The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1901-12-11
A Matter of
knowledge ~
BY
JULIA TRUITT BISHOP
tcoyyrizh,. 1904. by Author. Syndicate,

Martin, that your niece IS any
thing but satisfactory"
Mrs. Martin finished counting her
stitches, and then looked up with an
expression that was almost like sur
prise.
why. Mr.. Martini" she said, in that
gentle little tone OF hers; Il am sure
/ thought you thought"
81 thought you thought" roared the
judge. what do you mean by all that
conglomeration, Mrs. Martin? Did
you really think anything on the sub
ject? No, madam, you cannot prove
that you did. What you took for
thoughts were merely impressions,
and very inaccurate ones at that.
Your impression was that / was sat
isfied with Leonora. A week ago that
might have been true, but now it is
not"
Mrs. Martin arched her eyebrows
20 express surprise, because she was
counting more stitches and could not
speak just then.
Fourteen. fifteen, sixteen" she
said, presently. What has Leonora
been doing, Mr. Martini"
"Oh. il all comes Of not having taken
her when we took Ethel" said the
judge, still tramping madly and care
fully about the room. I'VE raised
Ethel ourselves; or rather, I raised
her. for YOU are a slave to that fancy
work. which the gods confoundi-and
now look at Ethel. ] tried to get you
to send for both of them, but you
must let your sister take Leonora, and
now she comes TO us, and the result
shows that your sister was a woman
totally deficient in judgment, Mrs.
Martin, totally"
Yes. but-nine, ten. e-lev-en-what
has Leonora been doing, Mr.. Martini"
Doing, ma'am? She has been do
ing nothing. 1t is the things she has
said. You know very we'll the plans
| have been making for her-a hand
some girl like that-a girl that could
marry anybody. ma 'am-any body
and ! took pains 10 throw Jerry Cor
doyan's son into her society, and |
really thought she was pleased with
him-and so last week | limited that
nothing would delight me more. And
what do you think she said, Mrs. Mar
tin? What do YOU suppose Miss Leon
ora had the cffrontery TO say to %
II am sure don't know" said Mrs
Martin. helplessly.
why, She Strengthened herself up
and said: Uncle Ad, / haven't the
slightest objection to your contin-
uing to choose my dresses for me. or
even my hats and shoes, for | don't
like shopping; but l am going to
choose my hus band for myself, if you
please Think of it. The migrate
full mink said that to me! That comes
of taking girls after other people have
raised them. And ever since then
she's been as cold "a ice to Frank Cor
Goyan, and has had no eyes for any
body but that Morris bOy-a nobody.
"a private secretary to tenth-rate
congressman"
MAYBE YOU don't understand Leon
ora" suggested Mrs. Martin. as
plausible way out OF the difficulty.
The tramp up and down the room
was turned upon the lady with the
fancy work-and John. the colored
servant, who had come in to put on
more coal. remarked 10 the cook Il
few minutes afterwards:
Hi. de ole jedge suttingly do take
on when he lose his temper, Eff he
could ies' stan off an hear hisself a
- IL, iY,f he, no ri1a
he'd sho' put himself in de lookup TO
distu'bin' de peace!"
Mrs. Martin, how do you suppose
| have ever been able to obtain my
present position at the bar without
being judge of human nature as well
as of the law? Do you not know that
] am considered the best judge of men
in the state-that il has been re-
marked in the press that | have the
faculty of reading men at a glance
and do you insinuate that ! am not
able to judge slip of girl. not 20
years OLD? Nonsense! | know all
about it. i know that she is a per-
verse young woman, bent on her own
destruction. If she marries a nobody
like that secretary, I'll never see her
again never. No, madam. will not.
All, here's my girl Where you have
been this morning, little kitten?"
Little Kitten. leaning her head on
his shoulder-"Down to the book
store. Uncle Ad, to get that magazine
you wanted"
Uncle Ad. radiant-"Ah. just see
that, She barely heard me mention
that magazine; and yesterday it was
to get my umbrella mended. She
never forgets her old Uncle Ad. does
she, pet?"
Pet, twisting the topmost button of
his coat and smiling up at him ra-
diantly-"You were quarreling when
/ came in, you know you were. Didn't
you know that you are not allowed to
quarrel? What was it about, sir?
Tell me this Instant"
Uncle Ad, beginning to grow red
again--"Oh, nothing at all. | am only
amazed at your sister, Ethel-simply
amazed at her!-there, don't get ex-
cited. pet, it's nothing serious. was
merely remarking that if your sister
took it into her head to marry a no
body, like that Morris Gray, then /
am done with her forever"
Pet, pretending to shake him by
means of the button-"Oh, you
resdful-old-ogre. You know you'd
forgive her in a week."
Ogre, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS her,
miss? What do you know about it?
Only let her try it, that's all. really
think she'd be silly enough to do it;
and now that have warned her l shall