Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-03-19
rHE Longworth family were
excited-that is, all Of them
except Maurice, who was


III except Maurice who was
never known to get excited
about anything.
y Mrs. Longworth had just finished
reading a letter aloud. She laid the
cream-tinted, perfumed sheet with it's
gold and violet monogram on her table,
took off her glasses and looked at the
girls with a pleased smile.
$50 Geoffrey's wife is actually COM
inc to visit us at last. She will be here
in weeks time, and we must be pre-
nared to make her visit as pleasant
as possible
81 wonder what she will be like, and
if she is really as pretty as her pho
tograph,' said Hildegarde.
"You may be sure she isn't" said
Maurice disagreeably; "she would have
had her pictures taken full face if she
we're Depend upon it, her profile is
the best of her"
"For my part" said Evelyn, II don't
care what she looks like, if she is only
nice and good fun
well, she won't be that, either"
persisted Maurice, who was in one of
his contrary" moods; ''no woman with
profile like that ever had a grain of
common sense. Look at that nose
vanity; that mouth-frivolity; that chin
weakness and willfulness. No, you
won't like Geoffrey's wife, and I shall
hate her"
"You have always pretended to dis
approve of her-just because we all
admired her, I suppose" said Evelyn
Grossly. "You do dearly love to be
contrary But don't 60 and make your
self obnoxious to her on principle
You'll have to help entertain her-anG
you can be perfectly charming wheI
you like"
Maurice bowed satirically.
Consider yourself thanked. But tha
complimentary sugar-coating does no
sufficiently disguise the unpalatablt
pill OF your last sentence. was neve
cut out for martyr, and I shall eff
face myself as absolutely as possible
during Mrs. Godfrey Longworth's SO
Jo1rn here. I'll be civil to her, o
course, unless she provoke me to b.
otherwise-but that is all you need ex
pect | give you fair warming"
And Maurice tossed away his ciga
and sauntered out of the room with
bored expression.
Geoffrey Longworth the olde
brother, had gone to a Western cit
several years previously and in du
~ to1-o +: TT
photograph presented a very prett
glrl In very smart gown.
The Longworths had never seen Mr.
1eofrey, but she was coming to Wis
tlem at last. Geoffrey himself, in hi
capacity as civil engineer, was going
accompany an chronological eXpeditio
70 some ancient ruin in Central Anne
lca, and his wife would spend the tin
VI absence with her hitherto unsee
relatives.
A week later Mrs. Geoffrev Lon
worth arrived, a tall, self-possesse
Svuhs woman, irreproachably gowne
sAe mad a charming smile, a liquid
sweet sweet voice and a perfect name
MIS- Longworth and the girls greett
uef With affectionate kisses, and Ma
. .lce bent his dark head before he
uls languid brown eyes flashing wi
teluctant admiration.
Alke-very like-not altogether she
ae quoted under his breath as
v~opped into his chair at the t
.aole' He felt bewildered This g
"aS ", so unlike what he had expectt
,sne was glorious, with her large, da1
Gay eyes that were violet in t
ennauow, en, the ripe bloom on her o.
shea sheeAs and the splendid lights a
hhAauows of her dead-black hair. w
>S.a rsa ne always fancied that Geoffre
"HHe nIH' was pallid blonde? He "
NV ,t ready to pronounce her divine
Mis. Godfrey was accustomed
ar9 r.euy conquests. She had read in
e. 49, successively, surprise, admi
mO. on' 1ull surrender. It was such
n neious hattery.
: n,.l think I am going to like
y ~sst,other-in-law ~, very much" she s.
"a nov nen l, She was alone, and looking
J. NJ. NJ, cnarming reflection in the gil
sn au,, sne gave little sigh.
~ sho "nat pity-and what a shan
~ H.. mufmured. eff Geoff just kn
centne ne doesn't. He's buried in
h itr.ral r., Africa ruins by this time e
a A. uentral America? And I, Mrs. G
"a hss. LongWorth, am here, meanin:
81 ana nae tne very best time in the VIC
M Con.o not to be bothered by console
IA s'ssace, indeed! I left it bel