Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-05-18
rom here" returned Miss Elizabeth.

IIOh hoEcs IotuIueu Iminn I<hAhboths
with heroic truthfulness. "Come into
the house, child, and see your mothers
miniature and hear all your aunt has TO
say"
How different ii was from Josephine's
dream Yet her courage somewhat re-
vived at the thought Of the learned old
gentleman and his scholarly seclusion.
Only her new amt - her "real
aunt "-damped it again. She was so
ugly and so business like. She did not
want to lay any surreptitious claim to
Josephine's affections. She did not
want to carry her of. A lawyer would
wait on the Misses Knightley and go
into every detail of the matter before
they would be expected to resign their
charge. Then she would return for her.
Her name was Payne - Miss Selma
Payne; and her niece had been chris
tened after her.
$50 you're Selma Payne, too" she
said, looking at Josephine March; land
I expect you will be very thankful to
have q name that really belongs to
you"
Josephine had Just one more week in
the old Corner House, and sad and
trying week it was. AS for the Misses
Knightley they wept much in secret,
and though they said little about Miss
Selma Payne they often wondered
over MFR. Payne, and remarked to each
other that brothers and sisters were
frequently very unlike, as If that Of
fered the most hopeful view of that
unknown savant.
Then Josephine left them. Miss Se-
lima cut their farewells short.
You're not parting forever" she
said. 81 come very near here every
half year about some money business.
and sometimes I'll bring her with me
and leave her for half an hour
And before the Misses Knightley
could protest against such curtailcd
visits the cab had driven away.
Their railroad journey brought them
to dismal little black village called
Carrow. 1t stood up anyhow round
great factory, which was pouring forth
fierce light from hundred square
windows.
That's the works, Selma" said her
aunt-"the chemical works for xhich
your father experiments and Analyses"
"Oh, how ugly !" cried the girl
which was perhaps ungracious.
1T brings us bread, Selma" said the
aunt; ''and your father will expect you
to take an interest in his work and
to help him, / can tell you," she
added; though he'll claim more from
you for his hobbies and his pets and
such useless trash"
And so you're Selma" cried thin,
cracked voice in the hall of the Low,
dark house into which they were ush.
cred "Ah, you've gos Maggie's eyes.
Poor Maggie There, there, don't
smother met We shall have plenty OF
time to get 10 know each other"
Aud as that life began SO ii continued
through that awful winter. The old
lady and gentleman received o visitors;
they had dropped most of the amenities
of life, and they we're waited on by faith.
full servants after their own heart.
Mr.. Payne's duties lay among dangerous
gases and acids; his recreation consisted
Of the study and domestication of liv
ing snakes and nevis and frogs, and the
dissection of dead Observation-Disclosures
which he cordially invited his daughter
| TO share.
As for Miss Selma, she always gave
grunt when letters came from the
Misses Knightley, and when Josephine
threw out hints that she would like
them to receive some substantial yet
graceful recognition of their goodness
to her, Miss Selma curtly replied that
she had no doubt they had paid them
selves IN one way and another.
And this was the fulGllment OF the
dream for which Josephine had often
tnrned away from the sweet realities of
her old life at the Corner House
There was nothing shameful in it; on
the contrary, ii had credit and honor,
for the poor girl saw from newspaper
and certificate how high her father
stood in the estimate of his brethren.
And she would inherit considerable
fortune, too. She was assured of that.
Yet Josephine's head was sick and her
whole heart was faint.
The crisis came one day, when, rising
from dutiful but nauseating endeavor
to mount specimen for her father, she
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