Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1901-03-22
Their Daughter
BY EMMA A. oppER

but she dossn hg, or paint, or any.
thing Of that i. She's never had
the time or d sy for such things,
poor girllH l
But MarSeryId turned away with
an impati6pt amfe.
There Al nainf, them" she said,
despairlngy. Nit it couldn't be
worse!" 6b
Harvey rose Tom his seat, with an
energy which Sd the bell in the castor
jingling.
"This Is sbsut he said Indignantly.
ut is more tina absurd; 1t is unjust
and narrow-Inindt How rensible--pre-
sumably sensiE people," Harvey
corrected, rathd utterly. "can say, in
regard to ape|ln they have never
seen, that M c}f not be worse is
past my comm nsion."
I'VE will not k OF It," said Mrs.
Seely, holding lSrestraining hand.
Discussion VIZ Lot mend matters.
And you ere be married next
month";" M 81
ION the nint Harvey rejoined.
"Of course you III all be there?" he
added, rather iously.
by no meal said his father,
shortly.
| You could q bly, expect It," said
Mrs. Seely, rep chfully.
very well: Mohammed won't
come You've card the observa.
ton. We shall y you a visit imme-
diately on our urn from our wed.
ding tour. with lr kind permission.
You must know ra."
When he left he house, an hour
later, he had the equired permission
His mother ant the girls had even
kissed him good In an injured and
reproachful way hand his father had
shaken hands, scol ly.
But his ears lii rang with that
odious assertion, v"It could not be
worse" and he Wis thoughtful all the
way back to the ty.
All,
The Seelys weft in a state of sub.
dued excitement
Hafvey's wedding tour was COM
pleted; and they had received tele-
gram that afternoon to the effect that
he would be ION hand" tonight, with
his new wife. s
The dining-room table was set for
dinner; and Mrs Seely wandered
from one end Of Vt ii the other. ner.
yQassly, sy.-s ~ us 70 .a,c 80, =
Her husband sal under the ckande.
lier with his evening newspaper; but
he was not reading 1t. Kitty and
Margery fluttered about uneasily.
watching through the window for the
carriage from the railroad station.
II hope" said Margery. with ner-
vous attempt at cheerfulness, that
she will be barely decent-present.
able. Think of the people who will
call! hope she won't be worse than
we're prepared to see her."
"She couldn't be-" said Mrs. Seely,
dlsmally.
There was roll of wheels, and the
twinkle Of the carriage-lamp at the
door, and the bell rang sharply.
Kitty and Margery clasped hands In
sympathetic agitation; Mr.. Seely
dropped his newspaper and arose; and
Mrs. Seely advanced toward the hall
door with dignity.
It opened wide before she could
reach 1t. and Harvey entered. his face
suffused with genial. blissful smiles.
This is my wife," he said. proudly.
my mother, Dora; my father; my
sisters Kitty and Margery!"
And, with a caressing touch, he
took By the hand and led forward
among them
What?
Mr.. Seely gazed with startling eyes;
Mrs. Seely dropped the hand she had
started to hold out. with her face
growing ashy. and Kitty and Margery
gasped.
For what they saw was q woman Of
apparently 40 years. with face
powdered and painted In the most un'
blushing manner, with thin gray hair
crimped over a wrinkled forehead In
a sickening affectation of youthfulness,
and with diminutive. gaily-trimmed
bonnet perched thereon; with an at
fected, mincing gait and simpering
smile.
This is my wife," Harvey repeated.
Have you no welcome for herr"
The bride Uttered.
"Mebbe they think I amt good
enough for 'em. dear?" she observed,
tartly.
Impossible, my pet" Harvey re-
sponded; and patted her falsely
blooming cheek affectionately. BE-
sides, II you were but a shadow
caricature of your beautiful self, they
would not have been surprised. They
were prepared for the worst"
He looked at his Mortified relatives
meaningly.
The truth of his vorda dashed over