The Fortunate Calamity

THE Formans were at breakfast, at least two of them were. The others were absorbed with the morning mail. The table was neatly spread, the aroma of coffee was in the air, and the plate of home-made cookies invited attention, but Jean, the youngest daughter, and Derrick, the son, were the only ones who paid the slightest attention to breakfast. Jean was eating grapes, and Derrick, as he reached for the fourth cookie, said: "I wonder if I am expected to eat all these." Jean giggled. "You are getting well under way, I think; keep right on; I'm attending to the grapes myself. Only look at them!-I mean the folks, Dickie dear, not the grapeseven mother is lost in a letter. I wonder who it can be from? It's an awfully long one." Then she raised her voice: "I think one of you might read aloud for the benefit of Dick and meand the cookies; mother, there won't be a single cookie left if you don't attend to Dick." Thus roused Mrs. Forman laid down her letter with a little sigh, and grasped the handle of the coffee pot as she said: "What is it you want, Derrick, a cup of coffee?" "No, mother; no coffee for me. I'll just take a cookie or two and be off." Saying which he reached for his fifth and, to the sound of Jean's laughing protest, hastily left the room. Mrs. Forman did not smile; she was still preoccupied; but she tried to rally her thoughts. "Joseph your coffee is getting cold. Girls, will you have coffee? Have you letters from any of the relatives?" "Mine isn't," said Florence, the second daughter. "It is from Nannie Douglass; they are at Delmont, and expect to stay through the month. Oh mother, I wish I could have Nannie spend a week with me while they are so near." There was a pathetic note in her voice suggesting the hopelessness of the wish, but the mother, usually quick to sympathize, did not respond to it even by a glance. Ray, the observant oldest daughter, noticed the tightening of muscles about her father's mouth, and knew that, although he was supposed to be absorbed in his paper, he had heard. She telegraphed a note of warning to her sister, who, however, did not need it. The girl had returned to her neglected muffin, her face grave and sad; but evidently she had thought, and meant to say no more.

Dettagli