The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-27

/ remembered the iudigulties had borne,
/ the needs oi my friend. the absolute
! rlghtiulncss OF what | was doing, and,
strong in resolution, glide3 across the
/ hall silently, slowly, lest the ghost OF a
I foot iall should rouse the yigilaut sleep
ers within There WAS something dread
! lul IN this, after all, This strange adj
vent among familiar things that look on
! the intruder with sinister ewes is not "a
! desirable experience. True, | was ON
mission of merry; but tins fact tailed 10
support me AS | stood poised on my
auut's door sill A Weak-minded doubt
/ fulness creeping IN for moment paral-
wed my activity. THIS bauble had been
I in Aunt MargerY's poSsessluu for years,
( Was IL mine? was il hers? The sacred
/ rights of property" | had heard talked
OF so often: were my mothers sacred, or
my aunt's2 Ali what would become
oi all the property IN the world II right
fully divided? Would then Dick so
out starving and houseless from Aunt
Margery's surplus Of luxury? Danger
Gus speculations, but brief. l swept
them all aside like cobwebs. Never
should | desert Dick in his time OF need.
Stepping ON tiptoe in my uushod feet, |
essayel to convoy my beating heart as
far as possible from the high old
fashioned beistead II almost seemed
Aunt MarGery might hear 1t IN her
sleep. The low night lamp sent thiu
thread # light across the door; II rested
on the heavy drapery festooued % the
ceiling, which gave This couch an awful
dignity in my old childish days. And
there, lust opposite it, stood transhxed.
There lay Aunt Margery, with eyes wide
open, looking out at me. | returned the
gaze steadily, froZenly. l know not
how long we might have regarded each
other thus, but the parrot, IN his cover
ed cage within, cruaked uneasily. Aunt
Margery turned sleepily on her pillow.
You are late, Jenny, she said quer-
ulously. "What kept You SO, child?
Hand me the camphor yonder, my head
aches reaifnlly."
handed the camphor silently, and of
habit proceeded 10 battle her hands and
forehead as usual, and then came the
usual innumerAhle orders. A little warm
water from the bath room, and little
mixture from the medicine chest. Her
pillows needed adjusting, her lamp
needed trimming, and thus was /
chained TO her side prisoner, with that
doubtful time-piece IN my pocket, and
my brain dizzy with schemes for escape.
Oh, what would Dick think OF me, re-
creant that / was in his time Of trial.
poor Dick, watching vainly all this time
at Kate Catterbv's cabin, or wandering
on the road, mayhap, all the long night
fall, meditating on the faithlessness of
woman; then in the morning, dlscour-
aged and hopeless, he would drift away
somewhere out OF my reach. l hardly
dared think Of this contingency. To let
go my hold on Dick was 20 give up my
hold on life. Utterly exhausted with the
long watching, fell asleep at last, the
heavy sleepof youth and weariness.
WAS aroused from this dreamless
slumber by a sudden loud crash, a rap
ping and tearing at the window.
Aunt Margery started up aghast.
Robbersl" she exclaimed, clutchlug
my arm. But there never could have
been so bungling a robber as this. l
stood up and faced the intruder with
gide-staring eyes.
"All right" said loud. CHEEKY voice.
The confounded sashl' Aud there
stood Dick.
Why. bless my heart, auntie, l beg
your pardon. But, Jenny girl, I've
been walking the road till l couldn't
stand it any longer. Thought yoa'd
been robbed, or waylaid, or some
thing"
Propped up on her elbow among the
pillows, Aunt Margery looked ont ma
lestically and interrupted this TRADE.
Richard" said she, "are You
fool ?"
Couldn't exactly state tonight.
auntie. Haven't time 10 anAlyze. |
only came TO look after Jenny. She's
all right, it seems, so I'll bid you good
night"
"Dick," said the invalid, shaking her
long forednger at him authoritatively,
you'll stay just where you are. 1
can't do without Jenny, | hpd-she
can't do without you, it appears"
LOT course not, " said Dick, deliber-
ately taking chair. 81 always was an
appendage of Jenny's, you know, and
shall be for the rest Of my natural life,
I'm afraid.
"Just so - screamed the parrot, one
bright sunny morning, as | stepped
down stairs in n floating bridal veil, and
with my mothers watch in my girdle,
Aunt Margery's wedding gift. Dick
was waiting for me below, with beaming
face and arms outstretched.