The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-07-13

LnaL way, tracer! asked the elder
woman eagerly. Its their fine
clothes that / was always just crazy
to have-and didn't" she added re-
gretfully. But, my! you just get
that Mrs. Van Schuyler into a faded
old wrapper and set her to scrubbin'
the back porch, or put overalls onto
the Reverend Nathaniel Calderwood
and put him to sawin' wood, and I'd
likely say, 'Uh huh!' and 'Nope!' as
nifty as you please"
Suppose you compromise on plain
Yes and No, mother" returned her
daughter-in-law, smiling in spite of
her vexation as she imagined her two
distinguished guests in the garb pic
tured; but the smile was quickly re-
placed by frown. ''You speak as
though you still longed for nice things
and couldn't have them;" she objected.
you know, told you last fall, when
you first came, to go to Carswell's
and get everything you needed, and
even made out list of things |
thought you ought to have, though l
suppose l should have attended to it
myself But I have to much to do"
she concluded fretfully.
The unwonted color faded from Mrs.
Sinclair's face and she sat down in
a nearby chair as though suddenly
grown very tired. Il did pick 'em
out, Grace she said YEARLY. I'm
ashamed to think of the hours spent
thinkin' of 'em and lookin' through
that big store, decidin' what l was
goin' to have. Why, l used to look
into my closet and laugh at that shah
by old dolma and the alpacky that
Miss Simms made the summer she
had the yeller janders, and could
just see all the pretty, stylish things
hangin' there instead. I'd picked out
some beautiful furs and a bunnit-"
She paused, as though overcome by
the remembrance of it's grandeur, and
her thin shoulders dropped dejectedly.
Her daughter-in-law methodically
sealed a dinner invitation in it's
square, white envelope and laid it on
the pile already completed. What
was the matter with it? Why didn't
you take it," she asked impatiently.
"Oh, there wasn't nothin' the mat
ter with it, Mrs. Sinclair hastily in
terposed. 1T was the sweetest old
woman's bunnit I ever saw-all sort
of rufly and hiked up in front, with
little bunch of forget-me-nots right
next to my hair. wish you and Rob-
bic could have seen me in it, she
said regretfully. But I give 'em all
up that night he lost that money in
a trade
Board of Trader" questioned
Grace:
Yes, that was it. He was awful
blue; said his expenses were fearful,
and-well, give 'em up, thinkin' that
it wouldn't make any difference to the
De Schuylers and the Van Quinceys
what I wore if l didn't give 'em a
chance to turn their magnifyin'
| glasses on me-"
Il don't see why Robert should COM
plain to you about our expenses" re-
| turned her daughter-in-law stif1ly. Il
know they are considerable, but so is
our income. Anyway, I want you to
have clothes and-and manners" she
interpolated, with sudden anger, "be-
fitting my husbands mother!"
I'll do the very best can, Grace,
Mrs. Sinclair promised, and YEARLY
mounted the stairs to her room.
Her face had been calm during the
ordeal, the crimson spot that burned
in each cheek was the only evidence
of the shrinking agony within, but,
once in her own room, she wrung her
trembling, work-worn hands, and her
thin shoulders shook with convulsive
sobbing. 1t was all so different from
what she had expected. For long
time Robbie had urged her to come
and make her home with them, and
at last she had consented, believing
that she would be a loved and useful
member of the household. How earn.
estly, while making her meager pre-
parations for the change, she had
wished that Silas might have lived to
share the happiness with her; but
how fervently she had thanked the
Lord, when she found that she was
looked upon as burden and care
that he had not. Robbie was still the
same loving boy he had always beer
la little more distracted and forget
ful-but he was the member of the
family of whom she saw the least
She felt sure she had won the interest
of those poor, stiffly starched little
puppets, Genevieve and Archibald
but even they caused her many heart
aches
Should she resume her admiring
covetous tours of the big store, this
\ time to some purpose? Her frugal
soul nuailed at the total at the hot