The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-06-06

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
| that anything was wrong, and cheer
fully introduced his friends with an
explanatory. They came last night,
you know
Nellie sat through her breakfast in
far from happy frame of mind. Tom
| was horrid lot to tell her, and she
hated that dressing-sach. The Ellis
boys were nice, though, and she
frightened and tried to talk. but in
some way Tom kept the conversation
going so rapidly, only including his
parents, that she found it difficult to
say anything. Billy Ellis thought
Toms sister was Jolly pretty" only
he didn't care for that loose thing she
wore. and he wopdered why she was
so quiet. His brother Preston watched
her rehectively from behind his glasses
and concluded that there was some
electricity in the domestic atmosphere,
and that Tom was probably the cause
Of it.
to Nell, and as soon afterward as she
could find her brother alone, she Cor
nered him Indignantly.
TON Howard, I think was per-
fectly horrid of you! Wy didn't you
tell me, instead of letting me come
down to breakfast looking like this?'
There were v,iumes of scorn in the
tone in which she designated her gen
eral appearance. Tom looked at her
in injured surprise.
"That? Why, 1 thought you liked it,
although must say don't think
-nuch of it myself. Of course, 1 could
have let you known, if I'D known you
felt that way. They just came late
last night. Beside, if chat rig is good
enough for us, guess it's good enough
for other people"
Brothers can sometimes be brutally
frank. Nell colored, feeling that the
conversation was taking an unfortun-
ate turn, but she had another, and to
her a very real, grievance.
"And you were actually rude, too!
You never gave me q chance to say
word. and l had to sit there like a
wooden doll. I know they thought
Inc queer and stupid. You never used
to act that way"
"Wen, 1 can't seem to suit YOU"
said Tom, resignedly, and his sigh was
eloquent of injured virtue. Il thought
you were so worn out and everything
from school, and you've been SO mopy
all along, that I just exerted myself to
take your share of the conversation off
your shoulders. You haven't talked
much to US during breakfasts, you
know"
"Oh, you needn't bother explaining"
Nell interposed, and marched away
with all the dignity she could COM
mand under such trying circumstances.
But there was choking feeling in her
throat, and once out OF her brothers
sight she fed swiftly to her room and
wept.
ooh, on" she walled in the depths
Of a pillow. Wasn't it just too horrid
of him? And 1 saw the f-football Oh"
looking at this d-dreadful thing! I
know he thought it wasn't nice, and I
looked just like. 4 balloon"'
4 flushed and tear-staincd face rose
suddenly from the pillow. the objcc-
tionable garment was whis&ed off.
rolled into an ignoninous bail, and
viciously stuffed behind the bureau.
"Oh, I just hate you. and III never
wear you again outside this room,
never, never, neverr'
The recollection that Jean Fairfax
would be with her that noon was a
faint comfort. Nell bathed hcr face
and began to prepare for her friends
coming.
At lunch Tom obligingly let the con-
versation so where it would, and
Nell's spirits rose until Billy Ellis COZ
cluded that Toms sister was "joliy
little thing" and turned his head in
her direction so frequently that her
brothers eyes cleaned with delight
But the wound still ranked, and Mel
lie could hardly wait to get Jean Fair
fax hcmc from the station before she
poured her mornings woe into that
sympathetic ear. Jean looked a little
blank and paused with hat-pins half
out.
"Oh, do you wear your dressing
sack at breakfast, Nell?'
S:Why, yes, just at home. Don't
you"
'Well. no,%sot out of my room. You
sec, papa and the boys hate those loose
things so-most men 90, I guess. Be-
sides, there are good many of us and
only one servant, so I am pretty busy
helping mother mornings. If didn't
dress before breakfast, shouldn't get
time afterward. You don't have to do
anything but amuse yourself, do you,
you lucky old dear?'
Nell did not have much to say. Snc
was looking doubtful.
BY Monday morning the family had
already fallen into the habit Of linger-
ing at the breakfast table. There was
much to linger for. Three times in
succession Mr.. Howard had put his
coffee down untasted, to laugh heartily
at lively shirmish between Preston
Ellis and Jean Fairfax.
Would You two mind suspending
hostilities for a few moments|'
| oueried Tom. II should like to plan
a little gadding. How about tally-ho
party for Thursday? We don't own
one of those swell things ourselves,
but I know Of 4 first-class one we could
! hire, and pretend we owned it Wien
| once We were out of town."
ooh, good!'
/ Nell's eyes shone with excitement,
but Tom suddenly looked doubtful.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, sis, I really for
got you,' he said. contritely. care