The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-01-30
ONLY AUNT MARGERY.

Girlsl / have some news for you
Grand news it is, but papa told me not
to mention it, so if tell you, you will let
II 90 no further2" and Connie Steadman
glanced round at her friends, feeling her
self an important parsonage, as the youth
full possessor of q secret usually does.
"Oh, trust us, Connie, we won't say
single word to any one; we will be as dumb
as mutes on the subject exclaimed
Kate Derwent; and her sister Mary, and
their cousin, Edith Salter, who had come
in like Constance for q morning chat,
made the required assevervation, and the
quartette drew their chairs close, in de-
hghtful anticipation.
"Well, then, papa told us yesterday
evening-but, Katie, there is some one
in the other room, and Connie glanced
through the half-open curtains into the
large drawing-room, at the further end
OF which sat lady engaged in some
quiet occupation.
Only Aunt Margery, answered Katie !;
"she is copying some music for us, and
won't hear if you speak low. Now do,
dear Connie, get on with your story, for
am dying with impatience."
"Well, then, the house on the hill is let
to a single gentleman, Mr.. Maurice
Chester, very nice-looking, very rich, who
intends to come and live in it himself, and
give no end of nice parties and balls, /
expect, for he asked papa if there was
good society in the neighborhood as he
would not Ii Ike to settle down in dull
place. OF course papa gave him good
report of the land, in that and every
other respect, and so he decided to take
the house. He will come here next month
to superintend the fitting up, ETC."
ooh, how gloriousl" cried Mary, clap
ping her hands; 'now we shall have fun.
But, Connie, is he young, thought"
''Oh, yes, about thirty, papa thought, +"
answered Connie, rather doubtfully.
"Thirty? Why, he is quite old!' said
Mary, disgusted, from seventeen-year-
old point of view "Why, he will do for
Aunt Margery-we always call her an old
maid, and he is an old bachelorV
"Nonsense Mary, what stuff you talk, f"
said Kate, who, being three-and-twenty,
took different view of the matter.
"Thirty is not old for man. You only
care for boys, like George Burden T"
Mary blushed. "But you would not ex-
pect him to buy house and estate, like
this gentleman. The only thing isis he
engaged, Connie2'
"Ah, that can't tell you, unfortunately.
asked papa, and he said very likely, he
hadn't asked him; but mamma thinks not,
because he would certainly have brought
the lady to see her future home, if he had
been, said Connie.
'Your mamma is right, Connie; he GER
tainly would have done so" said Kate, de-
cidedly.
And then followed quite an hours dis
cussion about the new conner, in the height
of which, Connie herself, as well as the
other two, quite forgot the need of secrecy,
and the lady so quietly occupied in the
other room must have been very deaf moi
to have heard all the conversation.
She took very little notice of il, however
the girls made Just as much commotion il
they met a new face at dinner-party, OF
were introduced to strange partner at {
ball, for Maundbury was such a quiet
place, and so miserably short of masculine
society, except the old and married, thai
any chance acquaintance even caused quite
q futter among the manageable ladies
How, then, could thenews of a permanent
resident fail to affect theml
lJls sald thaI AT no age does woman
give up the hope of marriage, but mus
say at the risk of being disbelieved, thai
no thoughts of the matter ever caused Mar
gerry Derwent's pulse an extra futter
If her niece Kate had grown to the agt
of twenty-three, beautiful and attractiY,
as she was, with only lovers "who loved
and rode away there seemed littl'
chance for her, Aunt Margery, with tn
faded looks and quiet manners that sor
row, and loss, and thirty years of life haS
lowered her with, to be more fortunate.
Margery had had her loye-dream, but /
had faded with the loss of her father an,
all her fortune, except a small sum whiel
aust found her in clothes, while he