The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-06
CHAPTER TX.

THE RULE OF THE REGENT.
Betty never forgot her first sight of
the old friend of her family. Return
ing with a sad heart, she was walking
the colt slowly through the carriage
gates, when an eXtravagantly stout
lady, in green muslin illustrated with
huge red flowers, came out upon the
porch and waved a fat arm to the girl
The visitor wore a dark green turDan
and a cashmere shawl, while the ex-
panse of her skirts was nothing short
of magnificent; some cathedral-dome
seemed to have been misplaced and the
lady dropped into it. Her outstretched
hand terrified Betty: how was she to
approach near enough to take it?
Mrs. Tanberry was about co. looked
40, and at first you might have guess
ed she weighed nearly 800, but the
lightness of her smile and the actual
buoyancy which her somehow impart-
ed to her whole dominion lessened
that by at least a hundred weight. She
ballooned out to the horse block with
a billowy rush somewhere between
bounding and soaring; and Miss Betty
slid down from the colt, who SHE'D Vio-
lently, to find herself enveloped, in
spite of the dome, in vast surf of
green and red muslin.
MY charming girl" exclaimed the
lady vehemently, in a voice of such
husky richness, of such merriment and
JUNCTION of delight, that it fell upon
Miss Betty's ear with more of the quail
ity of sheer gayety than any she had
ever heard. Beautiful child! What a
beautiful child you are!"
She kissed the girl resoundingly on
both cheeks; stepped back from her
and laughed, and clapped her fat
hands, which We're covered with flash
ing rings. "Oh, but you are true blue
beauty You're a princess! l am Mrs.
Tanberry, Jane Tanberry, young jamie
Tanberry ! haven't seen you since you
were a baby and your pretty mother
was a girl like us!'
You are so kind to come said Betty
hesitatingly. Il shall try to be very
obedient." rsa
"Obedient!" Mrs. Tanberry uttered
the word with Shrek. You'll be
nothing of the kind. l am the light
mindest woman in the universe, and
any one who obeyed me would be en-
broiled in everlasting trouble every
second in the day. You'll find that
am the one that needs looking after,
my charmer
She tapped Miss Betty's cheek with
her jeweled fingers as the two mounted
the Veranda steps. 1T will be worry
enough for you to obey yourself; body
sees that at the first blush. You have
conscience in your forehead and re-
bellion in your chin. Ha, ha, hal" Here
Mrs. Tanberry sat upon, and obliterat-
ed a large chair. Miss Carewe taking a
stool at her knee.
People of our age oughtn't to be
bothered With obeying; there'll be time
enough - that when we get old and
can't enjoy anything. Ha, ha."
Mrs. Tanberry punctuated her obser-
vations with short volleys of husky
laughter, so abrupt in both discharge
and cessation that, until Miss Betty
became accustomed to the habit, she
was apt to start slightly at each salvo
II had a husband-once," the lady re-
sumed. but only once, my friend! He
had ideas like your father's-your faith
er is such an imbecile!-and he thought
that wives, sisters daughters and such
like ought to be obedient that is, the
rest of the world was wrong unless il
was right; and right was just his owr
little. teeny-squeeny prejudices anc
emotions dressed up for crazy mas.
querade as facts. Poor man! He only
lasted about a year," And Mrs. Tan
berry laughed heartily.
They've been at me time and agar
to take another" She lowered hel
voice and leaned toward Betty conf.
dentially. MOT |! I'd be willing to en-
gage myself to Crailey Gray (thougl
Crailey hasn't got round to me yeti fol
l don't mind just being engaged, my
dear; but they'll have to invent some
thing better than a man before marry
| any one of EN- again! But l love- EN-
| l do, the Charming Billies! And you'll
see how they follow mel" She patteC
the girls shoulder, her small eye,
beaming quizZically. We'll have tn,
gayest house in Rouen, ladybird! Tn,
young men all go to the Bareauds', blu
! they'll come here now, and We'll hav,
| the Bareauds along with EN-. I've beer
away long time, just finished unpack
| ing yesterday night when your fathe
came in after the fire-Whoo! what {
state he was in with that devilish TEN
per of his! Didn't l snap him up whei
| he asked me to come and stay Will
you? Ha, ha! I'd have come, even /
you hadn't been beautiful; but I wa,
wild to be your playmate, for I'd hear,
| nothing but Miss Betty Carewe. Mis-
Betty Carewe' from everybody saw
since the minute my stage came in
! You set 'em all mad at your ball. an,
/ knew we'd make a glorious house
! full, you and l! Some of the vaga
| bonds will turn up this very evening
! you'll see if they don't. Ha. ha! Tn,
way they follow mel"
Mrs. Tanberry was irresistible: sh
filled the whole place otherwise than b,
the mere material voluminousness O
her; bubbing over with froth of non
sense, which flew through the house
! driven by her energy, Ike sea-foam OF
a spring gale. and the day, so discord
! antly begun for Miss Betty, grew must
| cal with her own laughter, answerini
the husky staccato OF the vlvaciou
! newcomer. Nelson waited upon then
at table, radiant, his smile like the key
board Of an ebony piano. and his dis
/ appearances into the kitchen were &C
eomplished by means OF a surreptitioul
double shuhie, and followed by tn
! cachinnating echoes Of the vail
| NAMES reception Of the visitors sal
lies, which Nelson hastily retailed il
! passing.
Nor was Mrs. Tsnberry'a prediction
/ allowed 70 60 unfulnlled regarding al,
advent ~ those persons whom she ha,
| desiFnated % ysgab0ndE n may havl
] been oar NJ Difference % Nr. Carews'i