"A Change in the Bill."

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13490, 11 January 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

"A Change in the Bill."

" Terrible drag!" panted the mother, accepting aid with tier hat and jacke.. " Had to change at- London Bridge because the train didn't go any iurther: there I just missed a 'ons and had to hang about for th~ next. And tti:u ...'jab up from the Arehway Tavern! Xow people may eay things again.-- Honor Oak, but no ana can say ic bn'i i c-utrul." "Sit down," urged Hit- vuuiLy mail;>■<! daughter. "Sit down in Uie e.i-y r'mir

and rest yourself." The mother /selected the .id. and running her foretinger caMi.-.IIy along the -wooden back, looked at tiie iuiuit. She appeared disappointed, and glanced around the room, endeavouring to refrain from anything that might be taken for curiosity or interest. The married daughter -waited, bands gripped beliind the back.

"I don't see the two vases I gave you." "Walter thought they didn't tit in with the rest of the furniture." " Didn't fit in!" ehe repeated, darkly and incredulously. "So we've put tlieni upstairs. Walter's fitted a bracket on the landing—

" Who on earth toid him." demanded the mother heatedly, "that they wouldn't lit in with the Test- of the furniture in this room? And why shouldn't one have gone at each end of the mantlepiece?" "We decided to keep that clear. It's a matter of taste."

"Or the want of it." "Opinions differ." *" Ob, well," she said curtly, "* it's your house, Ada, not mice. But my poor mother used to say to me that one ought to make the most of what one had got. You—l won't eay what I was going to say. Are yon going to offer me a cup of tea?" "The girl's bringing it in, mother." The visitor gasped, and. recovering lterself, shook her head. "You never told me yon were going to keep a gel," she said. "You never so mnch as asked me advice on the subject. You never asked me whether there was anyone I could recommend. Ada"—solemnly—"l take this as being very unkind of you, b.eides being unwise. As a matter of fact, I know a young person who's jest back from her last place, where she stayed the full month— "

" Walter preferred we would take a perfect stranger. Come in A short girl entered with a furnis-hi-d tray, and, ignoring the .steady glare of the lady visitor, calmly placed it on :i small table.

" And how is Ellen, roothe.il ynite expected her to come with yon." The 6ervant went out, and, returning with a three-decker tea-ship, asked whether anything else was required, and obtained permission to leave the room. The visitor watched her to the door and continned staring in a dazed, abstracted way after the door had closed. Arousing herself she tamed and took hold to the handle of the teapot. •Til ponr ont." said the younger woman, interposing. " Help yourself to toast before it gee cold. Isn't Ellen—" "Tour elder sister," replied the other, watching the management of the tea, and apparently anxious to detect some slip or error for which she might give reprimand; "your eldsr sister and me had % few words, and sh? finished, in her obstinate way, by declaring she wouldn't come at all. Later cn jvrhap?. hnt nut this time. Said she was in nr> huny to he crowed over by yon. As I loniinded her, you, Ada, never thought of contradicting your mother, when you were a single girl at home. Me and yon never exchanged so much as a single mis-word. Did we, now!"

"We never exchanged one. J.ot me know if the tea's nob to .your liking." The mother smiled grimly, as though to intimate that she would not fail to do this. Blowing at the top of the cup, she sipped and turned away raminatingly; sipped again, and turned her head away once mote.

" It'll do!" she said. The daughter breathed more freely. " What do you give? Oh, my goodness 1" on receiving the information, " you needn't ruin yourself _at that rate; I never give a penny more than ooe-and-six. You must ]-t me show you how to buy tea."

"Walter orders it as we want it on Us ■way to the City." "How do you get along together, you two!"

She listened across the table, nodding her head backwards, the chin going in the air; her look seemed to intimate thai ahe never expected to .receive truth. "Ah, -well,* 'she sighed presently, "'you'll, have yoiir rows later on. What about showing me over the house? I don't want to be late home, your sister's all alone. Yon go first and lead the way." She found durincj the course of the tour opportunity for many comments, aid most of these were of an adverse aate<v. The garden was too short and too In.-rut; & narrower one and longer would li.vve better suited her taste, but she pgwd resignedly, that one could scar.-i y expect ♦.hw to be amended. The con&rv.itory leading from the dining-room ;he described as silly nonsense. Of the v» ?:e of statuary on the landing she could t.uly say that it was to be hoped that a st'.ra Providence, joining hands with ihe mr.iu servant, would break it and smash it to pieces at ihe earliect possible lnniiven;. The absence of a fender on the *siel I'.teseemed to her a piece of petty eccmomv. The port ire covering the door she looked upon as a piece of good and; convincing evidence for any in Lunacy. The hat-stand she as a perfect scandal. The fact lii.i" there was nothing like a suite of fnrn-tnre in anv room of the house brought to her mind the happy comparison of a jnn-b'e-sale.

44 1 ehall talk to yonr Walter," - >.o as tber returned to the dnu."=nj it. "Little" nse saying these things to you. Ada, becacee I know yon of olct !>Cc -i>eever yet got a Kutrfc-answvr "'it r.f y.a. But one of t!n-*e times "

"Don't make it too long. mo:.1 "\ lefore you come again." "Perhaps," with bitterness, "per'i ips I ought to have asked what wjs jor.r At Home day. Filen was saying that *he"d bet a penny that you'd go in- t-»r an At Home day." "I'd rather you come and se? me some other time; so that we can have the opportunity for a good long chat." The mother glared. "I suppose that means I'm not good enough to meet your husbands friends. I only wish lie was here so that I could tell him what I thought of them. If you'd got an ounce of my spirit in you. Ada. you wouldn't allow" him to dictate to you in thi* manner. Assert yourself, nly girl. Show that vou've got a mind of your own. Don't allow yourself to be trod on. for goodness saks. I can foresee." she went on gloomily. that tiniest me and F.Hen advice yon. yon'l! become simply " ."Mother." said the girl. "I wish you'd just listen to ine for a few moments and not interrupt. I thought perhaps I conid «io without sayintr this, but I find I can't." " Don't sit there with your knees crossed like"—the mother spoke with le;s derision than n>n.t.'—"like a I—don'tknow—what: and leave off tiddling with your pocket handkerchief. How often have I to?d von!"

'"For tw-nty-tvrn years'' ptrl <iir not cber the Instructions) " for twenty

two years I lived with you, mother, ami yon inusn't think that I'm not grateful." "Pretty way you've got of showing it." "All that time you ordered me about and I did whatever you told mo to do. You never recognised that I was growing pp: you have always treated Ellen and you always treated mc- as though we were ,-.l)!1 in short frocks. We always had :o r.sk if we came twice for cake. Now I've a house of my own, and my husband jikts ay:-, and I've got to get used to j ordering people about as you have done. I and I—well. 1 don't want to lie interfered with." Ssi.? v'\v h. r mother to the front door, l.rgg:.n:r h.'-r on the way u> remain a whi.'e lmigs-r ;iii(| >ee Walter; failing this, to giw ln-i- affectionate love to Kilen, and to coma again. Finally, she appealed at the gate for forgiveness. " Knough said!" remarked the mother shortly. .She went on a few steps and returned. ''Fact of it is, all this is very hard for me to hear. And I shouldn't take it so much to 'eart. Ada. my dear, it it wasn't, if it wasn't that you'ro so absolutely in the .right."