The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-10-22

tAh, let me see the ladies, anc
the girl felt crisp note pressed II
her hand.
GO right up to the head Of the
stairs she said, 'but don't say I lie,
you in, or you'll cost me my place.
I'll not tell how I got in, sai(
the old woman, hobbling, asif very
feeble, up the stairs, to knock a
the door of the sitting-room.
Enteringy in answer to sum
mons from inside, she found three
ladies, very handsomely dressed
sewing busily. g..
With a broad brogue she compli
mented them all, and displayed hel
wares. The young ladies, blondes
Of about twenty and twenty-five:
were about to dismiss her, when the
older stopped them with a whisper.
in which the word cheap was dis.
tinctly audible. ...'.H
While they were examining he1
goods, and visibly " ordering at hel
low prices, the pretended pedlar
examined the three faces keenly,
They were all pretty, mother and
daug ghters, and the aunt noted with
a half smile her own blue eyes and
fair hair in the girls. -..
'They are like John,' she
thought.
'Mother,' Julie said, 'weren'tyou
wishing for a new pincushion fol
Aunt Mabels room? Here is 6
pretty one
'How much is it?'
Fifty cents, marm.' '.i
'Take it, Julie -..
4 wouldn't spend fifty cents on
pincushion till I was sure she was
coming here,' said Maude Grossly
OF course she will come here,
said her mother. sWhere else would
she go? Your uncle Ralph boards
and, certainly she won't go to g
miserable tenement house to Ma
bell
4 suppose she will come here,
said Julie, 'and put on all sorts O.
airs because she is rich.' d. ......
1T is strange we do not hear from
her, said the mother musingly
'the Occanica was due last night.
Didn't yces hear of the accident!
said the old woman. It's gone tc
the bottom she has, with every sou
aboard
The Oceanica gaspcd the elder
lady. ......
'That same, marn. The news
boys was a calling of it as [ came
along g.. # 1.. ~.
Good gracious! then Aunt Ma.
bel is drowned! !! said Maude, as
coolly as if she spoke Of a defunc'
kitten.
"A nice mess, if she made nc
WILL said the mother, in a vexed
tone. Nobody knows how she
holds her money; but likely enough
if she made no will, it will all &C
back to her husbands relatives
well, we sha'n't starve,' said Ju
lie composedly. Papa left US com
Portable .-.s @ T.
sComfortablc!' said her mother
"a miserable fifty thousand: dollar;
for three. Here, take away youl
traps, old woman; I don't wan
anything now. I declare [ coult
cry with vexationi! Julie pay the
woman, and let her go ..........
Cry with vexation,' thought tho
old woman, courtesying herself out
Not a tear to shed for the memory
of her darling sister, as she calls
me in herletters, and the girls have
not a word of sorrow for the idol
lied aunt. Well, we'll. Now fol
Kate's daughter. She is very ar
dent also, on paper
The mex: call, at a fashionable
boarding-house, found the old wo
man in the presence of an elderly
gentleman and a pale, langui(
young lady, who were reading in
private parlour.
The lady did not rise from hel
low easy-chair, but motioned tht
pedlar to come to her, and care
lessly tossed over her wares. &c..
Papa, she said presently, as th'
mantel clock struck three, :'hadn'
you better see if the afternoon pa
per is out? Perhaps the Oceanics
came in this morning
Again the pretended pedlar tolt
her news. Lizzie sprang erect a
once.
Lost! All on board lost!'
so they said, marm!'
sOh, papap 49,.
Don't faint now, Elizabeth, ant
make scene. 1t is very annoying
of course, but probably your aun
made a will before she sailed. L
not, you are one of the heirs at law
Indeed, 1 don't know but it is bet
ter as it is. She might have lef
Der whole property to one OF youl
cousins
sBut oh, papa, think of her jew
els; of course she had lovely pres
'cnts for us, and nobody knows how
much property in her trunks
Can't be helped. I'll 60 outant