The Portland daily press., 1882-01-07

present"
The pudding was Carved" and Mrs. Dur
kie, nothing loath, slipped her glass of pink
foaming wine, while the sisters curiously ex-
plored each her slice with fork.
81 have the ring" said Aiteen, solemnly.
"And l do believe-yes, here is the six
pence" declared Emmy, fishing the hot lit
tie disk out daintily from the burning sauce.
81 am to be the rich one, it seems"
81 have nothing al all. That seems hard
ly fair,'' pronounced Marian. At that very
moment her fork encountered hard SUBJ
stance-the thimble.
swell, that is the most curious" cried
Mrs. Durkie. 81 never before heard of all
three things being drawn except there was
large party, and the whole pudding was
served. Well, I'm sorry you've got the
thmble, Miss Rand; but there's some sorts
of poverty that's as good as riches, they say,
and hope your sort will be of that kind"
"What good creature. that is p remarked
Aileen, after she had gone. eve didn't
want pudding, and we didn't mean to have
pudding; but, after all, l am glad she
made us one, if only to show what kind
heart she has. The English are very nice, /
think"
$50 they are, and it was really jolly idea
to put those things in. | never heard OF
such custom before. 1t makes plum
putting really luI6IoStluS.
SIT is all very well for you, who did not
happen to draw the thimble," remarked Ma
ran, severely. 81 am not sure that l find
the pudding so interesting. 'Poortith cauld'
is an old acquaintance; don't care to have
him introduced to me-"
Altogether, what with the surprise and
the fun, the pudding was a great success,
and the christmas in lodgings" ended much
more cheerily with the Rand sisters than it
had begun.
The next week drifted by, and now it was
Twelfth-Night, a festival with little meaning
to American ears. With the Rands the day
was chiefly remarkable for the expected ar
rival of belated American mail. Marian
went to the post in the afternoon, and re-
turned rosy and elated, with quite bundle
of letters.
"Three letters for you, Aileen, two for me,
with a lot of newspapers, and for you, EN-
my, this thick blue envelope, which looks
business-like. 1 wonder who can have sent
it p Then she tore open her own letters,
and soon became too much absorbed to no.
tice the faces of her companions, till a
double exclamation caught her ear, and
made her look up suddenly.
"Marian, what do you think-the pudding
has come truep' cried Emmy.
ooh, Marian-the pudding! see what has
come of itv' exclaimed Aileen. Then they
stopped and regarded each other with won
derng eyes.
'sWhat is it?" demanded the astonished
Marian.
81 don't know what Aileen's news may be
but listen to mine. Only think-I drew the
sixpence, you know and here is letter from
old Mr. Wickham, the lawyer, to say that
Cousin Emilia Storrs is dead, and has left
me twenty thousand dollars because was
named after her,"
''Twenty thous-Why, that is newsw
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; I am sure of it.
Aileen, how queer you look! Have you had
fortune left you, too?'
''No, not a fortune,'' replied Aileen slow
ly; 81 didn't. draw money, you know.
drew-the ring"-bl pshing most beautiful
eyes. Well, what is it? What are you
keep us in suspense"
HG;rls," said Aileen, ST am going to con.
fess something that will surprise you good
deal. You won't be vexed with me, will
you? Promise me in advance that you
WON'T
every well, we promise; only make haste
and tell,' said Marian, on fire with curiosi-
ty.
''Well. then, when Jim Chauncey went to
China, three years ago, | promised to marry
him whenever he was able to come home
and ask me-"
The sisters stared at her speechlessly.
''It seems mean never to have lei you
know" went on Aileen rapidly. "But it
was very far-away sort of dream to me,
and just then-just after he sailed-came
the beginning of mothers long sickness, and
then Emmy fell ill, 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 had any hopes or plans apart
from yours. And in fact, l hadn't. 1t
might be for years or it might be forever,
for all could tell, before Jim would be in
condition to claim my promise. But here
New York partner of the firm is dead and
they have decided to send Jim back to take
his place. He will have an ample income,
and-and, in short, we must go home, dears
as soon as the warm weather is fairly come,
and it is safe for Emmy. Jim will reach
New York in June, and he wants to be mar
I mean, to see meas soon as possible af-
ter he lands"
"Well, never was knocked quite so fiat
in all my life BEFORE" said Marian, recover
ing her speech with sort of gasn. zone
SuCL pIloC III udy WOutO NC dliuOsb
too much: two is too utterly too. You
wtetched little humbugi who ever would
have suspected you of secreting an engage
ment all this while? But you were an an
gel of unselfshness not to NOPE, and not to
tell u.s." giving Aileen an energetic squeeze.
SIT would have added to our worries dread
fully to feel that you only half belonged to
us. 1t was just like you, Aileen.''
80 it was,' added Emilia, drawing her
sisters fair face down for a kiss. ''Oh, my
Ally, how bewilderlng it isl rich, and you
engaged! I 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 sall tattered and torn made his
appearance at any moment" said Marian.
sBesides, she has half of all we have"
said Aileen.
s'Half of Jim Chauncey? Thank you,''
replied Marian, grimly. Solomon himself
would find it rather difficult to effect that
amicable division. No, my dears, poverty
is my portion-witness the fatal thimble-
and / am quite content"
Great was Mrs. Durkie's surprise and
great her triumph at learning what wonders
her culinary spell had wrought. Her salts
faction was only marred by the tidings that
her dodgers must leave her soon. They had
decided ON San Reno for the Spring months.
"And indeed would never have made
any pudding at all, had guessed what it
was to cost me-" protested the good landla-
dy. 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 Au-
tumn was well under way before letter
with the American postmark came to satisfy
the good landlady's curiosity. 1t bore date,
''New York, November 49,"
"MY DEAR Mrs. DURKIE' $50 it ran),-"I
hope you have not forgotten us or our promise
to write. 1 meant to have done so before, but
thought you would be too disappointed to
hear that the pudding charm had in my case
failed, and produced nothing at all. And till
lately this seemed to be the truth. We got
home on the 29th of May, and just a month
later my sister Aieen was married. She is set
tied now in her pretty new home, and is very
we'll and very happy, and hopes you got the
cards she sent out to you. Emmy, who, you
will like to hear, is quite strong again, spent
the Summer with me in Colorado, which is the
most beautiful country you can imagine, with
such mountains and park-like valleys and such
L@I IL