Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1882-12-28


inform you that have received tidings that
my grandniece and your cousin, Mabel w iltOn,
has been letC an orphan at No. = Norton
Street, Williamsburg, and that she is in great
want / inclose eheque for five hundred
! dollars, in order that you may find her out and
purchase for her respectable wearing on tit
and sewing machine. The residue OF the
money, after the above investments have bee n
made, is to pay her expenses at your boarding
house for such time it may suffice. Pray
let me know when the money is all spent. By
this plan fatter myself that I can be service
able to both you and her. So no more at
present from Your Aunt,
TABITHA CLARK"
I" CRANBERRE COTTAGE, Casford, Conn,
December IS.
..Flinty-hearted old miser!'' cried
Audrey.
sour boarding indeedn' said
Muriel, looking satrically around ut the
elegant drawing-room, where Sniffen
was just lighting the chandeliers wax
candles.
.'Mabel Wiltonr' thoughtfully re-
peated Mrs, Ve'veton. II don't know
nor care anything about her. a factory
girl, 1 suppose-or something of that
sort! I'll tell you what, girls, I've an
idea, I've a good mind to take the
money, and buy your dresses for New
Years. 1t really seems to have come to
us quite providentiaHy. And then,
when New Years Day is over, can go
to Williamsburg or Hoboken, or where
ever it is, and take your cousin few
dollars and give her little good advice,
and perhaps rent sewing machine for
her for a month or two. Then the no
ton of bringing her here, you see, is
simply preposterous!
''Of coursen' said Audrey,
''To be sure,'' chimed in Muriel.
The new dresses were purchased, and
Madame Elisette herself composed
them to the satisfaction of even the
Misses Yelveton. And Soprini received
carte blanche to set the table, and Vau-
doir had the flower order, and Mrs.
Velveton congratulated herself that
nothing was wanting.
New Years Day came, cold and clear,
and glittering with sparkling snow be-
low and heaven of glorious blue above.
Ting gazing" went Che bell before
Sniffen had buttoned on his new livery
coat.
"Our first CALL said Audrey, giving
her pale-blue train shak9-out. ''Wha5
antedluvian can it possibly be, to come
at this time?"
Pm sure can't imagine said
Muriel, posing her face into the regula-
ton delighted smile.
And in walked little, old woman, in
snuf-colored suit and round spec
tacles, followed by a tall, pale girl, in
shabby black.
"Aunt Tabithap' cried Mrs. Velveton,
who, in d2c25Lete dress of black satin
and ruby n&clzlace, had justswept into
the room.
Yes said the old woman, looking
keenly around her-''yes, you are right,
Venetia Aunt Tabitha and Mabel Will
ton! How came here? Why, Mabel,
in her loneliness and trouble, came out
to Cranberry Farm and appealed to me.
To my amazement, she had never even
heard of her cousins, the VelvetOns.
The check was duly cashed, as my
banker notified me. But 1 said to my
self: Poor Venetia! Boarding house
keeping is a grinding business. I'll go
myself and see what the trouble is
Upon my word, you live in royal style
here. With a man-servant and mo-
quette carpets, and frocks I should say
cost as much as fifty dollars apiece!
How many boarders do you keep? And
what do they pay you week?'
Mrs. Velveton burst into tears. The
bitter sarcasm OF aunt Tabby' voice, the
hooking light of her eyes, were abso-
lutely uncomfortable, especially as the
orately-costumed guests were be-
ginning to arrive, and stared in amaze
ment at the little, old, snuf-colored
woman and her tall, pale companion,
whose dresses were such contrast to
the blue d0n1GSSe and court trains of the
Misses VelvetOn.
81 see," said the old dame, crisply
''No, Venetia, don't begin to
make excuses. You have told
me lies enough already. 1 don't
want to be deceived any more
You have deliberately robbed the orphan
and the fatherless. to add to your vulgar
ostentation. You are such fine lady, :"
with a low courtesy, ''that you are no
longer in need of your old aunt's hard
earned savings; so shall adopt Mabel
Wilton in your stead. young ladies'
And wish you a Happy New Year, and
many of EN-, for you will never see me
| again.
And so the old lady went away, with
Mabel Wilton in her train.
Muriel and Audrey smiled and sim
pered through all that weary day; and
the next day; the doors of the Velveton
mansion were closed.
They finally had left town. Left their
debts -left their creditors-left all the
hollow, false, unreal castle of social
position which they had reared so
patiently around them, all these strug-
Cling, ambitious, unprincipled years.
With Aunt Tabby's financial supplies
entirely withdrawn, they knew too well
that further struggle was unavailing.
And Mabel Wilton became the old
lady's heiress, after aIl.-HeLen Forrest
GrGUes.