The Holly chieftain., 1903-05-01


until her uncle said:
Parsons, has Mrs. Stagg gone to
Ded?"
mo, sir; she is awaiting you in
the drawing room" answered the but
lor. She was about to retire. sir.
when your telegraphic message ar
rived" he added, in lower tone, in
tended for his masters ear. Supper
is quite ready, sir"
We'll, we're ready for it, aren't
we, boys? Twenty minutes of twelve,
Mercy on us!" he exclaimed, as he
closed his watch with a snap. Il dare
say you were never up so late before.
Now, dear, if you've finished prink-
ing" he said gaily to Eleanor, "I'll
take you in and introduce you to your
aunt"
Eleanor blushed vividly, and turned
from the hall mirror before which
sre had instinctively paused mo-
EleIt in order to straighten her bon
net, that she was conscious was
awry. Her uncle stood laughing and
chuckling at her confusion. Just then
there was a rustic of robe. and
tall woman came speeding down the
stairs, eXclaiming:
I'm so glad you've come! ! heard
one of the children crying. and I'd
gone up just for moment, thinking
| should be sure to hear if you came
in"
Yes, cherub, here we are safe and
sound. Eleanor. Silas, Hal, this is
gour aunt Emma"
How d'y do, my dears? I'm very
glad to see you," said Mrs. Stagg,
Kissing Eleanor on the cheek, and
leaning kindly on the boys, who, be.
tween the butler, the electric lights,
the spacious hall and this new splen-
did relative stood confounded. You
must be tired out, and we'll go right
in to supper
What do you suppose Emma, l
caught this young woman doing just
now? Beautifying herself in the
glass! It's New York air | wager
that within a week she'll have been
inside of every dressmaker's ard
milliner's shop in the CITY," Where
upon Harold Stagg laughed gleefully.
Il imagine you have discovered by
his time that your uncle's a sad
tease" said Emma, who was leading
the way, having already, in single
glance, the capability of which poor
Eleanor realized, comprehended the
primitiveness of her nieces ideas on
clothes. She reflected that had Har-
Old been malicious man he could not
have thought of anything more in
yidious than to call attention to the
poor cnild's toilet, to say nothing Of
the fact that Eleanor. was, and must
remain for the present, in deep black.
Such lack of perception on the part
OF her better-half prompted her to
turn and link her arm smpathetically
N the young girls, while Harold. to
whom it had suddenly occurred that
lis allusion to millinery was the re-
verse of well-timed, followed behind,
Cndeavoring to conceal his sef-con-
seriousness by vigorously rubbing the
shaggy heads of his two nephews, and
trolling bluff slee the burden of
which was that his heart was true to
Poll.
An hour later, the Baldwins were
comfortably ensconced in the blue
suite, and Emma was hearing from
the lips of her husband an account of
the journey. Although she had
mapped out in her mind a probable
programme, she had waited to see the
children. before giving her magma
tion full swing; but row that they
appeared to be very much what she
had hoped, all sorts of thoughts were
churning in her brain regarding their
adaptation to her household and the
proper eNertions to be made in their
behalf. The boys were of Just the
right age for Mr.. Sampson, as she
mad expected, and in the autumn,
after summer by the seaside, they
could be packed off with brand-new
outfits, and she be saved from further
responsibility. except in vacation
time, for several years to come AS to
Eleanor, she was agreeably disap-
pointed. To be sure, Harold had writ
ten that she was quiet, unobjection-
able sort of girl, but she had not been
able to dismiss from her mind
haunting idea of showy. slangy
young person with gushing manners,
and mourning bedizened with jet, un-
til the real niece stood before her.
Emma congratulated herself that she
would have very plain sailing; Flea
Eor was dowdy, unsophisticated and
retiring. but single season in soci-
ETY. would work the necessary