The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-26

quite different-quite different. Milly,
give me drink of water. My old lips
are parched; and then place my gera-
mum where l can see it.'i
Mildred Obeyed, beginning to feaI
that poor old Aunt Patience was very
ill indeed.
She was right, for, towards evening,
the old lady began to grow worse, and
the doctor shook his sage head.
Just at the hour of midnight, when
Miss Evelyn Yorke, in golden silk,
with roses in her hair, was floating
through a languid polka-redowa, Mil
dred knelt at the bedside of a dying
woman.
"Milly, you have been good to me al
ways, and L am very old. Years ago,
when l was young ="
The words died away into everlasting
silence upon her lips, the gray shadows
of death crept slowly over the wrinkled
forehead, and the freed soul went out
through the midnight into the great
Unknown.
Poor Aunt Patience was buried qui-
city, and forgotten. Even the formal
"wiiI," in which she had bequeathed to
Mildred Yorke her gold-headed cane,
her gold beads and geranium plant,
had ceased to excite laughter or COM
ment.
Mildred was sitting at her work a few
days subsequently,, when the door
opened, and an unwonted visitor ap-
peared.
"Charleyvn
at is 1, Milly. I couldn't keep away
any longer, Mildred. You have not
ceased to love me ?n
'I shall never cease to love you,
Charles"
"Then there is no truth in the report
about Julius Raymond's being engaged
to you ?"
''Thank heaven for that, dearest.
You will be true to me always, Mill
dred ?"
"Until DEATH" she said, softly.
"But it is so hard TO wait" he said,
passiOnately, pacing up and down the
room. 81 know it is wrong to burden
you with my cares and troubles, love;
! but if only had a little money, there
is such a capital business opportunity
open to me now. Oh, Mildred it
drives me wild to fancy what might be
if had only thousand dollars 1'
1t was very awkward. Charley Glenn
was not in the habit of doing things so
bunglingly, for, as he bent to press his
lips to Mildred's, his elbow struck
against the glazed earthenware flower
pot in the window-seat, and down it
went with a crash, rose geranium and
all.
Charley uttered an exclamation of
comic despair.
"Never mind" said Mildred, gently.
''The plant would have needed a new
pot soon. The roots were sadly
cramped."
"What is this ?" exclaimed Glenn,
who was STOPPING to pick up the debris.
ga little tin case, as l live, exactly
fitted to the pot! No wonder the roots
were cramped, Milly. And it is locked,
too %
Mildred looked moment in amaze
ment at the box, and then uttered lit
tie cry of surprise.
"Now | know the meaning of the
tiny key that hung from Aunt Pa
tience's string of gold beads ~ she ex-
claimed, hurriedly christening the an
tique ornament from her slender neck.
"Charley, it is like a story in novel
Unlock the box. My hands tremble
So"
The little key turned in the lock, re-
vealing an inner case that had no lock
"a case full of layers of rustling paper
"Only twenty notes of $1,000 each, u
said Mr.. Glenn, deliberately. "My
dear, / told you that Aunt Patience
was the Witch of Endor."
"NO-rather fairy godmother," saiC
Mildred, with a sudden gush of tears, a;
she rendered all Aunt Patience's enig
matical words. "Dear Charles, take
the money. 1t has come just in time
for your need"
"Take the money! And pray wha
return have to make ?"
"Only yourself" whispered Mildred
laughing and crying in the same breath
ave can be married now, Charley"
They were married; and, in the
bright little bay window in the sitting
room, Aunt Patience's rose geraniun
thrives as gallantly as when its root
twined around the mysterious box.
But Evelyn still remains single, anC
says sometimes, with a sigh, "Wht
would have supposed Aunt Patienc,
Perkins was so rich ?"