Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-01-24
L0ANING A LOVER.

L0ANING A LOVER.
My sister Patricia was an heiress.
Strange enough, Tor we had always
been terribly poor enough down ct
Lowbridge, my widowed mother
bringing up her four daughters with
the greatest difficulty; but when
brought up, we were worth looking
at, | believe. Healthy habits and
frugal living are apt to make good
conditions, and Bess and Amy and
Patricia and were as bright and
handsome girls as are often seen.
Bess and Amy were twins, with
eyes as blue as the sea.water near
which they were born, rosy cheeks,
and long,.hgh brown curla; Patricia
was sparkling brunette, while l
was as perfect blonde, with crink-
led hair, like molten gold. Great
had been our excitement when Aunt
Betty wrote from Fairhaven
Dear Sister-in-Law: / am going
to do myself the pleasure Of visiting
you this summer. hear that broth
er Abel left four girls, and l want to
see them. am getting on in years,
and will make one of them my heir
ess,' etc.
Aunt Betty of Fairhaven was
worth 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 maid, goodman
and carriage; but fortunately that
was close by, and she spent the Tar
ger half OF the three days with us.
We all thought Bess would be her
choice, for father bad named her
Elizabeth for Aunt Betty, though
she had always been sBess' with us !;
but it was not either of the twins,
and it was not lit was Patricia.
Where did that girl get her black
hair p Aunt Betty asked, as soon as
she saw her.
Il think she looks like my brother
Luke, don't you p asked her mother,
with wistful look.
sThe very image of him. answered
Aunt Betty, turning pale.
OWNED then, as [ learned after.
ward, that Uncle Luke had been a
lover of Aunt Betty's when both
were young, before her marriage,
and the fact seemed to have a power
over her.
She looked al Patricia until the
girl blushed rosy-red, and would
have slipped out of the room,
when she called her to her, and,
drawing her down upon her knees
on footstool before her, she put a
withered hand each side of the warm
cheek, and said warmly:
My dear, you shall be my heiress.
So it was Patricia she chose to
leave her money to; but we were
not left 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
mansion of graw stone, gloomy-look-
ing on the outside, but luxurioasly
comfortable and beautiful within,
without being in the least modern.
We had each q maid and the free
use OF the horse and carriage. After
making this provision for our com.
fort, Aunt Betty excused herself
from making company of us, and
were free as air to enjoy ourselves as
we chose, provided we did not inter.
fere with her maps We chose to
make a great many pleasant acquain-
tanoes, guided conscientiously by
Aunt Betty's wishes, and the result
was that | returned to Lowbridge in
the summer, engaged to Mr.. Clyde
Sherrington. He was wealthy, hand.
some, agreeable, well-connected. Ev-
erybody said, Gertrude has done
we'll for herself
That autumn Aunt Betty died.
Patricia was to come in possession
OF her fortune in a year, when she
was twenty-one-full and undisputed
possession of one hundred thousand
dollars.
1t was arranged that we were all
to come to the Hermitage to live.
We did so, and had lived there quiz
city, as was becoming. for nearly a
year, when Patricia made the ac>
quaintance of Mr.. Gage Redmond.
She met him frs. at funeral-of
all places the occasion caused by
the death of our next neighhor, Gen.
De Lacy, Gage Redmond being a
neighbor of his. He was we'll con.
nected, but poor as church mouse,
people said; $50 Of course he was
after Patrieia's fortune mamma de-
clared.
Patricia is rich and beautiful. Pray
don't lot her marry a fortune-hunter,
mamma, said /, looking up from q
letter | was writing to Mr.. Sher-
rington.
Il would not, if | could help it ;but
what authority have /, Gertrude p
said my mother. In q few months
Patricia will be in undivided posses
sion of her fortune. We are here
only by courtesy. The Hermitage
is her home. / have no right to
control her whatever
But your influence, mamma p
will have very little effect if she
sets her heart on this Gage Red