The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1920-12-15
THE SISTERS.
Tapter 81.

III spite Oh lu6 ldCI ludl VIC Hdu
been making preparations for the we'd
ding of Laura and Charlie for weeks,
as the day approached, we were in a
perfect frenzy of haste.
Laura doesn't seem to think it
would be legal ceremony if she did
not have all her trosseau ready and at
least a dozen of every known variety
Of linen," Violet said to me when our
work brought US together for few
moments.
laughed with her at the idea.
And indeed, that seemed to be the
way Laura felt. She was working her
self into a state of nervous collapse,
and carrying the whole family with
her
Mother can just as we'll can corn
next week as this" Laura would say.
Il have so many things I want her
to do for me-"
"And you can just as we'll do these
| curtains after you are married as
before" Esther would retort-the
nearest she had ever come to COM
planning of her eldest daughter
That was only the beginning. AS
the day of the wedding came near. we
began working with nervous speed.
Laura and Charlie expected to be
| married that spring, but they wanted
Mr.. Dwyer to give them a small house
at the further end of his farm. This
| was, or rather could be. a very at
tractive place. 1t was an old-fashion-
| ed, whitewashed stone house, with
| three rooms on the ground floor and
three on the second floor and small
attic.
"He can do it just as well as not
his head farmer used to have it, but
since he died, no one has lived there.
He thinks maybe he will rent it, but
he won't It's too far down the back
road, and he might just as we'll let
us have it"
Her heavy mouth set in determ-
ined expression Charles father was
known as rather tight" man with
money, and a stubborn one, but looking
at Laura, began to suspect that he
had met his match and more in his
prospective daughter-in-law. And
thinking over Dwyer and his little cal
culating eyes, felt rather pleased
with my niece.
He capitulated at last, and gave the
house free to his son to live in Then
Laura began busily house-cleaning the
the empty place and measuring the
windows for curtains, and examining
catalogues for rugs and furniture
Violet and l paid practically no at
tention to this at all.
But one afternoon few days before
| the ceremony, by a burst of temper,
Laura finally secured the services of
vi and myself for the day, Esther do
| ing the routine work and garden work.
Laura got us out on the porch and set
us to work, Violet hemming curtains
and myself finishing some crochet
work for soft cushions.
Satisfied and once more bland in
expression, Laura settled herself to
work, and for awhile there was ST.
| fence.
But / should think you would like
some of this work to do after you
move in," vi remarked, biting off
new piece of thread.
mo, I want everything perfect to
the last detail Esther answered. be-
ginning to sway back and worth in
the rocker as she worked.
I'D love fussing over a house after
/ was married." vi said again. BE
sides, if l took a place and fixed it
us, it might not be the way he-my
husband-wanted it. I'd rather have
him help. l think it would be rather
nice to have him help-make our
home"
"Charlie will have plenty to do with
out fussing over the house. Besides,
don't believe in men having any say
about where the chairs go and what
color the curtains are" Her fairly
thick lips closed firmly. She looked
amazingly like her mother.
But - it's romantic, don't you
Think" Violet was hesitating and
stumbled a little as she talked, Ito
build up the house, the home, together,
even if you-if you make mistakes d
mo, l don't" said her sister de-
cidedly. You have got awful senti.
mental ideas about things, vi. But
you will get over them. When two