The Yale expositor., 1908-08-21

Sally-regal." Esther laughed, think
ing of her at fancy dress ball as the
Queen of Sheba.
"Oh, what pretty thing this Isl"
she said, lifting pale gray gown from
the filmy heap.
Eyes, l s'pose the foot onsembel OF
that's good. But them pale colors
don't fit me; an the work on that
won't stand the eyes of con-
Missioner"
Il suppose Mr.. Bernard has a lot
of things, too" Esther said as soon as
she could control her face.
you bet! Only mems things amt
interestin' like womens. / wish men
wore lace an things, like they did
when that picture was took" She
glanced up at an exquisite engraving
of scene at the court of Louis XIV
II presume Mr.. Bernard would
rather wear the dress OF 1862"
'Yes. An I'd rather he would. His
manners don't somehow At what he's
got now. l never noticed that Bill
was short on manners when he was
wearin' a blue shirt, an punchin'
mules, or huntin' lead. But In this
fine house. him pushin' victuals with
a silver knife, an eatin' soup audible
while people sets round an tries not
to laugh; an the flowers and the pic
lures someway shamin' him-why
good Teller as he Is, / wish he'd go
back to his blue shirt an mules, or
else buy some manners. An the worst
of 1t Is, know | got just as bad case
of not fittin' here myself; only I'm
that stuck on myself, / can't see 1t.
Pve-been going back right now on all
my polish for coon's age"
Esther ventured no reply, and the
other woman began to put away her
wardrobe. "Ain't II too bad nav had
to die fore got chance to wear half
these here new things? Blacks so UNI
becoming! An l can't even wear
white ruches; them's for widders."
Ether was startled No wonder con-
ventional people could not understand
Sally b. Esther knew that no more
devoted daughter had ever lived than
Sally B. had been; yet who that knew
nothing of this would believe 1t in the
face of her last remark?
bet she had good time" the other
went on. I'VE took her all over Yer
rup; an she lived two months after
we come home. | bought her more
clo'es than she'd had in all her life
before; she could put on a different
dress every day in the month! We
took her riding in the victoria, took
her to the theater, the Cliff, an every
where! She didn't suffer none; l
thank God for that" She went In and
out of the closet once or twice with
out speaking, and Esther waited.
Her sentences had been tossed by
gusts of emotion; now speech was
entirely wrecked. While she strug-
gled for calmness Viola entered.
"Oh, Stella! Esther!" Violas arms
went round the other girl impulsively
and she burst into tears.
What under the canopy are We cry
! ing for?" her mother asked; yet she
knew; and her own tears were hardly
restrained.
'Oh, ma, it's so good to see her! She
belongs to the old, honest time when
we said what we thought, or kept
still"
The mother WINGED Viola's unus.
ual emotion disclosed unwelcome facts.
She was taller, and had blossomed
into soft. wood-violet sort of beauty
that yet had something mystic about
1t: as rare as felicitous.
IS i,,Io -
womanhood Unfolding her in a mantle
of sedateness. Esther knew she had
been defrauded of her girlhood, and
longed to set her free from her I'M
youthful self-control; wondered If she
would, at the last test, sacrifice herself
to her mothers ambition.
They went the round of the bed
rooms, the kitchen, where Vic Wah
greeted Esther with voluble cordiality;
| the stables, Conservatives, and breeze
swept gardens; and Esther was pre-
pairing for the street when the maid
brought a card.
"Mr. Bryan, ma" Viola said. Her
face grew gray and dull; while her
mothers was swept by a quick pano-
rama of doubt, question, mother love.
ambition.
She put her arm about Violas slen-
der waist Honey, nanny expects a
heap of you. VIII you do it?"
Viola turned suddenly, spoke with
strange impetuosity. Don't, ma!
can't do 1t! Freddy Bryan's honest.
He'd ask me just the same If l was
poor. I thought would say yes, when
l told him I'd give him my answer To-
day. But | won't cheat him. I'll tell
him / can't care for him as he de-
serves. It's no use, ma" She put up
a protesting hand. and even Sally B.
was held to silence by the new stern
ness in her daughter.
And Esther, distressed at the trag-
edy in the girls face, made her adieus
quickly, that Sally B. might not see
the angry resentment In her heart.
(TO BE CoNTINUED.)
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