Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-12-12
A Touching Story of a Decoy
Duck.

Strange enough, for we had always
been terribly poor, down at Low.
bridge, my widowed mother bringing
up four daughters with the greatest
difficulty but when brought up. VIC
we're worth looking at, | believe
Healthy habits and frugal living are
apt to make good constitutions, and
Bess and Amy and Patricia and l
were as bright and handsome girls as
are otleh seen.
Bess and Amy were twins, with
eyes as blue as the sea near which
they were born, rosy cheeks, and long,
light brown curls; Patricia was a
sparkling brunette, while ! was as
perfect a blonde, with crinkled hair,
like molten gold. Great had been our
excitement when Aunt Betty wrote
from Fail haven :
Dear Slster-in.Law, vi am going to
do myself the pleasure of visiting you
this summer. l hear that brother
Abel left four girls, and want to sec
them. | am getting on in years, and
will make one of them my heiress,
etc.
Aunt Betty Fairhaven was worth a
hundred thousand dollars if she was
worth cent.
Well, in due time she came. She
put up at the hotel, for our cottage at
Lowbridge wasn't big enough to hold
her, with her mail, coachman and
carriage but fortunately that was
close by, and she spent the larger half
of three days with us.
We all thought Bess would be her
choice, for father had named her Eliza
beth for Aunt Betty, though she had
always been "Bess" with us F.; but it
was not either of the twins, and it was
not lit vas Patricia.
"Where did the girl get her black
hair ?" Aunt Betty asked, as soon as
she saw her.
81 think she looks like my brother
Luke, don't you g asked the mother,
with a wisttul look.
"The very image of him" answered
Aunt Betty, turning pale.
OWNED then, as l learned after
wards, that Uncle Luke had been a
lover Of Aunt Betty's when both were
young, before her marriage. and the
fac. seemed to have a power over
her.
She looked al Patricia until the gill
blusbed rosy-red, and would have
slipped out of the room, when she
called her to her, and, drawing her
down upon her knees on tootstool
before her, she put a withered hand
each side of the warm cheek, and said
warmly:
"My dear Patricia, you shall be my
heiress."
So it was Patricia she chose to leave
her money to; but we were not eft
out in the cold, for she sent the twins,
who were only sixteen, to convent
school for two years, and invited me,
with Patricia, to the Hermitage.
1t was her home-a stately old man
sion of gray stone, gloomy-)ooking on
the outside, but luAuriously, comfort
able and beautiful within, without be-
ing In the least modern. We had
each q maid and the free use of the
horse and carriage. After making
this provision for our comfort, Aunt
Betty excused herself from making
company Of us, and we were free as
air to enjoy ourselves as we chose,
provided we did not interfere with
her maps. We chose to make great
many pleasant acquaintance, guided
consclentiously by Aunt Betty's wish
es, and the result Was that l returned
to Lowbridge in the summer, engag-
ed to Mr.. Clyde Sherrington. He
was wealthy, agreeable, well-con-
nected gentleman. Everybody said,
"Gertrude has done we'll for herself"
That autumn Aunt Betty died. Pa.