Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-01-28

near her. That remorseless little wo-
man left her to Mr.. CroftOn and the
salad dressing.
Mrs. Farleigh arrived with hampers
of Christmas dainties, and rigid in
4 tentiOn of being pleased with Whatev-
er she saw. 1t was very nearly dark
| and Lefty had already lighted candies.
/ The shadows hid rough ceilings and
| worn paint and for fire light and
| wreaths, they are of your true aristoc-
raey, and always lovely-so is the
| beauty of a refined woman. And here
| they all were-beautiful women, dane
ing, flame and flowers, not to mention
| Mr.. CrOftOn, who added what might be
| called ton to the scene, and certain de-
| lieious whiffs and scents from the kitch-
| en-, against which even a Farleigh nose
was not proof. Mrs. Farleigh sighed
with evident relief, and drew chair
1--or rather would have drawn it-but
Lefty rushed forward with little
| scream, and with one hand on the
/ chair pointed with the other to q sort
of trIumphal arch surmounting it,
bearing in green letters on a white
| ground this remarkable legend:
/ t'Here is a hole"
ssBeIoved Mother.''z said Lefty,
| solemnly, 'sWhen in the course of
events it became necessary to turn this
/ Garnet it was discovered that q large
| hole insisted on coming just here. To
cover that we place this easy-chair
here and then, as the perYerse in
stinct of every body would be sure to
| guide them just here, Amy and I put
| up this inscription to warn them off.
| And if you would consider my feel
ings, and take any other seat-it is
such an ugly hole"
Letty's mock gravity was irresistible
to every one but Mrs. Farleigh- CroE
ton and David shouted, and Amy
clapped her hands; but the poor moth
er she stood stupeded, and scarlet
with modification.
81 will send you new carpet to-
morrow, Lefty" she said; and then
the tears actually rolled down her
cheeks. Lefty was her baby--her pet
child and she had married man who
could not afford a whole carpet, while
| Judith was Mrs. MarstOn, and that
washy blonde. Amy Erskine, could
marry John CroftOn if she chose. Let
/ ty saw the tears, and in moment she
was about her mothers neck.
dearest mother, if you send it it
will make me so unhappy. If you knew
the fun we have had with our old car
pet, David and I-hOw he stretched and
I sewed it; and how we economical to
buy it, and bought it together; and
bought the ugliest carpet that could be
had for the money, because each was
determined to please the others so that
it is a perfect monument of self-sacri-
fee, and every thread of it is twisted
in with something generous and pleas
ant in our lives. Darling mother, don't
look so! Why do people want to be
rich? To be happy? Then am very
rich, for I am so happy in my hus-
band" And here she went over to
David and hung on his arm. ''If
want a hero-what is hero but man
brave, loyal. and true ?-and that ma 3
is David. IF Ineed a person wiser than
myself, here he is, David again. If
want protection in a world so cruel, I
am safe sheltered by his arm. If I
want to feel that I am dearer than all
the world to somebody, and that per-
haps help to keep one heart better
and tenderer, I know that it is so with
David. What more could any one ask
than that, mother2"
She spoke to Mrs. Farleigh, but she
looked in her husbands face, and he
without a word put out his arm and
drew her close beside him. Crofton
tried to cry bTdUG, but his voice was
husky. Mrs. Farleigh's words were
gone also. She could only give David
her hand in silence. For Amy, she had
hidden her face.
Just here the door opened with
slow, almost noiseless movement, and
a woman was seen standing on the sill.
The little party were already at that
pitch of nervous tension where any
seemed much more in order than an
everyday interruption. But though
the intruder was only Judith Marston,
something in her appearance struck
them all with sort of CONSERVATION.
She was bareheaded, and the snow laid
thick with the diamonds and roses in
her. chestnut curls. Her satin slippers
were soaked; her trailing velvet dress
was powdered with the flakes. Her
whole look was that of a person raised
far above all ordinary impulses. She
entered without any attempt at saluta-
tion, and, going straight to my moth
er, threw down before her a web of
magnificent laces and a handful of
rings!
stMy Christmas presents Six thou
sand dollars worth, +" she said. "Help
me- mother: I want to get the six
thousand dollars worth of happiness
out of them. Lefty there and I specu-
lated last year for happiness. She gave
herself for the man she loved, and /
heard what she said as I came in. I
gave myself for things like these, and
have been counting my gains"
"Judithi'' Mrs. Farleigh and Lefty
both came forward trembling, but Ju-
dith waved them back.
"Listen tell you L have been
counting my gains. have velVets,
Iaces, horses, Administer carpets, dia-
monds, Sevres China. Society here
means a number of women, most of
whom 1 despise.. eat out ofthe SeVres
China, drive behind the horses, I
wear the velvet and diamonds. / eat,
walk, and drive no more agreeably
than / did as Judith Farleigh. There
is no happiness in these things. China
no matter how fine is baked clay; dia-
monds are charcoal; velvet is a mass
of scocoons, when you come to them
for happiness; and tonight my hus-
band, who bores and wearies me
brought home the man whom I loved;
and I would give them all to hang on
his arm as you do David's Lefty. Baked
! CLAW and cocoons! To think of selling
as ran through the snow, to think I
was in such hurry to tell you that
could not wait for Mr.. Marston and
| Mr.. Ames. Ha ha! ha! CocoOns and
charcoal! Think of it!''
| Of course Mrs. Marston was in the
| first stages of fever, and there was an
| end of the Christmas jollities. CroftOn
went for her husband, and David for
| the doctor; but as this last was starting
! Lefty stopped him.
| David, wish you would stop for
Robert Garston, and bring him here.
"But he is packing trunks"
tNever mind, I must see him."
''But he has journey before him. -
you dear old darling, please do as
! you are told"
The ''old darling" promised, and
found Amy brooding over the fire.
"Robert Garston starts for California
| tomorrow" remarked Mrs. Ames,
with cruel distinctness.
Then, feeling that the train was
properly ignited, she went up stairs.
Crofton, who had volunteered to
bring Mr.. Marston, passed that gentle
man on the road; and so coming back
alone, did not spare his horse, for he
i had visions of tete-a-tete with Amy,
| he came in quietly by the kitchen
/ way. The door between the kitchen
and the keeping-roonl was atar.-
! Through it he heard voices-Amy' 's
voice, at any rate.
"I never knew that was so mean,
Rob. For the last two weeks / have
been quite determined to sell myseli
j for the Crofton estate. I really believe
i / should have done it but for Lefty
and that poor woman up stairs, and
know-you ought to despise me; but
if your love is not all gone, will
confess it now, Rob; / love you-very
much-better than the whole world!'
Tears of rage and Disappointment
] i -