The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-04-04


my bandboxes down here. Your help
might open 'em." r-
"Our servants are honest, aunt And
even if they were not" thought the
young lady, "the contents of these band
boxes would not tempt them much" ST.
So the old lady found her way into
the sitting-room. '..f L. .
"Do you call this sitting-room Z" she
asked. Its nicer than the squire's par
lor."
ooh, we'll, aunt, you know there's a
great difference between the country and
the city" -.. p
"Well, so there is. 1 wouldn't live in
the city on no account" said Aunt Me-
hitable. - -.# ILL. 81. -
81 hope not" thought her niece.
"Well, gals" asked the old lady, after
having partaken of refreshments, which
made her feel considerably better, "have
you either on ye got any beaux yet Z"
LA, aunt how can you ask such a
question Z"
"'Cause I think it's high time. Le'me
see, you, Betsy, must be twenty-six."
"Oh, aunt, how can you spy so: I'm
only twenty-one."
That's fib, Betsy. You was born
the very day your Uncle Abijah sold the
brindle COW. l member it WELL and
Sally is just two years younger than
you. That makes her twenty-four."
"Oh, aunt, you are very much mistak-
en-. You are growing forgetful.'
"Old and forgetful, am l Well,
seems to me that's Just what's the matter
with you. But what's that picter up
| there"
| Aunt Mehitable pointed to painting
| hanging over the mantel-piece.
"That, Aunt Mehitable, represents the
ancient Greek foot-racers. And that
building with columns is Greek tenn
pie"
"Lor, is it? Well, thought it might
be the town hall. Them runners are
dressed outlandish, amt they? Seems
to me the head one looks like woman,
in the face. How much does such pic
ture COST"
Father paid five hundred dollars for
it."
Lands sake Five hundred dollars
Why, you can Almost buy house for
that up to Huckleberryville Well,
well, a fool and his money is soon part
ed, so they say. But didn't think your
father was such fool as to pay five hun
dred dollars fol. such picter as that"
ut is considered very fine, aunt"
81 don't care if it is. 1t amt worth
more'n five dollars at the outside. You'll
come to want yet, mark my words !"
"What would she say if she knew 1
had prospect of becoming countess :"
thought Elizabeth. "Dut l must not
speak of that, or she will want to be in
troduced to the count, and that will
spoil all"
About three o'clock the young girls
succeeded in inducing Aunt Mehitable
to lie down.
"You must feel so tired, aunt" they
said.
well, 1 do feel tuckered out" said
Aunt Mehitable. 81 guess I'll foller
your advice"
"And don't be in Il hurry about get
ting Up, aunt. Be sure and get your
full rest"
You're good gals to be so keerful
about your old aunt" said the old lady,
suspecting nothing. Il guess III CO."
About half an hour after Aunt Mehit-
able withdrew to her room, the bell rang,
and Count Stromboi was announced.
The girls received him with radiant
smiles, congratulating themselves that
they had got their aunt off just in the
nick of time" " as"a |' .gT0
$50 glad to see you, Count Strombo-
Ii" they said. "Were you at the opera
last EVENING"" .. .ur r'-s
"Oh, certainly, Of course; adore the
opera" ..
"And then, being in your native Ian
guage, you have the advantage of us in
more perfectly comprehending it. We
are so tied to the libretto that we only
half enjoy it." u u. t,as f".E'
"Very true" said the count. "You
can have no idea of the divine beauty
of the original, from the yillainous trans
lations."
"I wish I understood Italian" said
Elizabeth. . w "3 ftt tHEe
"Some day, perhaps you may" said
the count, in significant tone. Ers |
Elizabeth blushed with pleasure. She |
felt that the count meant something Sc |
rious by this remark. AS for Sarah, it |
must be confessed that, being her sisters
competitor for the counts good graces,
she would have preferred to have had |
the remark addressed to herself #. !
. Half an hour passed, when, to the dis
may of both the ymng ladies, the door
opened, and the figure of Aunt Mehita-
BILE presented itself ,..H .r4 no. ]
"Excuse me, gals" she said, a didn't |
know you had company. II couldn't
sleep cause of the plaguey noise in the |
streets, so 1 thought I'd come down. |
Who is this gentleman? Is he your
beau!" IEf. a.lst) iGN .H4E |
"Oh, aunt" exclaimed Elizabeth, in
dismay, bitterly regretting moment
later that she had let slip the fatal word
revealing the relationship. .I
"Can't you introduce me-" asked 1
Aunt Mehitable. "Seems to me you
amt got manners" @ |
"This is Count Stromboli," said Ehz-
abeth, reluctantly. "Count, let me pre-
sent my aunt, the Honorable Mrs. Cow
erly-an eccentric woman, but immense
ly wealthy" she added, behind her fan.
The count arose and made profound
inclination. Aunt Mehitable responded
by an old-fashioned courtesy. so 4
"Lor," she said, "dew tell if he's a,
count. Where do you come from, Mr.,
Count Z" she asked. ,lt ,to . y.
81 am countrymans Of Garabaldi, =,
said the count, land, I am proud to add,
his intimate friend" ~ ~ cal
"Dew tell Somehow your voice
sounds familiar" said Aunt Mehitable.
" Let me put on my specs"
She adiusted her irOn-bowad olasSas |