The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-08-14
ETHEL'S ERROR

all over with bows OF blue ribbon,
while her mother was stirring up
starch, rinsing out fine clothes, and
otherwise assisting the washer woman
in the kitchen below.
Somebody must help Bridget, it
stood to reason. for the wssh was
large. and the family income small;
but Miss Ethel never thought OF prot
fering her service on q Monday.
She had been sent to boarding
school, taught French and embroid-
cry, and iubued with taste for Jean
IngloW's poetry-all of which accom-
plishments are hardly useful in 6
large family.
bat Ethel is pretty" Mss. Elkin-
ton remarked. with sigh. 81 dare say
she will marry well, one of these days.
T. should like her to be brought up
like lady. was terribly mortified
when sister Ketursh put her daughter
to the millinery trade. Patty was q
pretty girl. too, although her style is
quite different from Ethel's; il is q
shame to shut her of behind coun-
ter"
so Mrs. Ellington went on toiling.
economising. denying herself almost
the necessaries of life, in order that
Ethel might be more completely re-
sembie human butterfly.
Miss Ethel calmly accepted the
sacrifice, as if it was a matter of
course. After this manner is selfish
ness fostered in families, az il j. was a
virtue instead OF vice.
Ethel Elkinton was in the midst Of
q musical skirmish OF fats and sharps,
when there came a knock at the
door, and Q tall, brown-faced man
stood there, with q leather valise in
one hand and an eccentric looking
stick in the other.
"Does Mrs. Eliab Ellington live
here7" said be.
"That is map said the fair musi.
oian, giving the tortured piano an
instant of reprieVe. "But she is par
ticuIarly engaged" with q Suspicious
glance at the valise, land ne do not
want any new publications. nor
patent soaps."
Neither do l." said the stranger.
brnsquely. ~ have called on espe-
cial business.
Mamma can not see you" RAid
Miss Ellington, still doubtfulIy.
"Will I not do as well?"
"You remembe your cousin, Robin
Hardy?" said the tall stranger, after .
pause.
"Hardy- Hardy-Robin Hardy?"
repeated Ethel. ''Oh, yesl little
snub-nosed, mischievous fellow, that
was always drawing charcoal pictures
on the inside of the barn door,
and filing the chicken-house with
pulleys and leather bands. and all
sorts OF nonsense. He ran away. one
day, after he had blown the corn crib
to pieces by some chemical explosion
or other, and We have not heard of
him ssince."
Exactly" said the tall man. "I
do not recall the precise circum-
stance, Blu: it sounds very like Harry.
You know he went to Idahe Terri
tory.
mol" ssid Ethel, impstientIy.
"Did l not tell you we have never
heard of him SINGER"
He has been very sick, and"
''Oh, 1 see." interrupted Ethel,
she is dead; and you are trying to
break it to me as gently IS possible,
but you need not take the trouble,
sir, as none of us care straw whether
Rebin Hardy lived or died. He was
always q good for-nothing. shiftiess
fellow; and you want to get the money
for the funeral expenses of US; pa ia q
lawyer. and he will contest it to the
very last inch"
'Excuse me-" said the stranger,
courteously, "but had no intention
of that sort. ! merely intended b
mention that he had lstterly made
e CREST deal of money out of some
successful speculation in Idaho, and
that presumed bis relatives would
like to benefit by bis change of cir
cumstances.
At this. Miss Ellington became all
instinct with animation end interest.
Certainly" said she, ''of course.
That would only be right and proper.
The only heirs are our family, and
aunt Keturah's down the road. Pa
will be at home next week, il you
wish to see him about it. He ia in
Philadelphia now, On court business.
"Thanksl" said the stranger. I
will call again. In the meantime
would you be 80 very good as to give
me glass OF wster?" I.
''There is well little way down
the road, ;" said Miss ELLINGTON, with
q cocoa-nut shell chained to the curb.
You can get drink OF water thcre!''
And she resumed her desperate en-.
counter with the sccidentals of the
snowy sonata.
much she cares whether poor
Robin Hardy is alive or Dead" said
the stranger to himself, with a mel
sncholy shrug of his shoulders, ss he
walked away. "He was sad dog, | !
know. but there used to be some good |
about him. And this Mrs. Ellington,
the girls mother, was bis mothers |
own sister"
He stopped at the Hay-side well, |
drank deep. cool draught from the |