Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-04-04
RummagiDg.

child, do. There's not one thing there you
would care about, and l do hate to have
people rummaging among my things" she
added in lower tone, quite unheard by her
niece who ran gaily down.
"Ob, aunty, such treasures Are you
going to sit down now2 I'll bring my
work" And she ran into her room to brush
off the dust from her black dress.
Aunt Catty," she began, after they were
seated in the neat, bare parlor, which Kitty
contemplated with an inward shudder, :" /
wish you would tell me about great Aunt
Katharine"
"What shall tell you about her ?"
ooh, everything. Why she was so queer
and unkind TO You and papa and what be-
came of the beautiful old place and furni
ture, and why you, poor thing, were cut of
with shilling"
Z" In the first place." said Mrs. Randall
rather grimly, "she never was unkind to
your father. She never meant to leave hei
money to him. She gave him good edu
cation, and he was man and what more
could he want ? she thought and think
too. But the place; why, do tell, Kitty
Randall, If you didn't know it went to the
Masons. Jane Mason was her other niece
and had large family of children aud
suppose it was all right. But as for me, who
had always lived with her from a baby
well, suppose we were too much alike. Il
she nagged answered back, spoke my mint
instead of holding my tongue. However
III try to be just to poor Aunt Katherine
! don't believe in my heart that she ~oult
have let these trifles influence her will
though in the long years they do turn love
to something very like hate. But it wa
more than that. | suppose | may as wei
tell you, Kitty. l was engaged to The
wrong man."
"Aunty You engaged Why did nobody
ever tell me about itP
"Who was there to tell you, Kitty ? YOU
poor father was i'll SO long he wouldn'
remember the past-my past at any rate"
But do tell me all now, dear Aunt
Caty."
There's not much to interest you, child
| was thirty, and as plain as hedge fence
aud lovers had never troubled me much so
when this man-never mind his name
began to make up to me, and seemed to care
so much, and admire aud respect, you know
why, he made fool Of me, a perfect fool.
"Aunt Katharine hated him. She did
everything to induce me to break it off.
couldn't think why. He was very person
able man, my dear, and had made both his
other wives happy; and was just set on
him, am ashamed to say.
"Finally she told me all. IL was an uncle
Of this very man, the same name even, who
had ruined her life, and made her the queer
grabbed woman that she was. She was
only sixteen when he persuaded her into a
secret marriage, to be concealed until she
was of age or grandpa could be brought
round but before that time came her fine
young gentleman had settled his fate by
committing forgery and being sentenced fol
twenty years.
Aunt Katherine never owned the mar
risge, though she might have got divorce
easily enough, and she gave him a large
sum to promise in writing never to claim
her, and she burned the certificate. And
as for letting me marry the nephew Of this
man, and having him drop in upon us at any
time, why she wouldn't, and she ended by
declaring that it was my fortune james
Lavater (there, the name is out y wanted
and not me, and that not one cent of her
money should ever go to forgers and for
tune-hunters.
"Matters didn't mend. Neither gave up
We couldn't; we were born so. 1t was just
as impossible to either as to sit crooked or
to make our hair curl and we were Just
alike. l felt sorry for aunty, must say, but
saw no reason why her bad luck should
keep me from happiness. Well, Kitty, it
wasn't many weeks after that aunty died
Died in moment, of heart disease. No.
: body knew she had it, unless maybe herself,
for she had looked strange and shaken for
some days, ard guess she felt it coming on.
At the funeral ! saw stranger, an old man,
standing close by the grave. You'd have
thought he was chief mourner, and James
Lavater, my James, went up to him, looking
very red, and they walked off together, talk
ing low.
"That was aunty's husband. found it
out afterward, and that he had been lowering
about the neighborhood for week or two
Aud the next thing that came out was that
the Masons were to have the old place and
furniture but the sixty thousand dollars
which were to have gone to me, were no.
where. Aunty had drawn that whole sum
out OF government securities, little while
before her death, and it was all gone.
"Of course knew that the good-for-noth.
ing husband had seen her, and either fright.
ened or coaxed her into giving it to him
He left the country right atterward."
How perfectly outrageous cried Kitty.
"Did she leave you nothing2 2"
"My dear, she left me trunk and some
old clothes in it. One dress in particular
she stated she hoped l would wear when |
married. She needn't have troubled herself
to write that bitter sneer in the new will
she made only two days before her death.
OF course you know never was married.
Aunt Katherine judged James Lsvster
Alright. Perhaps there is something in a
name. After home and fortune went the
lover soon followed. Never mind the details.
al went away just then as a hospital
nurse, Kitty and it did me good. You
know had little property from my
mother, and l came to her old neighbor-
hood, when the war was over, aud hired
this house. | had twelve hundred year 10
live on, and peace and independence, ii
nothing else. don't say have not been
lonely and sad, Kitty but, if you can con-
tent yourself here and put up with my
fidgetty ways, there'll be some brightness
left after all, in your old auntys life"
Kitty felt the appeal, and responded with
caress; but answered in a hesitatiDg
voice;
"You know, darling Aunty, you are all |
have TO cling to now, and this seems my
right place but = ut-I must speak
frankly"
"Freely and fully, my dear. like plain
speaking"
"In the first place, Aunty, the money
question. must pay my share"
Aunty looked thoughtful, then nodded.
al see, dear. You would be most welcome
to what have; but know what 1t is to be
born independent. You shall do as you like"
"Oh, you dear, sensible thing" cried
Kitty, giving her a hug. "Now, that is
comfortable. Let us have it all over at
once. You say you have twelve hundred a
year. will put in another twelve hundred,
and we can live nicely on that, in very
small way Can't we 2"
kitty, Kitty, that's twice too much"
"Not one cent, aunty. | couldn't pos.
sibly live on less. We will have two maids,
and make pretty garden with lots of roses
and vines"
"Earwigs and slugs," remarked aunty,
grimly. 4" And the maids will quarrel.
Well, go on. You haven't got through,
can see."
"Just one thing more," floundered Kitty.
" This house don't feel bad, dear) is 30
hopelessly ugly"
"Ugly Well, declare Kitty Randall,
do you mean to drive me crazy with modern
art Z Are You going to tack up japanese
fans and idiotic paper parasols all over the
walls Must have row Of kitchen pie
plates on the mantel shelf and stick sun.