Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-05-11
MIR. LANGLEY'S AUNT.

rich man to live near his poor relations.
When the option of residence Is in the
rich mans hand he usually selects a
neighborhood where life is not made
bitter by the sight of unsuccessful, shah
by brothers, broken-down widowed sis-
tiers, or impecunious nephews and
nieces; but what can man do when
be is settled on his own property, and
some of these social pests come, and
pitch their unwelcome tent within a
mile of him?
This sort OF thing had happened when
Raymond Langley was appoiRted curate
of the parish where his uncle owned
the chief property, and was a very POM
pous little squire. 1t would not have
mattered 80 much in he uncle's opin-
ion, if the curato had come by himself;
but he had young orphan sister with
him. This was disagreeable, not only
to Mr.. Langley the squire, but to his
daughter Vera, a young lady of e5thet-
ic tastes and hard, worldly wisdom.
Nora Langley's bright, fresh young face
brought no pleasure to the soul of her
cousin, and rs Christmas WAS approach
ing the shadows Of discomfort deepen
ed.
ut is intensely annoying, papa, their
being here " exclaimed the aggrieved
daughter, sitting sideways by the break
fast-table, in q costume peculiar to the
recent craze, and her brown eyes look
ing angrily from beneath huge fuzz Of
auburn hair. Mora takes up with all
the odd people she meets, and seems to
have no idea Of what is due to us. |
met her yesterday walking with the
most wretched looking old person, quite
vulgar woman l should say, who is
lodging in the village. | really believe
the old creature thought / was going to
be introduced"
"Humph! clergymen cam. be choos-
ers always as to their acquaintance,
especially curate with one hundred
pounds year. But / have a letter
here from my aunt Jephson, saying
size purposes to be with us Oh Christ
ras-day."
Really ?" cried Vera, rising in her
excitement; "tho idea of fixing so sud-
denly or g. visit, after shutting herself
up fpl the last forty years !"
II dare say age is giving her warning
that it dosen't do to put off final ar
engagements too long," and Mr.. Langley
rubbed his hands silently beneath the
tableclo'h as he glanced from the kid
ney on his plate to his crabbedly-writ-
ten letter beside it, "She must be GO
ing to make her will, and we are the
nearest kin"
eyes," said Vera, with soft sigh Of
satisfaction. Then a painful thought
seemed to strike her.
Papa, what about Raymond and
Nora? Wouldn't it be better--quieter
for your aunt, | mean--if we had no
one but herself here on Christmas
day?'
"Ha, ha, ha?" chuckled Mr.. Langley;
"clever girl deuced clever But haven't
we invited the brother and sister ?"
"Ye-es," responded Vera, knitting
her brows in thought, (although you
could not see that she did, because of
her hair "but Nora is coming to tea
with me to-day, and think l can man
age"
Apparently her father thought so too;
for he merely shrugged his shoulders
and opened the Times.
Vera Langley ut five o'clock tea was
quite a picture. Her drawing room
was prepared, draped and curtained
with dim browns and green's. Ebony
shelves, as large ~ for kitchen dresser,
were filed with plates. The mantle
piece WAS china-laden, and decorated
up to the ceiling. A matchless tea
service rested on Chippendale table;
and gracefully reclining, in dress of
dull gold shaded with olive, was the
young lady herself. Who can hope
10 describe an aesthetic expression
of countenance' Du Maurier has Civ.
en- us the young lady whose face was
fixed to resemble a "longing after the
infinite one whose fate was to hear
some gentleman bewailing the freouen-
cy with which he had to eat pork when
travelling somewhere. There was the
fixed look of melancholy and longing
on Vera's face as she greeted her
cousin, and she smiled gently and sadly
upon the simple merino and fur-trim-
med jacket, which adorned one of the
prettiest and most unaffected girls in
England. Only few natural silky
curls fell on the broad, open forehead
and the bright, fun-loving blue eyes
had their full advantage, because they
were allowed to look straight out from
beneath well-shaped eyebrows.
How she did it there is not time to
tell; but Vera Langley contrived to
rouse the ire of her cousin, and to
make her resolve that it should never
be said of Raymond or herself that they
had sought to obtain chance of re-
alizlng Mrs. Jephson's fortune; and the
end of the dainty tea-hour found Nora
taking leave with a heightened color,
and saying that she and her brother
would not dine with their uncle on
Christmas day.
eve shall be quite as comfortable at
home, Raymond. " urged his pretty
sister earnestly; "Iou don't mind. do
your
Not a bit, replied the curate; "but
l had not reserved any of my quarter
ly fortune for Christmas dinner, so
don't order luxuries."
"No, no Y cried Nora; ~ can make
splendid pudding with what is in the