For Money.—Chapters IX-XI [pp. 241-254]

}'or Money.
FOR MONEY.
IX.
THE next morning, as she had the whole
day on her hands, Louise, having performed
her bridal duty and driven with her husband
to the station, went immediately to her moth er, determining to have a long visit that
should make her feel as if she had never
been away. Rose came over a little later,
and from her mother, Frances, and Rose
combined, she managed to find out something
about the man whose name had excited her
curiosity the night before.
It appeared that he was a cousin of the
boys and Rose, a nephew of the first Mrs.
Lennard. He had been living for years in
California, and Mrs. Lennard had quite lost
sight of him, although as a young boy, in the
early days of the second Mrs. Lennard's
married life, he had been in and out of her
house almost like one of the family.
"But how did you happen to meet him
again? " questioned Louise, who had very
hazy recollections of him.
"That is the odd part," answered Mrs.
Lennard calmly. "He simply appeared,
without any excuse, without any introduction,
here in this house. He said he had no idea
of our being in this country until he read of
your marriage to Mr. Waring in the newspapers. He was struck by the name, and on
making inquiries discovered that we were his
long-lost relatives."
"That's pleasant enough, I'm sure," said
Louise. "I like to have relatives."
" He is no relative of yours, Louise," answered her mother quickly.
"When you see him you'll be sorry he isn't,"
said Rose, the color coming into her face.
"You don't seem to like him, mother,"
observed Louise, with some curiosity.
"To tell you the truth, I must confess
that I do not," said Mrs. Lennard, with
more emphasis than the subject seemed to
demand.
VOL. VII. —i6.
"And why?" inquired Rose coolly.
"Because, I thought he had had plenty of
opportunity to find out about us before,"
returned Mrs. Lennard frankly. "Besides,
he was a wild boy, and he has given no ac count of himself to us at all, often as he has
been here. He struck me as a very insinu ating, selfish man. He said he knew Mr.
Waring."
"Is that against him?" inquired Mrs.
Waring mischievously.
Mrs. Lennard laughed. "The children
are wild about him," she continued, "and
he certainly can make himself very attract ive. He told them he was a cousin, and
they have adopted him at once."
"Louise, they are right; he is perfectly
charming, and as handsome as a picture,"
Rose said eagerly. "He has dined with us
once or twice, and Jack likes him very much.
You know you are apt to take prejudices,
mother," she added pleadingly.
"Oh, he's well enough as a man, I suppose," said Mrs. Lennard. "Only I don't
like his assumption of intimacy on such slender grounds. Well, Louise, good-bye for an
hour or two. I have a missionary meeting,
but I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Don't you believe a word she says about
him, Louise," said Rose, as soon as the door
closed on Mrs. Lennard. "She never could
tolerate my mother's relatives; it's only because Eugene belongs to me. Really, he is
one of the most agreeable men I ever met.
She dislikes him because he invited himself
to lunch here one day, and they hadn't anything but dry toast and oatmeal mush. She
never will forgive him. He was as sweet as
he could be, too; he called her'Aunt,' and
she snubbed him dreadfully. She said,' You
know I am not your aunt, Mr. Fleming.'
Just imagine her saying that! But she will
say anything when she gets angry."
"What did he say to that?" asked Louise,
much interested.
1886.]
241