South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-06-11
Mrs. Montgomery Heir.
By s. Axsis FROST.
So Won hoy,

y
Mrs. Ambrose Montgomery looked
severely at the young girl who was calm
iy tying her bonnet strings before her
mirror. She was n severe old lady, ve-
~ wealthy, about whom futtered poor
relations innumerable. Edna Sergeant
might have been counted asone Of these.
being certainly very poor, though people
were apt TO say of her, Proud as Luci.
fer himself"
YES. Aunt Lucille, / refused TO mar.
ry Walter Templeton. Since he seems
TO have told you, suppose there is no
improperly in my doing the same"
May ask you your reasons?"
Certainly. / want my husband, if
ever have one, to be man, filling q
mans place in the world, doing man $
duties. will never be the wife of a
lazy dandy who dawdles through life
waiting for possible fortune
"Your cousin is very useful to me-"
Doubtless. But / do not need any.
one yet TO put my footstool for me. fetch
me shawl. feed my poodle, and run
my errands."
"Ohr'
Il want my husband to work for me
at n mans work of brain and hands"
Upon my word You had better mar
ry mechanic. But pray take him a.
way from here if you do. / want no low
fellow claiming kinship with me. should
think when these plebeian ideas come
into your mind. Miss Sergeant, it would
be well for You TO remember the fact
that you can trace your descent direct
from the Pilgrim Fathers"
81 am not likely to forget that fact
Aunt Lucille, hearing it every day. By
the way, Auntie, do you suppose that If
our noble ancestors. the Pilgrim Faith.
ers mean, were to present themselves
in your drawing rooms that you would
recognize them? | imagine them, in
their common clothes. holding by shah
by wives with babies in their arms,
homeless, cxiled, coming suddenly upon
you. | can hear you now telling John
to put those 'horrid low people out of
the house"
You are pleased to be sarcastic" was
the cool reply. Il can value my ances-
tors if You are incapable of doing so.
hope your IDEAL husband may appear
In the meantime think you are but one
remove from an idiot to refuse Walter
perfect gentleman and my probable
heir ~
Perhaps! 1 will come tomorrow and
finish your Dress
And so saying, Edna wrapped her
shawl about her and departed. For this
girl, sharing with her mother an exceed
ingly slender income. the legacy of her
long-dead father, utilized n ready nee
die and exquisite taste by sewing for
her relatives. Her mother would have
tainted with horror had any one sugges-
ted to her that her daughter was dress
maker. But dear Edna, she admitted,
helped her more prosperous relatives
with their sewing, emitting TO add that
said relatives put sufficiently small
pecuniary acknowledgment into Edna's
purse.
The girl herself, n superbly handsome
brunette, rebelled mentally every hour
of her life against all this pretense.-
Proud to her hearts core, she had no
mean shrinking from facing the truth
that she was poor and obliged to work
for money; bnt the prejudices of her
rich aunt, the affections of her helpless,
fine lady mother must be respected, and
so she worked for half pay and secrecy
when she might have won an honest liv-
ing as an acknowledge dressmaker.
When Walter Templeton asked her
to he his wife some of this lonr.pent-up
irritation at the false life forced upon
her found vent in her refusal of his suit.
She half-regr cited the sarcasms she had
poured out upon his position when she
saw his detected face and the expression
of hurt amazement there.
"After all, +" she thought, when lac left
her, "the poor fellow is not so much TO
blame. lie has been under Aunt Lu-
boy, brought up under small doses of
common sense and vast ones Of Pilgrim
Fathers. blue blood and the degradation
of honest labor. But / won't marry
him / get enough of the family falling
without going TO live with Aunt Lucille,
one more hanger-on. earn all she
gives me, that one comfort. Any dress
maker would charge twice "a much rs
she will pay me TO make the black vel.
vet"
Yet when she came day after day.
working busily ut tho fall sewing Of her
rich aunt, she missed the courteous NJ.
tentions OF her cousin. Truly Aunt Lu.
ellie had spoken when she said Walter
Templeton was n perfect gentleman
His manner was the perfection Of good
breeding. with dcfcrential courtesy for
all womankind, and n most fascinating
Difference for one woman nc loved
Stung by the bitter emphasis Of Edna's
refusal, the contemptuous sarcasms Of
her reasons, nc Withdrew from her pre-
sencc. seldom coming 90 the room. where
he had read 90 liis aunt while she sewed.
Truly Edna had defined his position
in that mental retrospect she had taken.
lie had been his aunts plaything in his
boyhOod, handsome lad full Of talent
and promise When Inc attained ripper
years lie was sent 90 school. 90 college.
aud, graduating there. was put into the
position Of dutiful nephew 90 an aunt
who OpcUly proclaimed him Ior Ioir