The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-06-03

bridget says g herself, Z IS il that put
matter beyond dispute. sss ss
The next day when Cedric came up
to amrse Walter with the affairs of down
stairs, that youth demanded: 81 say. are
you really Aunt Susett 81 beau, Cedric2
Adrienne's ever so much nicer. When
I'm 9 man I'll marry Adrienne. 4
Then you'll be luckier than ], = said
Cedric, winding up = top, and spinning
It on his palm.
IT was year since then. no longer
went out. u was fairly. ,asse. & Aunt
Browne had abandoned all hopes OF me.
I was good nurserymaid, q cheap GOV
erness, an Inexpensive companion in the
family. In the meantime ! could have
married tiny day, if / had chosen to accept
the hev. Abel Amherst, and transfer nv
labors to the parsonage. To be sure this
would not have proved the brilliant mar
rage my aunt had expected OF me. nor
the romantic one had dreamed Of nv
sell, and it was net till 1 came into poses
sion OF certain family secret that I be-
gan to reyolve the possibility in nv mind.
It seems that when my aunt married her
second husband, Mr. Browne Susette
and Anne were both Lowells-thev had
subsisted upon the patrimony left "a Co
dric by his mother, and that after his "a
theirs death, Cedric had turned IS the
same yearly income from the estate for
the family use, and that I, Adrienne
Lennox, owed my daily bread to the man
had refused, and who, had. forgotten
me. Earning my own livelihood was out
OF the question, drudgery was my onlv
vocation, and that was too badly paid to
be encouraging. / looked at the Rev.
Abel Amherst often at this period, with
view to installing him in Cedric's place
# Cedric would only vacate. Oddly en-
ough, Mr.. Amherst renewed his suit al
this time, and pressed it with the eager.
ness OF lover, and for the first time I
began to hesitate. "The woman who hest
tates is lost" said Susette.
had been out on the hills one dav
trying to make up my mind to forget
Cedric, and marry Mr.. Amherst but
whenever WI began to think with some in
terest OF going to parish meetings, becom-
ing the president OF Dakota leagues ana
sewing circles, visiting the poor, and
drinking tea opposite the Rev. Mr.. Am
herst all the rest of my DAYS, somehow
Or other Cedric's face would slip into the
picture unlimited, and blot out his rivals
as strong sunlight fades negative photo
graph.
'sThere is letter for you, Adrienne. .
said Aunt Browne, when I entered the
house ssin the music room, on the top of
the dado, under Mozart's picture.'' !
went into the music room, but there was
no letter to be seen.
Perhaps one Of the girls has removed
i" she suggested. But no one had med
died with it.
Grandma cooked letter over the tea
kettle" said Teddy rehectively.
eyes, : said grandma, 81 wrote a let
ter to your pa, child. hadn't any blot
ting paper, but the fire answers the pur-
pose quite as well.'''
At that time I had never heard of
opening letters by steam. Well, we ran.
sacked the house for that truant lettcr.but
in vain.
Who was it from, Aunta" I asked.
How should l know, child?''
'sBut the handwriting, the post-mark %
''The postmark was blurred.
Had it foreign stamp?'' asked.
with sudden eagerness. Cedric had gone
abroad some months before, and I had
not heard of his return.
- foreign stamp! No. Were you ex-
pecting foreign letter."
''N.o; but it is the unexpected that al
ways happens, you know"
"lt's awfully provoking said Susette.
Perhaps it was only the recipes Mrs.
CLARK was going to send you
Nothing more likely; but what has
become Of It? It's prolonged game Of
hunt the thimble.' =
"And supposing it's letter notifying
you OF the existence Of first Amherst
put IN Anne, 'or OF legacy left by your
forty fifth cousin in Australia And
then the door-bcll rang.
"Well, after that I supposed must
have accepted Mr.. Amherst. Everybody
behaved as If I had. I received congrat-
ulatlons and ring, and the parish begun
repairs upon the parsonage before Icould
muster courage to tell Mr.. Amherst all
about Cedric and my mistake, and how
| wasn't at all sure could ever get over
it, and care for anybody else, but that
1 would do my best. And he smiled in
sort Of absent way when I told him, but
seemed content to take me as was, for
better Or worse; only it did strike me
sometimes that he was the most unde
monstrative lover in Christendom; but /
hadn't much experience in lovers, and
perhaps they weren't as gushing in real
life as novels pictured. He used to kiss
my hand when we parted; that
was all. He was very gentle,
but a little sad. l fancied. with a
look which might mean that he was half
afraid OF so much happiness, or that to
marry the woman he loved wasn't all
that fancy had painted it. And often ]
thought | had perhaps done wrong to tell
HIM everything about Cedric SO unreserv-
eddy; yet had only meant to be honest.
But the day was appointed, and sudden.