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

Miss ELLINGTON was practising
SNOWY sonata at the piano.forts, in q
neqEige OF pale blue bunting, sprinkled
ali 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 Monday.
She had been sent to boarding
| school, taught French and embYoid-
cry, and iubued with taste for Jean
IngloW's poetry-all of which accom-.
pIishments are hardly useful in
large family.
bat Ethel is pretty" Mss. Elkin-
ton remarked. with sigh. 81 dare say
she will marry we'll, one of these days.
Is should like her to be brought up
like q lady. was terribly mortified
when sister Keturah put her daughter
TO the millinery trade. Patty was
pretty girl. too, although her style is
quite different from Ethel's; ii is q
shame to shut her of behind g 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-
semb,e human butterfly.
Miss Ethel calmly accepted the
sacrifice, as if it was q matter of
course. After this manner 10 selfish
ness festered in families, as il j. was a
virtue instead OF vice.
Ethel Elkinton was in the midGS OF
q musical skirmish of flats 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
here!" said be.
'That is NAL" said the fair musi.
oian, giving the tortured piano an
instant of reprieVe. but she is par
ticularly 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. II have called on espe-
cial business"
Mamma can not see you." aAid
Miss Ellington. still doubtfulIy.
"Will not do as wellS"
'You rememb Der your cousin, Robin
Hardy?" said the tall stranger, after .
pause.
"HArdy- Hardy-Robin Hardy?"
repeated Ethel. "Oh, yesI little
snub-noaed, miscellaneous 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 ne have not heard of
him ssince."
Exactly" said the tall man. "l
do not recall the precise circum-
stance, bu: it sounds very like Harry. |
You know he went to Idsae Terri
tory.
"Nol" ssid Ethel, impstientIy. |
"Did l not tell you We have never
heard of him since?'
He hiss been very sick, and"
"Oh, I see," interrupted Ethel, |
che is dead; and you are trying TO
break it to me as gently as possible,
but you need not take the trouble,
sir. as none of us care straw whether
Rebin Hardy lived or died. He was
always good for-nothing. shittless
fellow; and you want to get the money
for the funeral expenses of US; pa is q
lawyer, and be will contest it to the
very last inch"
'4Excuse me-" said the stranger,
courteously. shut l had no intention
of that sort. l merely intended b
mention that he had lstterly made q
e CREST deal OF money out of some
successful speculation in Idaho, and
that l presumed his relatives would
like to benefit by his change of cir
At this. Miss Ellington became all
instinct with animation and interest.
Certainly" said she. "of course.
That would only be right and proper.
The only heirs are our family, and
aunt Ketursh'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. 1
will call again. In the meantime
would you be so very good as to give
me glsss OF Water?"
''There is well little way down
The road" said Miss ELLINGTON, with
; cocoa-nut shell chained to the curb.
You can get drink OF water thcreP'
And she resumed her desperate en-.
counter with the sccidentsls of the
snowy sonata.
much she cares whether poor
Robin Hardy is alive or dead" said
he stranger to himself, with. q mel
lncholy shrug of his shoulders, ss he
walked away. "He was q sad dog, |
Know. but there used to be some good
ho,,k bir, EIl-;-ck1-