The Penn's Grove record., 1885-03-28

frllled apron, VINO acJudlly opened Jhe
door in answer to the summons.
"You car bring in the tea now
Mary" said Mollie, with the new gray
ity that sat so oddly on her small dim
pied face; and the vision disappeared
[ rubbed my eyes, while they all
laughed heartily.
"What does it mean2 Am l really
dreaming. or has old Mrs. Baker been
r~ejuvenated by your godmother's
magic2"-Mrs. Baker was the ancient
who came for an hour or two every day
to do the hardest part Of the house
work
Wasn't it a joker" laughed Mollie
delIghtedly. "'YOu did look S o taken in'
1t was as good rs a playl''
The entrance of that maiden with the
tea-equipage prevented my further en-.
lightenment for the present; but later
ON [ learnt that early in the afternoon
aunt Margaret and Mollie had started
on a mysterious expedition. which the
latter now expatiated on with the great
est glee. Their destination was a reg
is~try-office, and there they were lucky
in finding a young girl with in excel
lent character, who cook their fancy at
once by her pleasant face and neat ap
pearance. Fortunately she was able to.
enter on her new duties at once, and
had been Installed in Cinderella's de-
partment a short time before myreturn
There were Still five days remaining
before Christmas; but they passed like
a dream. w could scarcely believe in
our own identity. A fortnight before
we felt utterly crushed under our trOu-
bles; now we scarcely felt that we had
any. 1.-THE last straw which was to
break our backs had, on the contrary,
charmed the load away, Aunt Mar
garet had taken the two invalids com
pletely under her care.
Ga the morning preceding Christmas
Day we were all breaklasting together,
except mamma, when the pOStman'S
knock was heard There was only one
letter, and that was Tor Ethel, VINO
blushed rosily when she saw the hanl-
writing.
"Paul is coming to Bristol for a few
days, papa; he wants TO know If he may
cali on us, y she SAID shyly.
Certainly, my dear; | shall be most
happy to make his acquaintance, y re-
turned papa cordially. when is he
coming downP'
To-day, l believe" said Ethel,
blushing more than ever. "He asked
me to send him a line to the Clarendon
this evening""
I'm so gladln exclaimed Mollie and
l together. "Ob, Ethel, how delight
full for youi''
But Ethel, excuaing herself with a
murmured something about mamma,
beat a hasty retreat.
"WhO is this wonderful Paul. asked
aunt Margaret, ''that excites so much
commotion?n
"Paul is a doctor-Doctor Farrell
and he is engaged to Ethel, and he is,
oh. so handsome, and we've never seen
himI" explained Moliie bredthlessly,
''Gently, Miss ChatterbOxi" inter
posed papa, smiling. mo n else can
get a word in edge.ways. The fact is,
Margaret, there is no engagement at all
They are both poor, and Ethel would
not allow him to tie himself down by
any promise to her. He was the assist
ant doctor at Marleigh, where Ethel has
DbtH liflliB liIt6C ldob NbiCC NCdlog ffNAA
six months ago he passed his final ex-
animation with great success, and OBJ
tanned a better practice in London. He
came that very evening. just as we were
sitting down to tea Ethel introduced
him with a mixture Of shyness and pride
which was very pretty to see, and in q
very short time we were all quite at
home with him.
He was decidedly a gentleman, every
inch of him, and very pleasant to look
upon, though by no ean "a young
Greek god He was as dark as Ethe!
was fair. with a clear olive skin. dark
eyes. and a firm well-cut mouth.
Ethel for the remainder of the even
ing was like a person transfgured. Mol
lie and / watched her In a kind of awe.
struck wonder, and thought what a
marvellous thing it must be to be IN
love. When she was going to bed, aunt
Margaret kissed her fondly and stroked
the flushed cheeks.
II like your Paul very much," she
said kindly; she looks good and true,
dear, and worthy of our 'Blue-bell' y
for so auntie had named our graceful
blue-eyed darling.
After tea we all drew our chairs
round the fire to listen TO aunt Mar
garet's story. The curtains were drawn,
the gas was turned low, and only the
rudy freight lit up u expectant
faces.
is it a gho~st-story?" asked Mollie
eagerly. cit is Just the time for a real,
thrilling, horrible ghOst;" and she nes-
tied on the hearthrug close to aunt's
chair.
Pm afraid you will be disappointed,
Mollie." said aunt Margaret, smiling,
for my story is not at all horrible or
thrilling; but there may be ghosts in it.
| mean to lay them to-night;" and she
sighed a little. and looked wistfully into
the fire: then, rousing herself, she said
briskly, Now, before begin my story
| must make one stipulation; no one
must interrupt me, not even to say, 'Ol,
aunt Margaret "-and she looked mis-
chlevously at Mollie. SIS tia compactp''
''Yes!" we all cried heartily.
Every well them will begin; but,
remember, no 'e%rruptions are al
lowed.
"There was once an old lady VINO hau
lived fer many years abroad-no matter
as TO the exact locality, her children
had died when they were very young
and, when her husband also was taken
from her, she went back to her native
land. After thirty years of exile, she
felt an ~unspeaKable yearning to hear
once more the voices of her kindred and
look again upon her childhoOd's home.
But thirty years is half a lifetime, and
she came back to dnd friends and kim
dred dead or changed. Her OLD home
was in the hands of strangers, and there
was not a face she knew in her native
village. Sad aud d~esOlate, she went to
the only relatives she had left, hoping to
find among their large families some
II she could love, and who would take
the place of the children she had lost;
but there not onel Knowing the power
of wealth and the m%ercenary spirit OF
the age, she had allowed her relatives
to think her poor. With them-hard,
worldly, successful people-poverty was
a crime not TO be forgiven. Where the
rich old lady would have been feted and
n