The Penn's Grove record., 1882-02-11

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forgotten in the duty before her.
For the dear old aunt, who had
always loved her bright, pretty niece,
was Ill unto death, with a painful Ill
ness that required incessant care.
Anne was nearly worn out by months
Of faithful nursing, and Ella wrote TO
Harry:
"If you can spare me, dear, L am
sorely needed here. Aunt Margaret's
children are all dead, and her grand
children are none of them here. 1
have written to Gerald Cooper, the
eldest of her sons children, to whom
her income will return if she dies, but
even II he comes on she will still need
me-"
1t was hard nursing, incessant care,
but Ella felt more than repaid by the
lnvalid's gratitude. Every service
was so fully appreciated and met
with such warm thanks that 1t was a
pleasure to offer it.
Dear child" the old lady said one
day, "you will soon be released, and
your good husband will be no worse
for an old woman's most hearty bless
ing. l cannot pay you, Ella, nor leave
him a fortune. I've nothing, dear,
but the few chairs and tables In the
house, but God will reward you for
your love and care to me.'
Days slipped into weeks, weeks into
months, and 1t was nearly three
months later than the day she left
Creyton, when Ella was free to return
there. Gerald Cooper had been with
his grandmother a week before she
died, but no other relative excepting
Ella had come to Magnolia.
The funeral was over, and Ella was
alone In the little parlor, when MI.
Leigh, the lawyer who had been Mrs.
Cooper's friend for years, and had
known Ella from her infancy, came
in. In spite of the solemnity OF the
occasion there was a twinkle In his
ey es, and he said:
Have you seen Gerald Cooper since
we left the cemetery ?"
mo, he has not come home YETI
ibid you know your Aunt Marga-
ret left q will"
"a will 1 thought she had NO
property
"She owned nothing but her cloth
ing. and the furniture of this cottage.
She has left ali that to you"
$50 she told me. But it Is Of no
money value, is itP"
"That remains to be seen. Now,
Nell, make me a promise. Promise
me you will not accept any proposals
Of Gerald Cooper's without sending
him to me-"
Certainly" said Ella, rather be-
wildered.
"Do you want to sell the furni-
ture ?"
ut would cost a great deal to carry
1t to Creyten, would it not?
"Yes.n
"And our cottage is furnished"
"Then you do not care for the old
| furniture. Some OF it Is very fine,
more than a hundred years old"
But Ella was not educated up to old
furniture, and thought her pretty
modern sofas and tables suited her
little cottage far better than Aunt
Margaret's heavy larAe pieces of mo-
hogany and black oak.
But for Mr.. Leigh's call she would
have closed at once with Gerald's
careless offer.
"By the way, Nell, my wife has
rather set her heart upon grand
mothers furniture, and had no idea
she would will it away. You won't
want 10 move al, the stuff to Creyton.
Suppose 1 give you a hundred dollars
| for the lot, as 1t stands"
Without warning, Nell would have
accepted at once, but as it vas, she
was surprised to see Gerald Cooper's
face grow black, as she said
"Mr. Leigh said he would see about
that for me. You can tell him you
want the furniture"
An expression more forcible than
polite escaped Mr.. Cooper, as he
strobe out OF the room, slamming the
door after him.
Three days later Ella began to un-
dsrstand the situation. In her quiet
country home, occupied by her do
nestle duties, she had taken little In
tersst In the follies or freaks of fash
ion, seeing nothing of them and
scarcely needing what she read. The
value OF old furniture vas unknown
to her and the fact that her inherj-
lance was q choice and rare n was
something that had not occurred to
her.
Bnt Mr. Leigh was well aware of
the fact and having a cordial liking
for Ella, had resolved to make the
legacy as valuable as possible, under
standing that the furniture itself
would be OF but little value to her.
A carefully worded advertisement
In the leading papers Of the cities
nearest to Magnolia, a circular letter
to some Of the prominent dealers,
were as high walls in the little plan
Gerald Cooper had made to buy his
grandmother's furniture for a trifle.
A sale was announced, and Mr.. Leigh
sent an agent to put the cottage In or
der.
"Such Of the clothing ~ you ear
use. pack up" he told Ella, land
send your trunks to the depot, but let
all the old fashioned stuff go for COS
tumes.'n
Magnolia had never seen such a
sight a. the cottage on the day of the
sale. Every train brought crowds OF
fashionably Attirsd ladies and gentle