Litchfield enquirer., 1879-06-12
GRANNY CARRIGAN's CAP BOX.

GRANNY CARRIGAN's CAP BOX.
 My wife's cousin was 8 slender, old-fashion. ed looking girl with quiet, retiring manners, and habit of gliding about with almost noise. less movements. 1 used to call her the little gray ghost.
 It seemed to me, when my wife first broach. ed the subject, Qulxotic notion to take the girl home with us; but Nellie's heart is so large and loving!
 '.Just think of the poor child alone in thai wilderness" she said, with plying eyes; 'sand we have plenty and to spare"
 ''So has Aunt Cheney"
 ''Yes, but she lives in the backwoods, al solitary place as can be found. The poQl child has had no mother for years, her father has been an invalid ever since she was 1( years old, and now he is gone, it does seem hard she should be condemned to solitude and old Aunt Cheney. At least let us invite hel to come for season. Let us give her mo- ment of pleasure poor child! She will be so delighted, so astonished with this bewildering New York"
 I consented of course, as good husbands are in duty bound to do, and on a certain October afternoon, drove to the station for my wife's cousin. knew her the moment she made her appearance, though had never seen hel before. The little creature. appealed to my sympathy at once by her inbescribably forlorn lustrous gray eyes, her only beauty, rowing a. round startled to unwonted lustre.
 ''Is this Susie Myriam ?" asked.
 ''Yes; was beginning to feel little fright. tened at the confusion, " said she: "you fare Cousin Nelle's husband.
 I led her away from the crowd, and she was silent and strange the whole way home, utterly preoccupied with the sights to be seen at all hours in our great metropolis. !.
 From that time Susle was one of us-I mean in all that pertains to the manners and customs of the household; and yet could never feel any nearer degree of friendship than that with which welcomed her the first day to our pleasant home.
 ''She is so handy" said my wife. "You don't know how many little things she does, and yet 1 can't prevail upon her to take sin gle present from me-"
 ''She don't care for little vanhies, "I said.
 'Don't she! she's as fond of nlce things as anybody, Eve found that out: but she has an absurd notion that unless she earns costly jew els she won't wear them: won't be dependent even on me for the most trifling ornaments. She admired the little, old-fashioned pearl brooch that you always liked so we'll, and offered it to her. No, insist as might, I could not prevail on her to accept it. have tried again and again to tempt her, for really, have so many useless things that don't wear at all, but it's no manner of use. She's the most obstinate little creature ever saw" Time passed, and became accustomed to the slight gray figure sitting beside my wife or fitting about like contented ghost Wife had found companion for her solitary hours and was glad Together they haunted the picture galleries, the art saloons together they shopped, drove in the dark, or lunched.
 ''Whom do you think we met to- day ?" my wife asked me one evening, when we were alone together ''Of all men in the world. Harry Lonsdale, whom haven't seen since he returned from Europe, and he has picture at Lozer's that everybody is going wild over, It is beautiful thlng-you know never could talk rt-jargon, but it satisfied me as pictures seldom do. When saw him, he seemed quite as much absorbed in studying Susie as she was in studying his picture. You don't know how pretty she looked You needn't smile, John for her eyes would redeem any face. Sudden ly Harry saw me, and came straight up to where we stood. l told him how glad was to know ne was gettins famous, but lIe only nodded, and said eagerly:
 "That young lady seems to be rather inter- ested-I am fiattered."
 "Yes, that's my cousin Susie" I replied.
 "Your cousin pray introduce me, and John, as sure as you live, that will be a match"
 Nonsense was my rejoinder. I knew Harry Lonsdale, and Susie was not by any means his ideal. Harry liked dashing, hand some girls; vivacious, magnetic girls of the Tresylian style, with oval faces, languishing eyes and naughty lips. He had sketched such to me by the hour, and knew some of the 1aIs xrith l,o0 1. very friendly terms. The idea of his fancying this cold, gray little creature, with no figure to boast of, and a manner SO sedate and quiet that she was seldom noticed at all, was preposter- ous
 'lt fattered him to see her absorbed by hls picture," 1 said 'only praise him and am not sure that BeelZebub himself might not hold him ill the chains of eternal friendship. Harry Lensdale IS the vainest man 1 ever saw, for a man who really is great genius"
 "Well, we'll see" said my wife, with that confident little nod of hers. ''It will be suff1- cient punishment for your unbelief if only have the chance to say some time, I told you so'"
 To my great astonishment Harry called at the house three evenings out of the week after that and under the influence of his presence that little gray cousin grew positively beauti- ful. noticed change In her department. She seemed at times more preoccupied; at others, elated, mirthful, almost wildly happy !; particularly on those days when it seemed probable Harry would come began to share in my wife's anticipations, and began to watch Harry. He did seem exactly like an impas- stoned lover.
 About this time my wife sad to me one day that Susie was receiving letters from some far off friend.
 ''I notice when they come; sometimes I hand them to her, but she never mentions them again. Shouldn't you think she would speak about them ?" asked my wife.
 Susie sie's'movement's were now of importance in my eyes. How had that plain little girl contrived to captivate handsome, popular Har- ry Lonsdale the most exacting fellow in his relations with women ever knew The thing certainly was done.
 Susie camae out in new character. Her gray dresses were frightened with exquisite bits of color. She spoke to my wife of need ing new dresses, and to Nellies astonishment bought herself several. Then came ornaments, few, but choice and costly.
 Where doyou suppose she getsth money" ]" asked Nellie.
 '''How do we know but she may be rich and eccentric ?" was my response ''You pitied her, and thought her a poor lone glrl, but her father may have possessed property to large amount for all we can tell"
 Nellie shook her wise head
 'I don't believe he left cent; indeed, what am saying it is 2 matter of certainty that he did not, for Susie told me so herself. Besides, she would have got fine things fast enough scores of times. I've seen the look in her eye when I've been shopping at Stewards, sugges- tive of emptiness of pocket and anguish of spirit for you see now what lovely taste she has. But l wish she wasn't such secret thing, that's what torments me do like to be confded in."
 What followed made that conversation mem- orable. Some months previous I had received the sum of $3,OO0 for small piece. of land. This money, or part of it, had occasion to use. went up to the closet in.my room, one side of which served as safe. To my utter astonishment the money was not there. seorched the closet through, and thea called my wife for consultation. ?. .g.gs yv-vz.-s..
 Together we looked in every available place, cleared the shelves of the library, searched