Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-06-22


Week after week the yacht Mermaid re
manned III the offing. Day by day the younl
people fioated on the sn Doth summer tide
or strolled in the garden, or sang at the ol,
piano songs ringing ana full of sweetness.
Perhaps no happier hearts existed unde
the sun. Then Godfrey Somers sent TO
his yacht, and Gordon must needs obey aut
speed North.
"Ob, Gordon, you will forget me-" sh'
cried.
Forget my little oriole? Neverl Child
you do not know how l love you. Wea
this ring for me, Adelaide.
1t was deep and yellow. and bore il
deeply engraved characters the word ''al
ways" And so they parted for q few
weeks, betrothed lovers.
The summer waned, but Adelaide wa
so happy she did not mind when the rost
petals fell and the fruit was gathered.
Aunt Resolve, who watched her constant
ly nowadays, saw that she was wrapped il
q dream of bliss. Her nature of grea
sweetness was alive, and her lover and hel
love life was all to her. And now, fol
Somers' sake that was plain-shs begar
to take an interest In the tasks and ths
plans at the jumpers.
"Nhere does the money come from thai
pays the plantation hands for their work,
Aunt Resolve?"
"They have their cabins and corn and
sweet potato patches. l pay them small
wages out of the fruit CROP"
'What does that consist OFF,
Strawberries, pears. melons, and
grapes.
'Where are they sold?"
81 send them North bv the boats"
What buys our food and dressesfn
''The oyster beds. They are a great
deal of care, assure you"
'.For YOU You have the care of every.
thing. Let me learn to help you. deal
auntle; let me learn to be useful t. you."
And Adelaide grew busy, painstaking,
and thrifty. She was dustmg an old cabi-
net one day when panel, which always
seemed secure, slipped from its groove into
her hand, showing cavity filled with COM
partments behind. In one was a bit of
folded elbow paper. 1t was not worth
disturbing, at first Adelaide thought. At
last. with reluctant curiosity, she drew it
forth, unfolded, and scanned its faded char
acters, and, ss she read, her dark eyes de-
lated, her checks paled, she caught her
breath.
Aunt Resolve was counting out mopey
on the library table. Suddenly Adelaide,
all white and trembling, entered the room,
the paper in her hand. ''What have you
there?"
Aunt Resolve had grown suddenly ghast-
ly at tine sight of the faded scrap. She
snatched at the girls wrist, and drew the
paper toward her without touching it. She
saw only too clearly the minute, quaint
characters, clear as print, though the Ink
was faded. Then she pushed Adelaide
away and turned aside her face.
The bewildered gIrl sat down upon the
footstool at her feet
''Oh, Aunt. what Is it?'
''It is nothing" portioning off the silver
with trembling hand "The salt marsh
must be cut now; SO go away, child; l am
busy"
But TIE girl clung about her knees.
''Oh! this is my grandfather's name
signed to this, she cried, "and | am home
less"
"Tut, tut"
Sam 1 not the last of my race? His
father gained it dishonesty" he says,
''and when his descendants shall have
dwindled to single one, let him or her not
dare to marry, but restore the estate to the
rightful family, bestowing it upon the poor
est member thereof" quoted the girl, the
words of the paper stamped on her MEN,
ory.
Aunt Resolve groaned and her hands fell
from their task.
''Child, child" she cried, show in the
world came you TO find i.i"
Il was busting the Cabinet. 1t was be-
hind a panel that fell down. did not
dare to touch it at first. Now l have read
it all, and know what it means-what
have to do, auntie." And now the girl
stood up.
'sYour father gave it to me for safe keep
ing. l never meant you to see it, Adelaide. "
'sThat would have been very wrong,
auntie."
'.No, no. dearie; you must marry and
be happy"
The girl did not speak. She stood look
ing around the familiar room, and her eyes
grew dark with agony. Evidently her re-
solve was taken.
"The dear old place-it seemed part of
nv very self. 1t never before was beauti-
full and dear as now, when 1t was to be my
home and his. 1t has seemed lonely and
irksome-it never would any more. And
must give it up.
This was fixed as an unalterable law in
her mind. The conditions being fulfilled
which decreed 1t to another, the jumpers
must forthwith pass into other hands.
There could be no doubt that Adelaide
was heart broken. She looked as if some
terrible illness had settled upon her. Aunt
Resolve was utterly shattered by the girl q
state: But now Adelaide was the stronger
in maintaining a settled purpose.
The latter had guardian whom she saw
annually. She wrote to him, acqualntln2
him with the message from the deceased,
and briefly reliuquisning the property, as
she wished him to take steps to discover
the former owners of the Jumpers pro-
cess which Aunt Resolve thought would not
be difficult, though she did not know them
Il would not have done it, dear, she
said. sick in bed 81 would have you live
and die upon the old place. 1 fear-ah,
fear you will miss everything now-foI
CAPTAIN Somers has no home, and he viii
rove from and forget you'll 1t Is human
nature. These long-deferred marriages
never turn out well. You know yCu
marriage te him must be deferred. oon'
youa"
sies." :,
The girl uttered the one sad monosylla'
bic, and said no more.
And now the time was flying. Captain
Somers she expected daily, for he said nf
would return to her in less than month.
She finally brought herself to write to him,