The Penn's Grove record., 1882-05-06

lncH Cdlhoa utdIty 1huSn WhlSh ~
assured Amy a very little. Certainl
this was a most extraordinary burglar
or else there was some ridiculous mil
take. She would flee to Mrs. Gate
protection at all events, she thought
dropping her weapon and tuggin
away at the huge bolt with tremllin
fingers.
By this time the young man ha'
finished his sb~lutions, and presenteI
quite a different appearance.
81 am Mr.. Ackerman's brother" h
said, politely "he asked me TO remain
In his house to night, az a means o
protection in his absence"
"Mr. Alderman has no brother
contrsdicted Amy, stoutly.
"Are you SURE of that2"
"Certsinly / am. Mrs. Ackermar
has just made me a vist; she would
have mentioned him If such q person
exisfed.u
"Can it be that you are Aunt
Hetty
"Aunt Hetty, indeed"
Amy was finding courage and voice
fast enough now.
81 Reg your PARDON" said Tom /:
"but Mollie told me she was going to
visit her Aunt Hetty, and you said
she had been visiting you hence my
mistake."'
~ am Mrs. Ackerman's sister"
"Strange J never heard her speak OF
you! However, / am sorry ! fright
ened you, Miss-Mlss Arden, and II
you will allow me 1 will explain mat
tiers. / am bookkeeper at Bottoms
hardware establishment"
"You looked mos like a bootblack,"
interrupted Amy.
"Or a burg lar" added Tom. "Well,
as I was saying, I am bookkeeper,
but there was a press of work in the
foundry tonight and as they happened
to be short of hands / offered to stay
and assist this accounts for my late
arrival, also for my blackened face
and hands"
He looked very much like INDUCING
in another hearty laugh, but restrained
himself at the sight of Amy's whits,
distressed face.
"I am afraid 1 was rude" she said,
''but it was such q shock to me / am
very tired and
Tom sprang to her side, or she would
have fallen from sheer exhaustion
He helped her into the parlor, brought
wine and refreshments from Mollie's
generous store-room, and they were
soon talking matters over qaite calmly.
1t was after two o'clock when Tom
proposed to go and ask Mrs. Gates to
to come over for the rest of the night /;
but Amy protested against this, saying
she was not afraid if he would remain
In the house.
Mollie was almost beside herself
when she came home and found how
affairs had gone in her absence; cry
ing one minui Over Amy's fright,
laughing the next over Toms graphic
description of the same, it was some
time before they settled down into
anything like quiet.
As the days and weeks went by,
Mollie could not determine whether
certain plans of hers were to
prosper or not. Tom spent all his
evenings with them, but he and Amy
were always IN contrary sides of every
question ard they tantalized each
other 80 numerically that poor Mollie
sometimes despaired of their being
friends, not to mention a nearer rela-
ton.
They were all together as usual, one
evening, and Tom Tor the hundredth
time was describing Amy's appearance
on that memorable evening when she
so nearly Drained him for a burglar.
,"And little did / suspect then,' he
went on soberly, she would ever have
the privilege of brandishing the poker
over me for life."
"Wnat do you mean ?" cried Mollie,
staring first at Toms solemn visage
and then at Amy's flushed cheeks.
"Just what 1 said. Amy and l are
going to set up housekeeping in the
opposite cottage, where / suppose she
will continue to flourish all sorts OF
murderous weapons at me-"
"John, darling, it's coming about
exactly as we planned" shouted Mol
lie, springing up in excitement.
Well, it did come about just as Mol
lie desired. Mrs. Amy even mad
cardinal the predominating color in
her parlor, and it harmonizes charm
ingly with the dark beauty of its mis-
tress.
The sisters are inseparable, and q
happy as two mortals can ever expec
to be. Tom is something more thar
bookkeeper in the Bolton hardware
business now, and he and John are
talking of buying two handsome prop
critics In the suburbs of the city. Mrs
Mollie declares she would rather re
main in the little home on LAX
street, but what woman was ever proc
against a handsome establishment II
an ~aristocratic neighborhood7 No
our ambitious little Moliie. l am sure
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The Gulf Stream and Sardines
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