Middletown transcript., 1905-06-17

reads aloud every evening now, while
Belle and Marjorie and I sew, and the
poor little Belle Mere falls quietly asleep
and you know we never could induce him
to read us so much as paragraph-but
she says his voice soothes Ter. We really
feel grateful to cousin Bertha for rousine
father, and drawing him ont so and che
is very gentle and patient, and always
thanks MS so sweetly for any little thing
we do Tor her, that it is quite a privilege
to wait on her--and as for Bert. | declare
don't see how people live without
little child in the house-it seems qneer
to me now that we were contented before
he came. The dear little soul has learned
to pull out my comb and hairpins, and
let my hair all down and you Just ought
to see him laugh when he does it"
To which Tom replied, when he could
find time for something more than a
postal card
"Your letters are like yourself, my
dear, always jolly but much as ! love
my family in general, You know that it is
about You, yourself, that | most care to
hear and it strikes me that you're cool
ing off about our projected partnership.
Il, for any reason, you don't like the
notion, do not hesitate to tell me for |
know you have more sense than have,
and perhaps I could not make yon COM
| Portable"
The reply to this letter, although highly
affectionate, was so entirely indefinite
that Tom resolved upon immediate action.
He inquired in the neighborhood Of his
lodgings, and found quiet boarding
house where Lucilla could be received as
a transient" for a moderate weekly
compensation and then he wrote her a
pressing invitation, enclosing ten-dolar
bill for the journey, "and a pair OF new
gloves to fit you for life in the metropo-
lis" he wrote, land sit right down and
Eame your day and train, and | will meet
you at the depot, and install you with
the worthy Mrs. futile. You are to wind
Belle and Marjorie up to run at least three
weeks you may bring Bert, if you like,
and if it will make your mind any easier
I'D rather like to see the little chap
every day-but come you must, and
shall and if that isn't enough to fix you
up, just write at once, and I'll raise you
another know you are always giving
away your gloves and bonnets and things,
or lending them to Belle or Marjorie
Lucilla did not wait to consider pressed
by the whole family, who unanimously
voted that it was splendid, and just like
Tom, she sat down quickly, and wrote
a joyful acceptance, fixing her day week
thence, however-for she knew that, to
make herself presentable, she must have
at least that much time, and deprecating
the idea Of Toms sending anything more
than his present Enclosure, which, she
said, was simply princely, for the fare
to New York and back will only be four
dollars, you know"
To which Tom ioyfully responded in
French "Never do you mind about the
fare back-spend every cent Of it but the
fare 10, and come on I'm SO impatient,
now that know you are coming, that
week seems like year.
That hackneyed quotation about the
best laid plans O mice and men has not
become hackneyed for nothing but we
will leave the letter which Tom received
OH the morning Of the day when he was
to 60 and meet Lucilla, to explain.
You can't possibly be more disap-
pointed than | am,' she wrote, "and |
am glad to think that you will have a
chance to bury your sorrow in the affairs
OF the nation. | was afraid something
would happen, just because everything
seemed going so smoothly. Belle and
Marjorie wouldn't hear Of my taking
Bert, though cousin Bertha thought the
change would be good for him they said
the care OF him would keep me from fully
enjoying my spree, and although it seems
dreadfully selfish to say SO, believe they
were right | couldn't have gone ont i'll
the evening with an easy mind, and you
know concerts were in the bill to a large
extent. So they fairly courted Bert, to
get him used to them, for you know he
has always been fonder of ME than Of any
one, and really grew quite jealous when
he was as ready to 60 to them as to me.
Cousin Bertha picked out all her prettiest
neckties and laces, and said | must take
them to wear in New York and she
look so sweet, aid little, and weak, that
| felt like wretch for leaving her.
But where is the good OF going over
all this? Here is what happened went
out to make call, which I'd owed for an
age-it was that poor old Mrs Fritz, and
as tile girls never would 60 there, after
that time when she limited that they were
over dressed for people in ''their circum-
stances" | have had to do the manners
for tie family, just because she knew
dear mother. took Bert, because she |
had met Inc in the street a few days be-
fore, and asked me to bring him, though !
it must be painful to you to be SO super
seeded, my dear she said, pleasantly SO
| just wanted to let her see how thick |
Bert and | were and rugged him out III |
his best suit-the little beauty and as |
ill-luck would have it, she was at home.
Now yon know Bert won't 90 to ANYBODY |
and everybody we all think he is an
extraordinary physiognomist for such a
young child and when she offered to kiss
him, he just put up his lip in his dear
little funny way, and backed
Poor little soul, he backed against one
Of those idiotic round tables with no legs
worth mentioning, and over it went,
smashing hideous fowerpot with an
artificial flower in it, and glass shade |
over it, which, of course, went too i'll
had owned that thing, I'd have thanked |
anybody, on my knees, for smashing it