Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-06-01

hcr voice and her breath. hdte viii
do very well. Doctor Cook. Cousin
Kate, II you like. And now. pray, let
me congratulate You both, and beg par
don for this untimely interruption. but
Jennie made n mistake, and told me
you were waiting TO see me-" And
with n mock-playful courtesy, and a
smile that didn't wholly conceal her
chagrin. Kate laughed and ran out Of
the room, humming an air, but this time
Il was not lOve-sOng.
DIR. Cook and Jessie started, appalled,;
and then, the situation being absurd,
after "A while they laughed. and sitting
down on the sofa, talked for n long time
in whispers. holding each other $ hands.
And when they parted it was IS betrothed
lovers.
But Kate Macfarlane's assumed spir-
its only lasted long enough for her 10
gan the privacy of her own room, and
was then quickly replaced by the rage,
jealousy and despair which was consum-
ing her, for she loved Clarence Cook
with such passion and intensity as she
was capable OF feeling. and just in like
proportion she hated Jessie. and at that
moment she could have killed her happy
| rival.
When Jessie's engagement and APP
| preaching marriage was announced,
I Aunt Phemie felt a keen pang at the
/ prospect Of losing her pet; and this was
/ increased almost to bitterness by what
/ seemed To her Jessic'S unstemly haste
Ia leave the home which had sheltered
/ her since her childhood. She could not
know that Hates hate and jealousy
made Jessie's life n torture while they
| continued under one roof; and Kate
took pains to augment her aunt's feel
ing toward her favOr.ite, and would have
/ succeeded in causing n lifelong breach
between Aunt Picnic and Jessie but
for the latter's unfail'ng sweetness and
/ gcntlencSs As il was. she FASTENED
I the young girls departure, aud in her
absence did everything that deceit
and malignity could suggest to under
mine her power in the heart of her aunt.
Aunt Picnic was very lonely after
her pet went away. and If Kate had not
been so ingenious i'm her malice il is
/ quite possible that the old lady would
I have followed Jessie into her new home:
but, as IL was, she had been made to
feel that she would be- an unwelcOme
guest to the girl she had befriended and
cared for 50 many years, and therefore
she continued 10 abide with
her real nicccs, and To long for
her absent and only adopted one.
Perhaps il was because She was so
lonely, and so anxious To be- lovet and
cared for. that Aunt Phemie lavished
her affections even more than was her
wont on her own kth and kin. CeltIin
II Is that she grew more kind and indul-
a ~. a "a
day; and never did she hear any Of them
express n wish but what she listened. if
possible, tO crafty il without DELAY.
Very likely she became too indulgent
and too anxious to please them. for they
took advantage of their generosity in
many WAYS, and encroached so much.
indeed. that even this most generous
and affectionatc relative was, at times
surprised, and once or twice even won
dercd in her secret soul If they really
cared anything about her at all. for her
own sake. or only made show of affec-
ton for the sake Of such profit as they
could bring To themselves You see. Il
doesn't dO 10 be- 100 kind, too unsellish
even toward ones own nearest and
dearest relatives.
II was about this time that curious
phrase made use of by her niece, Jane.
was accidentally overheard by Aunt
Phemic, which set her thinking and
wondering more than ever. All her rela-
tives were chattering together over the
brcakfast-tablc one morning. She had
left It little while before. and they
didn't know she was within hearing.
These were the words she heard Jane
/ say:
IL tell you what, good people, if you
take n friends advice you will be care
ful not To kill the Golden Goose. l
have noticed her grow a little FESTIVE.
once or twice, lately"
''Pshaw" exclaimed Kate. ''What
Is the Use Of Golden Goose if she no
longer lays golden eggs?'
Precisely; but she does lay golden
eggs, and with tolerable regularity. 1t
Is your indecent haste to get too many
golden eggs at once that threatens the
whole edifice with destruction That
request of yours, Mary. for a complete
new suit of furniture, when your room
is just as comfortable as need be now.
was goinga little too far. You know
all that she has must come to MS at the
last II we only practice patience"
Aunt Phemie passed on out of hear
ing. and gained her own room some
how-she never knew how, indeed, for
her mind was all in n whirl. She felt
rs II she were the victim of some hor-
rible nightmare. and moved mechanic
ally, like person walking in sleep.
"What did il mean? Who was the
Golden GooseP She remembered
that Molly had asked for new suit of
furniture, and had shown some dis
agreeable traits of temper ON being re-
fused-for Aunt Phemie was not rich
enough To crafty all their wants.
though she would have liked to do so.
I Was il on her. then. that her niece had
bestowed that not flattering appellation.
and what was the significance of itP
Could IL be that they cared no more for
her than the amount of monev-yalue
she represented to them?
She stayed very long time in her
own room that morning; and il must be
owned that she had never before so
valued its seclusion. for she shed many
bitter. scalding tears, although her face
looked pale when she came down 10
dinner. and she felt very, very sad.
She feared that her nieces would have
noticed the change in her looks and
manner at once, for she was naturally a
cheerful, chatty old lady; and the fact
that no one appeared to see anything
out of the way was but another proof
bow very little they cared about her.
Well, AEnt PhCuie grisved and wept in
secret good many days; and in the
light afforded by that flippant speech of
her niece Jane. she observed many
things that otherwise would have had
no meaning to her. And il can not be
denied that a bitter and resentful feel
ing for time took possession of her
gentle bosom; and then she took a GER
tain resolution referred to in the begin
ming Of the story, and adhered to it with
the answering steadiness that was a
part of her character.
Aunt Picnic continued to look pale,
| and somathinsr If the saIv,o., :, - -