. Lieutenant Jaquese will not call
on u.s. this evening. He will call on
me and desire that we be undisturbed
by the presence OF ohtrusive antigua
ted parties. Therefore at a proper
season, when you perceive that your
continued presence will become Az I'M
welcome intrusion, please accord us
the pleasure of your departure. You
need not hesitate to retire at your
earliest inclination
Call on you! Pooh! Gentlemen do
not 60 about calling on children! Don't
make yourself so ridiculous by your
vanity. Ma, shan't Stell stay out of
the parlor when we have company"
But, Ma, dear, have no objection
to doing by them as l wish them to do
by me. When they have company ex-
clusively their own l am willing to
give them the benefit of their compa-
ny's exclusive attention. / do not and
shall not try to absorb even one little
ray of their social sunshine; l realize
that I am not the only cucumber In
the garden! But so l want them to
do by me- The adjutant asked me IL
he might call upon me this evening.
OF course told him that he might"
Compelled now to interpose as arbi-
ter Mrs Zenith kept as near middle
course as she could.
You are entirely too young to enter
tain company. Mollie is right; ]
should have restrained you from pre-
senting yourself so frequently when
there are callers. However, l have no
wish to place the adjutant in an awk-
ward position or to humiliate you In
the sight of any gentleman; you may
receive him this evening. You should
have referred him to me and you should
yourself have consulted me before con-
venting to receive his CALL Should
he desire to repeat 1t, you will excuse
yourself"
II don't think see myself excusing
myself. II he expresses a wish to re-
peat his call shall tell him that he
will be welcomed"
IF he tries to call on you again
shall tell him that Ida does not ap-
prove"
This time Miss Zenith had the last
word.
"