The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1879-12-18
GERTBVDE's sTRATAGEM.

VI NAWSgE ELECTROMAGNETIC
Ny sister Patricia was an heiress,
Strange enough, for we had always been
terribly poor down at Lowbridge, my
widowed mother bringing up her four
daughters with the greatest difficulty /;
but, when brought up, were worth look
ing at, Ibelieye. Healthy habits and
frugal living are apt to make good condi-
lions, 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 near which they were
born, rosy cheeks and long, lightbroYn
curls; Patricia was asparkling brunette;
while | was perfect blonde, with
crinkled hair like molten gold. Great
had been our excitement when Aunt
Betty wrote from Fairhaven:
DEAR srER-IS-LA WI am going 70 do
myself the pleasureof visiting you this sum \
mer, hear that brother Abel left four girls,
aud want to see them. ! entsetdHs On in
years, and will make one of them my heiress."
Aunt Betty, of Fairhaven, was worth
100000 if she was worth cent. E
Well, in due time she came. She put
up at the hotel, for our cottage at Low.
bridge wasn't big enough to hold her,
with her maid, coachman and. carriage,
but fortunately that was close by, and
abe spent the larger half of three days
with us. a-7 .v-v
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. But it was
neither of the twins and it was not /.
III yes Patricia.
Where did that girl get her black
hairT' Aunt Betty asked, Is soop1as she
saw her.
II think she looks like my brother
Luke, don't your asked my mother,
with wistful look
''The very image of him." answered
Aunt Betty, turning pale. = itt hN
OWNED then, as l learned afterward,
that Uncle Luke had been lover of
Aunt Betty's, when both were young,
before their marriage, and the fact
seemed to have power over her. O.
She looked at Patricia until the girl
blushed rosy red, andwould have slipped
out of the room when she called to her,
and drawing her down upon her knees
upon footstool before her, she put
withered hand each side of the young
cheeks, and said, lWarpE:N kHAil1
"My dear, you shall be my iieiressW
So it was Patricia she chose to leave
her money to, but we were not out in
the cold. for she sent the twins, who
were only sixteen, to school for two
years. and invited me, with Patricia, to
I the Hermitage 49,
1t was her hone-a Stately odd man
sion of gray stone gloomy looking on
the outside, but luxuriously comfortable
'hI4lc '}de s'IG. tfeFT IA
within, without being IN the least mod
ern. We had each a maid, and the free
use of the horse and carriage. After
making this provision for our comfort
Aunt Betty excused herself from max
ing company of u, and we were as free
as air to enjoy ourselves as we chose,
provided we did not interfere with her
nap. We chose to make a great many
acquaintance, guided cautiously by |
Aunt Betty's Hisdom, and the result was |
that I returned to Lowbridge in the
summer engaged to Mr.. Clyde Steering |
ton. Hewas wealthy, handsome, agree
able, well connected. Everybody said,
"Gertrude has done well for herself'
That autumn Aunt Betty died. Pa
tricia was to come in possession of her !
fortune in a year. when she was twenty |
one-full and undisputed possessor of
100000.
It was arranged that we were al to
come TO the Hermitage to live. We did
so, and lived there quietly as was be-
coming for nearly year, when Patricia
made the acquaintance Of Mr.. > Gage
Redmond.
She met him first at funeral-of all
occasion caused by the
death Of our next door neighbOr Gen.
De Lacy, Gage Raymond being aneigh-
Dor Of bis. He was well connected, but
as poor as 8 church mouse. people said;
80, Of course, be was after Patrieia's
fortune, mamma declared0
Patricia i rich and beautiful. Pray,
don't let her marry a fortune-hLnter,
said !, looking up from q let !
ter I was writing to Mr.. Sherrington.
81 would not II / could help il; but
what authority have ], Gertrudei" said
nv mother. "In q few months Patricia
viii be in undivided possession Of Der
fortune. We are here only b. courtesy.
The Hermitaes Is her home. / have no
night 70 control her Ehstever.9 q J