The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-05-30


glasses and shrowd. twlnkling eyes
behind them, and the other broad and
heavy. with head of hair which pro-
claimed him to be none other than
BILLY" Ellis. Toms football hero.
Tom locked up innocently as Nell,
of cruel necessity, came forward and
took her place. giving an apprehenslve
twltch to her spreading draperies and
wishing fervently that she were at
the north pole, with that wretched Tom
and his friends at the south pole.
Tom apparently was utterly oblvious
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
a far from happy frame OF mind. Tom
was horrid not to tell her, and she
hated that dressing sackl 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 wondered why she was
so quiet. His brother Preston watched
her refectiyely from behind his glasses
and concluded that there was some
electricity in the domestic atmosphere.
and that Tom was probably the cause
of it.
Breakfast had never seemed so long
to Nell. and as soon afterward as che
could find her brother alone, sine cor
nered him Indignantly
TON Howard, l think It was per-
fectly horrid of you! Why didn't you
tell me, instead of letting me come
down 20 breakfast looking like this?"
There were volumes of scorn in the
tone in which she designated ner gen.
eral appearance. Tom looked at her
in injured surprise.
"That? Why, I thought you liked it,
although must say l don't think
much Of 1t myself. OF course, could
have let you known, if I'd known you
felt that way. They just came late
last night. Beside, If that 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 very real, grievance.
And you were actually rude. too!
You never gave me n chance to say
word, and 1 had to sit there like a
wooden doll. l know they thought
me queer and stupid. You never used
to act that way"
"Well, l can't seem to suit you,"
said Tom, resignedly, and his sigh was
eloquent OF injured virtue II thought
you were so worn out and everything
from school, and you've been so mopy
all along, that 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 explainlng!'
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
"Oh, OH" she walled in the DEPTHS
OF pillow. wasn't it just too horrld
OF him? And l saw the f-football one
looking at this d-dreadful thing! L
know he thought 1t wasn't nice, and
looked just like balloon!"
A flushed and tear-stained face rose
suddenly from the pillow. the objec-
uonable garment was whiskcd off.
rolled into an ignominous ball, and
ylclouely stuffed behind the bureau.
''Oh. l just hate you. and I'll never
wear yen again outside this room,
never, never, never"
The recollection that Jean Fairfa =
would be with her that noon was n
faint comfort. Nell bathed her face
and began to prepare for her friends
coming.
At lunch Tom obligingly let the con-
versation go where 1t would, and
Neirs spirits rose until Billy Ellis con-
Guided that Toms sister was a ''iollv
little thing" and turned his head i'm
her direction so frequently that her
brothers eyes cleaned with delight.
But the wound still ranked. and Nell
lie could hardly wait to get Jean Fair.
fax home from the station before sho
poured her mornings woe into that
sympathetic ear. Jean looked n LITTLE
piank and paused with hat-pins half
out.
"Oh. co yon wear your d-ass;n1.
sack at breakfast, Nell:"
Why yes, just at home. Don't
you?"
wen, no. not out of my room. You
see, papa and the boys hate those lonsa
things so-most men do, I guess. Be-
sides, there are good many of us ana
oniy one servant. so am pretty busy
helping mother mornings. If didn't
aress before breakfast, shouldn't get
time afterward. You don't have TO do
anything but amuse yourself, do Won.
you lucky old dearr'
Nell did not have much to say. She
was looking doubtful.
BY Monday morning the family had
already fallen into the habit of linrer-
Ing at the breakfast table. There was
much to linger for. Three times in
succession Mr. Howard had put his
conee down untasted. to laugh heartily
clr iol, \