Page:Zodiac stories by Blanche Mary Channing.pdf/240

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Scorpio, the Scorpion
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"Why, it 's the most delightful thing!" replied his wife eagerly; "I was just going to tell you, of course, Harry,—the Winsleigh-Fanes are coming home on leave, and they want to take a house here for the summer, and of course we can't hear of such a thing, with all our spare rooms!"

"So you want to have the lot of them here, niggers and all?" said Mr. Fane.

"All right, Maysie, go ahead!"

At this moment, Bobby, the seven-year old son of the house, who had been listening with growing excitement, spoke:

"Oh, Mamma! Are they niggers, really? And do they wear feathers and beads, and have bows and arrows, and will they be awfully wild, and ——"

"Oh, nonsense, Bobby!" cried his mother. "Don't you understand that your father is joking? The Winsleigh-Fanes are your cousins from India, and what Papa meant is that they will bring their