Show S HER TIlER MISTAKE tt LL the Bar Bar- chester chest er family a. a 3 had come to theS the tho S conclusion separately sep separately sep sep- II and collectively collectively col col- col that Ic Bess looked like a lb u princess in her whito white dress with 5 tho straight clinging cHuWing cling cling- F ing folds the V neck and the knot of roses at the corsage corsage cor cor- sage sago that looked so exactly like real buds and leaves Bess Dess was very pretty too too one one of ol those complexioned blondes with reddish hazed yes eyes hair lighted up with chestnut gleams and pearly teeth who reminded one of Titian's Titans Titan's studies and old Peter Paul Rubens in his happiest moods Oh Bess Dessl cried Honora do wear your hair in a low coi coil at the nape napo of your neck with just a few few- cunning little rings escaping Nonsense said Eudora Do it Ina in ina ina a fluffy mass at the top of your head with an amber dagger dager or a rope of Roman pearls pears The Greek knot is all aU out of date Will Vill IWi you hold your our tongues both bothof of you sharply demanded Bess stamping her foot Oh dear how nervous I feel feel Madeline Madelne dear if i the tho first evening we have ever ever given should prove a failure I I I-I I shall commie commit com com- mit mie suicide It II wont won't prove a failure said Madeline Madelne the eldest sister of al all Madeline herself hersel was was was' hopelessly plain The he hair that in Bees Bess' case was Titian gold was in hers dull dol orange red Her weak pale eyes were red lidded and slightly crooked her nose long and sharp But Dut nevertheless Madeline was wa a genius in her way Old Judge Barchester Barchester Bar Bar- chester never could have tided over the ro of creditors privations and trials that bes beset t him had it not been for her help Dont fret papa said eaid the pale pale- eyed diplomat That idea of a yours of giving up this very handsome house is all al nonsense Who cares what the landlord says Lt Let him wait walt for his bis rent It wont won't hurt him hint if i he never gets gete it Let Lt the trades people ra rage e they are fre simply a lot of sharks Heres Here's Bess Dess a first class beauty and andi if i she has a fair chance she's sure to tomake tomake tomake make the family fortunes But Dut what wha san can any of ofus us s d do with a cheap fa flat fla and and a common mutton for fir dinner One must have opportunities tes Just let Bess Dess and me rue alone alono and you shall ahal see what we can cando do Judge Barchester always alwayn willing Tilling to leave the problem of life le f for l some fote one else to solve flung fung the pile pie of dunning letters into the fire fre and buttoning a n costly fur trimmed overcoat around his portly porty form took refuge in the aristocratic hails balls hals of the club cub while Madeline like lk a n faded-eyed faded bird of prey fluttered forth among the milliners milliners milli milli- ners dressmakers and for forthe forthe forthe the benefit of Bess Dess the debutante Everything is arranged said she composedly I ordered the supper from Vanesse I had to pay something something some some- thing on our back indebtedness but I took Look care it should be as little as possible Steiner sends in the flowers fowers Weve We've never ordered flowers fowers there beFore before be be- fore tore and the tho poor fools are anxious to secure our custom Mr Bapper Dapper the he funny man is to recite Mrs rs Vivyan engaged him for me And Miss Dale Dal will wi sing a Scotch ballad balad There are plenty of nicer people than titan Bapper apper and Monica Dale but every everyone everyone everyone one else wants to be advance Bess colored Oh but we will wi pay them MadelIne Madeline Madel Madel- ine lao when were we're able said she We Ve cheat them dont don't mean to I Madeline Madelne laughed Dont be silly siy Bess she said I Everyone in the world is more or orless orless orless less engaged in cheating everybody else 1180 But Madeline Madelne burst in in a shrill shri small smal voice Madeline Madelne Barchester uttered an exclamation exclamation ex ox- of annoyance You here bere Nora Noral said she Listening lAs Lis and prying as usual usual Leave the room at once once and and Dora too But Dut we want to see Bess' Bess new gloves and fan pleaded the two tall tal I schoolgirls Well VelI you cant can't then Without any aay ceremony Madeline Madelne pushed Honora and Eudora from the room Horrid little nuisances said she But heres here's a letter Bess Dess that show you JOu II Another tormenting creditor Worse W orse than titan that Its It's from Uncle Cooper down at the Blackford Blackford Black Black- Dack ford farm where y you ou stayed that summer summer sum sum- mer you had Dont Don't you remember Bess' Bess eyes softened A precious dimpie dimple dim dim- pIe came out at the tho corner of her mouth What she cried dear old Uncle Zab Very Verv dear observed Madeline Madelne contemptuously and very delightful Just tho the person to make a 0 sensation at your at home borne under Mrs Fitza- Fitza Ians Ian's eye and raked by the fire fre of Mr Mrs Aubrey Rockingham's lorgnette With his cowhide b boots and pepper and salt trousers and his fringe of chin whiskers and that chronic chrome catarrh of his My dear Bess if il i we allow alow that old nuisance to cross this threshold on Tuesday evening it lt amounts to throwing up the game arne amo a at once He Hes He's s written that hes he's C coining lg on that evening c Bess Dess grew palo pale Oh Madeline Madelne what are we to do Madeline Madelne laughed Ive managed it said she she- Ive 10 written back to him we weve we've ye moved to 14 Currant court I Ive I've e 1 ye told Cousin Lucy Ransom to make the best of ot the the situation She can personate you if it I she chooses she chooses she always had a A turn lot for private or OP ol she sho can convince mV the e dear 91 bim Bungler I r that P b bI be I 9 ff 4 r has haa hal made mado some mistake Anyhow hell he'll hel be ba safe until Wednesday morning and ancl we are safe too Madeline what a 1 contriver you are said Bess Dess But Dut 1 I do feel sorry for Uncle Zab Madeline Madelne shrugged her shoulders Its a poor policy to feel sorry for anyone she observed And what does an old ol lout like that know or care whether hes he's snubbed or not Bess Bess' Bess heart pricked her a little but she was wa an apt pupil pupi in the tile cold philosophy phi phil of her elder sister and the arrival arrival ar ar- rival at that moment of of a box o of marron for the supper supper table diverted diverted di di- her attention from from tho the topic under discussion At 14 Currant court cout however the Widow Ransom was furious Depend upon it Lucy said she to her daughter who did plain sewing for this is one of Madeline Madelino Madelne Made- Made line lino lne Barchester's sly underhand tricks and Ive I've Iye nothing to do with it You personate Bess Dess Barchester archester indeed in in- deed Youre You're about as much like her liar heras as lS a pumpkin is like a parsnip II If I Bess Dess is ashamed of her relations let her say so candidly But Dut mother pleaded meek Lucy what can wo we do Madeline lne a good deal of work for mo me among her grand friends friends All IAl that dont don't make it your duty to tell tel a lie le nor to maket act it either to suit her whim said saia the old lady And HAnd they're to have a great party on evening ening you know Well Wel suppose they are Didn't Bess and Madeline Madelne and the tho two girls spend all nI the tho summer at Blackford farm three years ago didn't make snake any excuse for getting rid of them then did he lie I declare they've I no more hearts than so many slabs of granite wanite At this moment however howe there was wasa I a ring at the tho bell beH and two fair tres tres- sed slim young girls rushed into tho room dragging a In brown own faced old farmer behind behina them Its Dora anti and me mp said Honora Barchester breathless and red cheek cheek- ed en And T O have brought Uncle Zab Zab- diel did with us Its It's Nora and me mel put in Eudora crowding herself hersel into tim the foreground How do you do cousin Ransom Hansom ald and Lu Luy Luty y We went to the depot to tom m meet et him and ana a good job it was vas for he hadn't the time least idea which h way to go goe S He lRe was u heading v for f the u v bv u Weehawken f ferry rry giggled Honora Uncle round lound moon face faco beamed all al over I II expect I be pretty stupid said saia he but I guess 1 I should a fetched round all al right if i these ere girls hadn't took possession of me Wheres Where's the tho bag o 0 hickory nuts Honory Who's pot got the basket o 0 pound sweets Heros Hero's the time carpet sack and paper pape box all al right He shook hands heartily with Mrs S Ransom and Lucy How be you Phebe pursued heland he lie and land little Lucy too Got Goc to be beom it a om Woman you Living with the tho judges judge's folks I suppose But Dut wheres where's Madeline Madelne and my thy little favorite rite rte Bess Dess Lucy and her mother looked hesitatingly hesi boil nt at nt each other but Honora plunged into the tho question queston at once Ill Til tell teU you Uncle said she Nora and I arent aren't fools nor yet children and Madeline Madelne and Bess Dess have tr treated ted us shamefully and so we are going goig to be revenged by telling their thEir secrets They're going to have an anat anat at lat home and they've invited a lot lotof lotof lotof of grand people and when they got cot ot your l letter ter they decided they didn't want you Hey cried Uncle Yes cried Eudora taking up the thread of the discourse the mean Ungrateful things things after things things-aftel- after all al that dear delightful summer at Blackford farm that thit saved Bess' Bess nothing good le life they laughed at your cowhide boots and chin chimi whiskers and Madeline Madeline Madelne Made Made- lne line made believe beleve to cough couch out loud just as you ou do sometimes and Well Vell I declare said Uncle Z Zt I diel relieving his bronchial tubes l y 1 the he same identical cough and growing growing grow grow- ing very red gowing gow- gow And so again chimed in Honora you lyo were to be m mEde de to believe beleve that we lived at 14 Currant court and kept out of the way vay of the company They needn't put ut themselves to all al that trouble saId eaid Jut old Uncle letting etting his head drop upon his two hands If II they hadn't wanted me Je why didn't they say so I want no noone noone noone one to peril peri their souls by telling false false- hoods on my account Both Doth the girls flew few at Uncle with hugs and ana kisses We Ve love you Uncle Zab said Dora vehemently We heard it all al even after Madeline Madlne drove us out of the room We listened at the register and we eve made up our minds you shouldn't be be Deceived and put upon Nora struck in And please dont don't be vexed with us because we e are Madeline's Malel Madel Matel- ines ine's and Bess' Bess little sisters Its It's quite quie true what Dora says We do love ovo you Wo V are e tired of ed by the girls and snubbed by papa Please Uncle Zab mayn't we go back to the tho farm with you and be dairy girls or milkmaids or something of that kind Im I'm awful fond of chIckens chickens chickens chick chIck- ens and Dora can weed the onions and shell shel corn cor Please Uncle Zab The old man suddenly straightened himself himsel up and dashed the big drops from Tom his eyelashes No INo girls gIrS said sad he be no nol That aint my notion Ive I've Ive sold the old farm to toa a railway and Ive I've Ive made a good bargain bargain bar bar- gain so folks say I guess Im I'm Im what my cousin Judge Barchester would call all cal a rich man and I was wan coming up hero here to end my days with my relations rela rela- tons and leave leavo em dmn cm my money after I Iwas Iwas Iwas was dead But ev everything's different now Ill I'll Il hire a house here here Phebe Ransom hero Ransom hero in New Now York York and and yoa you and amid Lucy shall be my housekeepers And Ill I'll Il adopt Nora and Dora Dor for my own Yes girls Ive I've no daughters and you shall take the place to me Oh dear Uncle ecstatically ly shrieked Dora Dera an and Nora Nor with one accord Bess Dess Barchester's at home was a avery avery avery very tame affair Tho funny man did not come at all nIl Miss Dale had such a cold that her voice made no impression on the company The Tha he wrong people came caine and the richt people people peo peo- pie stayed away Altogether it scored as a failure in spite of Madeline's Madelne's heroic efforts By IDy the way girls said the judge as he lie opened the morning paper at atthe atthe atthe the morrows morrow's late and insipid breakFast breakfast break break- Fast you really must write for your you old Undo Uncle Cooper to come conie up here and take some notice of him It seems ho has sold tho the old place for a stupendous price to some railroad company which winch is going to build UD up a n monster hotel botel there with th a a lot of miuor or 01 om some such mona money making S p ownes s told 5 5 S s me all aU about bout it at the club The They call cal the old man the Blackford Ther-I Ther mil mill I dont don't think he has many relations relations' but ourselves See to it Madeline Madelne will wi you You always were wEre the family mana manager er Yes said Madeline Madelne gloomily and I begin beil to think Ive I've Ive managed all al the m life out of it Uncle however declined to tobe tobe tobe be taken some notice of and great was the tho wrath of the judge and his two eldest daughters when whoa they discovered discovered discovered dis dis- dis- dis covered tha march that Dora and Nora Norn had bad stolen on them If II your Uncle wishes to adopt any anyone anyone one fumed Judge Barchester theres Madeline Madelne has the family brains and Bess the family beauty And Nora and Dora have all al the heart and soul there is in the family quietly observed Uncle so I r calculate I wont won't alter m my arrange arrange- ments New New York World |