Family Pride

"It is time to go down if Mrs. Cameron sees the young ladies before dinner," she said, a little stiffly; whereupon her better half startled Katy with the exclamation: "Mrs. Cameron! Thunder and lightning, wife, call her Katy, and don't go into any nonsense of that kind."

The lady reddened, but said nothing until she reached the hall, when she whispered to Katy, apologetically: "Don't mind it. He is rather irritable since his illness, and sometimes makes use of coarse language."

Katy had been a little frightened at the outburst, but she liked Mr. Cameron, notwithstanding, and her heart was lighter as she went down to the library, where Wilford met her at the door, and taking her on his arm led her in to his sisters, holding her back as he presented her, lest she should assault them as she had his mother. But Katy felt no desire to hug the tall, queenly girl whom Wilford introduced as Juno, and whose large, black eyes seemed to read her through as she offered her hand and very daintily kissed her forehead, murmuring something about a welcome to New York. Bell came next, broad-faced, plainer-looking Bell, who yet had many pretentions to beauty, but whose manner, if possible, was frostier, cooler, than her sister's. Of the two, Katy liked Juno best, for there was about her a flash and sparkle very fascinating to one who had never seen anything of the kind and did not know that much of this vivacity was the result of patient study and practice. Katy would have known they were high-bred, as the world defines high breeding, and something in their manner reminded her of the ladies she had seen abroad, ladies in whose veins lordly blood was flowing. She could not help feeling uncomfortable in their presence, especially as she felt that Juno's black eyes were on her constantly. Not that she could ever meet them looking at her, for they darted away the instant hers were raised, but she knew just when they returned to her again, and how closely they were scanning her.

"Your wife looks tired, Will. Let her sit down," Bell said, herself wheeling the easy-chair nearer to the fire, while Wilford placed Katy in it; then, thinking she would get on better if he were not there, he left the room, and Katy was alone with her new sisters.

Juno had examined her dress and found no fault with it, simply because it was Parisian make; while Bell had examined her head, deciding that there might be something in it, though she doubted it, but that, at all events, short hair was very becoming to it, showing all its fine proportions, and half deciding to have her own locks cut away. Juno had a similar thought, wondering if it were the Paris fashion, and if she would look as young in proportion as Katy did were her hair worn on her neck.