Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-29

absorbed to notice the faces Of her COM
panions, till double exclamation caught
her ear, and made her look up suddenly. |
"Nlarian, what do you think-the pud- |
ding has come true ~ cried Emmy.
ooh, Marian-the pudding see what
has come of it y exclaimed Aileen. Then
they stopped and regarded each other
with wondering eyes.
"What is it % demanded the astonish-
ed Marian.
II don't know what Aileen's news may
bc but listen to mine. Only think I
drew the sixpence, you know and here is
II letter from old Mr.. Wickham the law
yer. to say that Cousin Emilia Storrs is
dead, and has left me twenty thousan Il
dollars because [ was named after her.
'Twonty thous-Why, that is news y
cried Marian. "Why, my darling, now
you can go to the Riviera. Just as we
wished How delighted I am You
will get well there in just one minute
am sure of it. Aileen, how queer You
look Have you had fortune left you,
too?"
"No, not fortune replied Aileen
slowly 81 didn't draw money, You
know. drew the ring"-blushing most
beautifully.
les. wei, WIHl ID IL ! w iu, dit
you growing 50 red about ? Aileen,
speak; don't keep us in suspense. )
"Girls, said Aileen, 81 am going to
confess something that will surprise you
a good deal. You won't be vexed with
me, will you? Promise me i'll advance
that You won't"
haste and tell" said Marian, on fire with
curiosity.
"Well, then, when jim Chauncey went
to China, three years ago, L promised to
marry him whenever he was able to come
home and ask me-"
The sisters stared at her speechlessly.
at seems mean never to have let you
know" went on Aileen rapidly. "But it
was very far away sort of dream to me,
and Just theu--iust after he sailed-came
the beginning of mothers long sickness,
and then Emmy fell i'll, and there seemed
so much to think about and worry over,
that | couldn't bear to add this to the rest
or make you feel that l had any hopes or
plans apart from yours. And i'll fact, |
hadn't 1t might be for years or it might
be forever for all / could tell, before
Jim would be i'll a condition to claim my
promise. But here he writes that all is
suddenly changed. The New York part
ner of the firm is dead and they have de-
cided to send Jim back to take his place.
He will have an ample income, and-and.
in short, we must go home, dears ms soon
ms the warm weather is fairly come, and it
is safe for Emmy. Jimmy will reach
New York in June, and he wants to be
mari mean, to see meas soon rs pos
sible after he lands.
"Well, | never was knocked quite SO
flat i'll all my life before. said Marian,
recovering her speech with a sort of gasp.
Zone such surprise in day would be
almost too much two is too utterly too.
You wretchcd little humbug who ever
would have suspected You of secreting
an engagement all this while? But you
were an angel of unselishness not to
NOPE, and not to tell us, giving Aileen
an energetic squeeze. SIT would have
added to our worries dreadfully to feel
that You only half belonged to us. 1t
was just like you, Aileen.
$50 it was, added Emilia, drawing her
sisters fair face down for kiss. "Oh,
my Ally, how bewildering it isl rich,
and you engaged L shall always believe
in buildings for the future. Marian is
the only one left out.
Don't despair. 1t wouldn't surprise
me if some man all tattered and torn
made his appearance at any moment,
said Marian.
"Besides, she has half of all we have"
said Aileen.
"Half of Jimmy Chauncey? Thank
you, replied Marian, grimly. 'Solo-
mon himself would find it rather difficult
to effect that amicablc division. No, my
dears, poverty is my portion-witness the
fatal thimble-and l am quite content"
Great was Mrs. Durkie's surprise and
great her triumph at learning what Won
ders her culinary spell had wrought. Her
satisfaction was only marred by the It'd
| ings that her dodgers must leave her soon.
They had decided OH San Reno for the
| Spring months.
"And indeed l would never have made
any pudding at all, had guessed what it
was to cost me, protested the good land
lady. But you'll write and let me know
what comes to you Miss Marian, won't
You? Something will before the years
out, depend upon it. And I've the right
to hear Don't you think SO yourself
now, ma'am?"
"Of course you have and you shall
hear, promised Marian.
| But Spring and Summer passed, and
Autumn was well under way before a
letter with the American postmark came
to satisfy the good landlady's curiosity.
1t bore date, "New York, November II. "
my DEAR Mrs DURKIE" $50 it ram, -
Il hope sou have not forgotten lis or our
promise to write. i meant to have done
so before, but thought you would be
too disappointed to hear that the pudding
charnl had in my case failed. and pro-
duced nothing ut ALL And till lately this
seemed to be the truth. We got home on
the Goth of May, and just n month later
my sister Aileen was married. She Is
settled now in her pretty new home, and
is very well and very happy, and hopes
YOU got tho cards she sent out to YOU
Emmy, who, YOU will like to hear, it
quite strong again, spent the Summer
with me in Colorado, which is the mos
beautiful country you can imagine, witt
such mountains and park-like valleys anC
such air MS can not be described. Colora
do, yOu know, is State in the far West
almost ms far from New York as you art
in the Isle of Wight. Now we are come
eastward again, and are staying will
Aileen for while, until-here comes my
news, and, rs you will see, the pudding
was true prophet-until | am married
as expect to be on the 10th of mex
month, to Mr.. Robert Ramsay, whom W.
met at Estes Park last July. He i'd
ranchman, that is a sort of sheep farmer
and am going back with him to live il
Colorado. Our house will be prett,
rough for the first year or two in fact, i
{ is a sort of cabin, built entirely of WOO,
a and partly of logs, with no paint or plas
ter, and | suppose would seem rattle
, 'poyerty-stricken' to some people bu
we hope to improve it in time, and mean
while we have beautiful hills to look at
!, and splendid climate, which, togethe
with youth and fair prospects, make
very pleasant sort of poverty as think