The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-03-12
SELECT STORY.
MISS DUBARLE's RELATIVES.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.

no matter what year. And she was stout
and short, with ankles like pump han
dies, and no visible waist; and hands
that were red and fat, instead of white
and slender; and features that belonged
to no Grecian type or Roman mould,
but seemed to setting up, stri Seneris, each
on its own special account, with no refer
ence whatever to the others. For the
world is not altogether stocked with
Venuses and Hebes, whatever the ro-
nance writer's would like to make us be-
lieye, and there is no reason why plain
female can not be heroine in spite of
her looks.
But we have not mentioned the most
important fact Of all. Miss Dubarle had
forty thousand dollars Of her own.
And that was, without doubt, the rea-
son that her relatives sent her very pres
sing invitations to come and visit them,
and dispatched cases Of wine and ham
pers of game and boxes of new books
down to Dubarle Farm; and the little
girls worked hideous pincushions and
tides to decorate her rooms; and young
men wrote acrostics for her birthday, and
everybody listened politely to her
speeches; however prolix they might be;
for a rich old maid is worth cultivating,
and it wasn't at all likely that Miss Du-
barle would ever marry.
It was a bleak October day; the red
and brown leaves went whiFling round
and round in the blast, and the great
wood fire upon the hearth sent, every
now and then, apiteful little gushes of
smoke into the room where Miss Dubarle
and her second cousin and companion,
Janet Heath, sat together, working
crochet roses for a counterpane.
"Janet," said Miss Dubarle, politely,
"you're a fool"
Janet looked up with flush of color
on her pretty cheek. She was not all
unaccustomed to these little compliment
tary remarks on the the part of Miss Du
barle.
"Be a sensible girl" added the elder
female. "Give him up, and I'll buy
you blue silk dress and black lace
shawl"
"But 1 love him, Miss Dubarle."
"Oh, psh-a-awi grimaced the spinster.
Love, indeedI never was in love!"
"And," added Janet, growing more
rosy than ever, as she stopped to pick up
her ivory needle, che said he would be
miserable without me. Don't be angry,
please, but indeed, indeed, must mar
ry him."
Miss Dubarle jumped up so suddenly
that the doing blackbird in its cage ut
tered shrill note of CONSERVATION.
Every well, ,""very well, Janet Heath.
Pack your trunk as soon a. you please ]
can dispence with your services at once.
And pack mine first, if you please"
"You are not going away, Miss Du-
barle?" queried poor Janet, in consterna-
tion.
II am going to visit my relatives"
answered Miss Dubarle, with pursed-up
lips.
And then little Janet knew. that her
own fate, as far as any worldly advan
tages would be derived from her kinship
to the heiress, was scaled.
"Put in the black silk gown, Janet"
said Miss Dubarle, in a tone as lugubri-
GUS as if she were giving orders for her
own funeral. "Of all sins / regard in
gratitude as the basest. And the China
Grape scarf; to think that have nursed
a viper to turn and sting me at lastl
And don't forget my easy slippers,
though 1 don't know either why my
corns should be entitled to any more con-
siderstion than my poor bruised heart"
And then, as Janet Heath began to
cry, Miss Dubarle marched out of the
room.
81 never could endure the vipers,"
said Miss Dubarle. "I'll 60 to my niece
Maria, or maybe I'll make Herbert
Smythe little bit of a visit; he's always
saying how delighted he would be to en-
tertain me in his bachelor quarters. They
both love me, although / haven't done
half for them that have for this little
serpent's tooth of q Janet. I dare say
she expected to my be heiress, but she'll
find out her mistake, guess"
And Miss Dubarle, who allowed no
suns to go down on her wrath, took the
first train for New York, and slept that
night in the fifth story of marblefront-
ed hotel.
'I didn't think l should miss that
child Janet so much," she said, rather
dolefnlly, to herself, the next morning.
as she tried to comb out her tangled
"back hair" and nearly strangled her.
self trying to button up her own boots;
"but don't care; won't give up to her
lovesick whims, and will go to see Ma
ria Brooks and Herbert Smythe. Maria s
little girl wrote me a beautiful letter
last, month, and all out of her own head,
her mother said. Let me see; Eudocia
her name was. Perhaps I will adopt
Eudocia."
And Miss Dubarle ordered a carriage
and drove to the mansion of Mr.. Secor
Brooks, on an aristocratic side street.
"They seem to live very nicely
thought the rich relation. "I didn't
know Secor's income justified such style
at this"
The servant showed Miss Dubarle in.
to reception room, furnished after the
style of Louis Quinze. His mistres:
was out, but would return presently, he
explained
"I'n watt" said Miss Dubarle.
A wizened little girl, with her hail
braided in long Chinese plaits, and red
chill-iookino elbows. was tinklinQ aUay