burning
forehead. He covered it with his own, muttering "Therese, Therese--so
good--let me love you."

X

Perplexing Things.

"Lucilla!"

The pale, drooping girl started guiltily at her mother's sharp
exclamation, and made an effort to throw back her shoulders. Then she
bit her nails nervously, but soon desisted, remembering that that
also, as well as yielding to a relaxed tendency of the spinal column,
was a forbidden indulgence.

"Put on your hat and go on out and get a breath of fresh air; you're
as white as milk-man's cream."

Lucilla rose and obeyed her mother's order with the precision of a
soldier, following the directions of his commander.

"How submissive and gentle your daughter is," remarked Therese.

"Well, she's got to be, and she knows it. Why, I haven't got to do
more than look at that girl most times for her to understand what I
want. You didn't notice, did you, how she straightened up when I
called 'Lucilla' to her? She knows by the tone of my voice what she's
got to do."

"Most mothers can't boast of having such power over their daughters."

"Well, I'm not the woman to stand any shenanigans from a child of
mine. I could name you dead loads of women that are just completely
walked over by their children. It's a blessing that boy of Fanny's
died, between you and I; its what I've always said. Why, Mrs. Laferm,
she couldn't any more look after a youngster than she could after a
baby elephant. By the by, what do you guess is the matter with her,
any way?"

"How, the matter?" Therese asked; the too ready blood flushing her
face and neck as she laid down her work and looked up at Mrs.
Worthington.

"Why, she's acting mighty queer, that's all I can say for her."

"I haven't been able to see her for some time," Therese returned,
going back to her sewing, "but I suppose she got a little upset and
nervous over her husband; he had a few days of very serious illness
before you came."

"Oh, I've seen her in all sorts of states and conditions, and I've
never seen her like that before. Why, she does nothing in the God's
world but whine and sniffle, and wish she was dead; it's enough to
give a person the horrors. She can't make out she's sick; I never saw
her look better in my life. She must of gained ten pounds since she
come down here."

"Yes," said Therese, "she was looking so well, and--and I thought
everything was going well with her too, but--" and she hesitated to go
on.

"Oh, I