Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-03-08
From Temple Bari
THE SCENT OF A DEAD ROSE.


6 shall say no more; you may take
your own way, all of you. I shall never
interfere with you again, for good OF
bad, SO goodbye to you p and Aunt
Paulett hobbled off on her ebony crutch
like the offended old fairy god-mother.
The family looked at one another with
blank faces as the door clapped smartly
after her.
Aunt Paulett was woman of he1
word, and, if she said she would go back
to her husbands people, go she would
undoubtedly, and then, what would be-
come of them all
From that day-twenty years ago
when she, childless widow, entered her
sisters scrambling, out at-elbows house
hold, to yesterday evening, she had
ruled them all with rod of iron, by the
might OF strong will and leng purse.
Easy going Mr.. Hamilton and his fair,
stupid, good-natured wife, who spent a
placid existence doing woodwork ON the
sofa, her ideas seemingly bounded by
the requirements of the LAST annual baby,
were mere ciphers In her own house, I'M
der her stern, yet wholesome sway.
If Mr.. Hilton, after one or two cut
ting remarks from her ladyship, had
sadly resigned his ancient and comfort
able fashion of spending the evening in
his greasy old dressing gown and down.
at-heel slippers If the servants shook
in their shoes at the sound of Lady Pau
let's bell, and hint of "Aunt Arabella'
quelled the widest nursery riot-yet the
handsome premium which was to start
clever Jack on the road to glory as an
engineer, the allowance which sent stu
dious Pierce to colleg e and saved him
from filling stool in his fathers office,
Dora's pretty gowns and trinkets, Emily's
singing lessons and the new piano, the
summer trip to the seaside, the winter
pantomime and Christmas party-in
brief, all the comforts and luxuries of
the family from the pony carriage to
the last baby's christening robe, came
from the generous hand of the same
benefcent old despot; and now, now,
all were melting away before their aston
lshed eyes like summer snow, and aunt
Arabella was off to spend the rest of her
days with the George Pauletts-and
why? Because, forsooth, pretty Dora,
tons and waiting till, in the fullness of
time, Spencer Paulett should return from
sea, fall in love with and marry her, had
gone and engaged herself to the parish
doctors legged Irish assistant, with
nothing III the world to offer her but a
warm Irish heart, decent share of
brains under his shock head of red hair.
and an income which he modestly de-
scribed as being mostly on the wrong
side Of his account-book as yet.
There was an appalled, silence, broken
only by the sound of the old lady's
crutch tapping off into the distance.
Mr.. Hilton retired behind his newspa-
per with the air of man who had much
to say on the subject presently.
Mrs. Hilton shifted feebIy on her sofa.
The smallest Hilton but one sat under
the table sucking its thumb and, vague
ly conscious of evil to come, prepared
fol a wall. In a distant window Dora
wept and wept impervious to all her
Cornelius vigorous whispers of con-
ISOLATION.
Pierce had withdrawn discreetly when
the storm broke through the window in
to the garden, where he was seen walk
ing up and down in dismayed meditation:
and Jack, surreptitiously shaking his fist
at the unconscious back of his wou1d-be
brother-in-law, followed Pierce. Mean
while, up the staircase and down the
corridor went Aunt Arabella briskly
enough, despite her lameness and her
eighty years. She had two little rooms
in remote corner of the house, sacred
from the intrusion of the most audacious
of Hiltons. She entered the first of
them, where pale, meek young female
sat sewing.
'Parker!''
"Yes, my lady,"
ct want my trunks. Find them at
once, and pack up everything that be.
longs to me-"
Long attendance on her imperious mis-
tress had deprived the gentle Parker of ex-
pressing any sentiment but that of meek
acquiescence.
GO Yes, my LADY,
'"We go by the first train tomorrow,
so be ready
eyes, my lady,"
"And let some one take two letters tc
the post for me tonight
Eyes, my lady"
Lady Paulett passed on to the next
room, bedroom furnished with mag
niticent erection of mahogany and satin
damask large enough to accommodate
| ten little old ladies like herself.
There was wood fire burning, rem.
dering dimly visible ancient spider.
legged tables, corner cupboard with
treasures of old china and enamel; elab
crate works of art in patchwork; a
Counterpart, cushions, etc., and some
framed and glazed performances, in
tentstitch, "EJeazer meeting Rebecca,
"The Prodigal's Return" and "RutI