St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-07-08
reduced rates. Eli ~

purse is low"
''1es, | know. Do stay at your own
price. | can't spare you"
She had grown such a fOndness for
the old lady, that to refuse her at her
own terms would have seemed like
turning her own mother out of doors /;
besides, one mouth would not signify.
But she found it hard to make both
ends meet, and often went to bed
hungry, that her mother and Mrs. Gle
ment might enjoy enough, without
there appearing to he '.just "A pattern"
AT Christmas, however, there came II
ray of sunlight for Della, in the shape
of Il hundred-dollar bill from an un-
known friend.
SIT can't he meant for mc,n she cried.
''lt's directed to Della ROgerson," ;"
said her mother; "and there's nobody
else of that name, now that your Aunt
Della is dead"
eve are not sure that she is dead"
objected Della.
Horrors Don't you know whether
your own aunt's dead or alive !" asked
Mrs. Clement in shocked tone.
sit isn't our fault. She is rich and
lives abroad. | was named for her;
used to look i'll the glass and try to be
lleve I'd inherited her beauty with the
name, though she was only our great
unclc's wife,
''She ought to be doing something
for you"
| GLOW can she, when she's dead
don't blame her, anyway. Her money
is her own to use according to her
| pleasure. Uncle John made it himself
and gave it to her"
'But if she should come back to You
having run through with it, you'd di-
vide your last crust with her, I'll he
bound
81 suppose ! should" said Della.
The winter wore away, and the mir
acles of spring began in field and way
side; and Delia's boarders returned
with the June roses, and dropped away
again with the falling leaves, and still
Mrs. Clement stayed on and on. just
now she had been for some weeks in
arrears with her reduced board. No
money had been forthcoming for some
time, and she was growing more feeble
daily, needing the luxuries of an inva-
lid and the attention of nurse, both
of which Della bestowed upon her with
out taking thought for the morrow.
81 must hear from my man of bust
ness tomorrow, Della. Pm knec-decp
i'll debt to YOU" she began one night.
"DOn't mention it." cried Della. 81
had rather never see Il cent of it than
have yOu take it to heart You're wei
come to stay and share potluck with us,
you're such company for ma and me-"
'"Thank yOu, my dear. Fvc grown
as fond of you as if you were my own
flesh and blood. There, turn down
the light, please. Draw the curtain,
dear, and put another stick on the fire,
please. 1t grows chilly, doesn't it?
Gou might kiss me, just once, if you
wouldn't mind. It's hundred years
or SO since any one kissed me-"
And the next morning when Della
carried up Mrs. Clements breakfast,
her boardcr lay cold and still upon the
pillows.
The first shock over, Della wrote di-
rectly to the lawyer of whom she had
heard Mrs. Clement speak as having
charge of her affairs, begging him to
notify that lady's relatives, if she had
any. In reply, Mr.. Wills wrote:
"The late Mrs. Clement appears to
have no near relative. Some distant
cousins, who, having an abundance of
this worlds goods, yet served her
shabbily when she tested their gencr-
Osity, as she has tried yours, are all
that remain of her family. In the
meantime, | enclose you IL copy of her
last will and testament, to perusc ut
your leisure"
"What interest does he think take
in Mrs. Clements will ?" thought
Della; but read, nevertheless
"Being of sound mind this 10th day
of June, Is, |, Della Rogers0n Glenn
ent, do hereby leave one hundred dol
lars to each of my cousins and | be
qucath the residue of my property
viz: Thirty thousand dollars invested
in the IngOt mining company, fifty
thousand in United States bonds,
twenty thousand in Fortune Flannel
mills, and my jewels, to the beloved
niece of my first husband, John ROg-
crSOn,
DELLA ROGERSON,
OF Croftsborough, Maine"
''FOr was IA stranger, and We took
me in, hungry, and We fed me sick,
and yc ministered unto me.n
Goodness alive ~ cried the neigh
bOrs, when the facts reached their ears
"What Il profitable thing it is to
take bOarders Everybody in town
will he trying it. OF course Steve
Langdon will come home and marry
her. YOu may stick pin in there ~
Della did not open her house to
bOarders the next season. She found
enough to do in looking after her mon
ey and spending it; in replying to
letters from INDECENT people, who
seemed to increase alarmingly III re-
ceiving old friends, who suddenly
found time to remember her existence.
And sure enough, among the rest ap-
pcarcd Steve Langdon, and all the vii
lage said:
~ told you so y
! "It's no fault of mine that you and
are single yet, Della"
"And we are too old to think of a
change now, Steve"
"NOnsense It's never too late to
mend. I'm not rich, Della but I've
, got enough for two and to spare"
81 wouldn't be cOntented not to drive
in my carriage and have servants un-
der me now" laughed Della.
"Indeed Then perhaps you have d
better match in view Capt Seymour
asked me, by the way, if had come tc
| interfere with Squire Jones' interest p
"Hes Squire Jones proposed to m,
last week"
, "Now, see here, Della. Have
come all the way from Melbourne on {
FOOLS errand. There | was growing
! used to my loneliness and misery ,whcI
: the mail brings me in letter in
: strange hand, which tells me that my