National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-01-05
THE MYSTERY or pETCnINGLEy.

Go 10 Dctchingley for the CHRISTMAS
away from my happy home-away IN TN
distant North do not suppose looke'
pleased at this proposal of my fathers
which he announced to me at the breaklas
table one November morning, but notwith
standing my prejudices, as Aunt Dorothy
the presiding genius Of Detchingley wa
nv n others beloved sister it was only
few days after that had said goodbye It
the dea- old home circle, and was traveliDl
rapidly nortnwarvis, through the fallih;
leaves and the fading flowers of the dyinl
year.
Aunt Dorothy came out into the grea
hall to meet me As | alighted from th'
carriage. and my heart turned towards heI
with Il loyal love.
"You have another aunt, you know
Edie, dear she said Come, now, auc
see her"
Aunt Myra WestwOod ,at all alone by
the great log fire III the drawing room.
saw at once that Aunt Myra was not a
pretty woman, nor auyht that is beautiful
or lovely; but coldly, detiantly handsome
and the quick eye Of youth told me that
there was mystery about her, and that
we SUOulil ltol bt S'Nl III hH'ii ~ NN'
unraveed.
do not suppose shall ever forget my
first evening at Detchingley small
dinner party Of three ladies the quaint,
dark, wainscoted dining room the quanter
and darker 4 mly portraits hanging round
us on the walls, like mutes at a funeral (;
the metallic voice Of Aunt Myra falling
echoless on my ear, and the ,weet. tremu-
lous one Of Aunt Dorothy, IKE notes OF
the dear home music. was very glad
when we rose to 20 into the drawing-room
As we were crossing the ball, just by the
foot of the stairs, noticed bo.h ladies
glance quickly and most uneaslly up them.
| followed their glance, but the only thing
that attracted my attention was a portrait
the mll-length portrait of lady IN a
carved oaken trame-a yearning, wlstIul
face, shadowed Dy rich, soft, hair, and
lighted by eyes that bad story in them.
Isn't it family portrait {" | asked,
" or only an ideal subject ~
| appealed to Aunt Myra. Ideal you
will find it, Edith, IN every sense" she
replied but there wss something in her
tone, something in the way in which she
covered her ewes with her hands as if she
would shut out the picture from their
gaze, that for an instant startled me, but
only replied
at is a very wonderful, beautiful paint
ing. | should love Uncle Charles to see
it,
The tangled netting at this moment tell
fl ON Aunt Dorothys nervous tiIgers, and
she sprang before me towards her sister;
for the cold, white hand had fallen pulse
less to that lady's side. Aunt Myra had
tainted.
Aunt Dorothy turned suddenly on me
suddenly, almost sharply, it seemed to
me; and said You must be tired Edith,
with your long journey to bed now,
child"
slept very little that night, and many,
many times wished myself home again
Three or four days passed away very
monotonouslv. | devoted myself to Aunt
Dorothy, but | shrank intuitively from
Aunt Mvra. felt that she repellcd me
only endured my presence because | gave
pleasure to her sister Dorothy. My mother
had made me little acquainted with her
family history. | knew she was what is |
called "well born y but that she had de-
scended from such an ancient line as the
names recorded on the old church walls
told me she had, was quite unknown to
me.
| left Detchingley church that Sunday
afternoon under the impression that | had
been soiourning for BRET while in n vast
,harnel house Of the family of Westwood
FOR almost numberless, it appeared to me,
were the tablets, scrolls, and "storicd