Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1905-01-30
Continued.

Poor papa But he says that it's
what everybody does when they get
rich. lift hey haven't got any family
pictures they get them painted, and
nobody knows that they aren't really
ones great-grandfather
May looks grim, but suddenly the
absurdity of the situation amuses her,
and she leans back and laughs until
the whole room is filed with bright,
delicious music.
"You-you don't remember grand
father, do you, Carrier" she says,
painting and wiping her eyes. He was
such a dear, funny old man, with a
red nose, which used to shine as If it
had been polished with bees-wax.
can remember him sitting in the back
parlor Of an evening, drinking gin and
water and smoking long clay pipe.
Is his portrait in the hall? Well
well! go on, dear. And this Sir Crane
no, Heron-is he an old man."
"Oh-no," says Carrie. mot what
"a call old He's about-about-
oh, thirty! That is rather old, though,
isn't ito"
"Quite ancient" assents May, smil-
ing.
Nov, May, you are laughing at me!
You don't deserve to be told any more.
Anyway, if Sir Heron isn't old, Lady
Heron isl
"His wife: says May, with little
yawn; the wonderful romance, coming
upon her long journey, is beginning to
tell
mo, his MOTHER" says Carrie.
"Oh May, she is such an awful old
woman!-so tall and thin and upright,
and such thick eyelids! And she looks
over your mead as if she didn't see
you; and she's as proud as-as Luci-
fer
Another of your new acquaint-
ances?" says May. "And how does
her ladyship approve of papa?"
Papa, OH" says Carrie, with a
laugh 81 don't know; suppose
she's seen papa, but they haven't
called, and they never speak or look
at us, although we sit almost in the
next pew, and the Wold Grounds are
next to ours"
Charming neighbors," says May,
with an Indifference that is more
marked than the veriest scorn. $50
they have not called, and although
you have been almost two years un-
der their eyes they have not CHANGED
to see you yet, and what does papa
say?"
Papa doesn't say anything" replies
Carrie
at is the very wisest thing he
could say" agrees May.
"The very wisest. Poor papa" with
pity that is more than half con-
tempt. "How blind he must be- For
you, poor child, are too young to see
it all, but, oh, how terribly plain it
all is Poor, dear old Woodbine
Villa! How happy we used to be, ex-
cepting when the butcher and the
baker called for their bills, and the
landlord wanted the rent! Poor papa
no wonder he looked uncomfortable
and uneasy, and these people, how
they must laugh. oh, Carrie, could
laugh if I didn't feel inclined to cry;
and to think that if I had been at
home might have stopped it-at least
enough to keep it somewhere within
bounds-have held him back from the
family portraits and the gorgeous
footmen. Oh, Carrie it was
bad enough to be poor, but it's thou
sands time worse to be snobs!"
"Snobs" faltered Carrie. staring at
the flushed face aghast
eyes snobs," repeated Mary;
"purse-proud, ostentatious snobs; the
laughing-stock of every decent family
in the county, and even the toadies
who have gathered around for the
plumber Forget Woodbine Villa? Do
you think we shan't carry it about
with us every moent of our lives? Do
you think that Then she breaks
off, suddenly reminded by the wide
open eyes and mouth of the startled
listener that it is to child that she Is
pouring out her malignant scorn, and
-tops with something like a groan.
'There-there, don't mind, Carrie.
Rl-we must make the best of it. I'm
tired and overdone, and-what on
earth's that?" For suddenly there
sounds the clang of great bell over
their heads.
''That's-that's-th servants sup
per-belI' falters Carrie, guiltily.
Everybody has a bell now, May" she
murmurs, as May breaks out with
peal of laughter.
Carrie, my child! / give you my
word that a delightful thrill ran
through me. thought that the house
was on fire and thai they were ringing
for the f1re-engines"
ooh, May! you don't mean to say"
81 do I'd burn it down from gar
ret to cellar, family portraits, footmen
no, not the footmen-and all! Moth
ng but fire would purge us OF our
Gnobbery. Oh, why did you send for
me when it was too late? Too late