The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1880-01-13
Selfft stu,r.
Gertrude's stratagen,.

My sister Patricia was an heiress
Strange enough, for we had always beer
terribly poor down at Lowbridge, my
widowed mother bringing up her fou
daughters with the greatest difficulty
but when brought up were worth look
ing at, believe. Healthy habits and
frugal living are apt to make good con-
ditions, and Bess and Amy and Patriot.
and I 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, light brown
curls; Patricia was sparkling brunette
while / was perfect blonde, with crink-
led hair like molten gold. Great hac
been our excitement when Aunt Betty
wrote from Fairhaven:
"DEAR SIsrER-fN.LAw / am going to
do myself the pleasure Of visiting you
this summer. l hear that brother Abel
left four girls, and / want to see them.
l am getting on in years, and will make
one Of them my heiress."
Aunt Betty, Of Fairhaven, was worth
$100, 900 II she was worth cent.
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
she spent the larger half Of three days
with Us.
We all thought Bess would be her
choice, for father had named her Eliza
beth for Aunt Betty, though she had al
ways been "Bess" with us. But il was
neither of the twins and IL was not /. 1t
was Patricia.
"Where did that girl get her black
hair ?" Aunt Betty asked as soon as she
saw her.
~ think she looks like my brother
Luke, don't you 2" asked my mother
With wistful look.
The very image Of him." answered
Aunt Betty turning pale.
I OWNED then, as / learned afterward,
that Uncle Luke had been . lover Of
Aunt Betty's when both we're young, be-
fore their marriage, and the fact seemed
to have power over her.
She looked at Patricia until the girl
blushed rosy red, and would have slipped
out of the room when she called to her,
and drawing her down upon her knees
upon q footstool before her, she put q
withered hand each side OF the young
cheeks, and said warmly:
"My dear, you shall be my heiressP'
So 1t was Patricia she chose to leave
her money to, but we were not ont In the
cold, for she sent the twins, who were
only sixteen, to school for two years
and invited me, with Patricia, to the
Hermitage.
1t was her home stately old man.
sion Of gray stone, gloomy looking on
the outside but luxuriously comfortable
within, without being in the least mod
ern. We had each maid, and the free
use OF the carriage. After making this
provision for our comfort, Aunt Betty
excused herself from making company
of us,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 great many acquaintances, guided
cautiously by Aunt Betty's wisdom, and
the result was that returned to Low.
bridge in the summer engaged to Mr.
Clyde Sherringtop. he was wealthy
handsome agreeable, well connected
Everybody said, "Gertrude has done
well for herself"
That autumn Aunt Betty died Patri-
cia was to come in possession Of her for
tune in q year. when she was twenty on.
full and undisputed poseessor of 300
600.
1t was arranged that We were ali t.
come to the Hermitage to live; we die
so, and lived there quietly as was becom
ing for nearly year, when Patriots
made the acquaintance of Mr.. Gage
Redmond.
She met him first at funeral--of al
places 1.-The occasion caused by th,
death of our next door neighbor, Gen
De Lacy, Gage Redmond being neigh
Dor of his. he was well connected. bu
J az poor as churchmoase, people said