The Lambertville record., 1886-12-29
INTERESTING STORY.
MISS PECKHAM'S MONEY.

That's right" said Miss Peckham,
"pile on the wood lisa mortal cold night,
and | never was no believer in pinchin' and
scrapin'. II you hain't no objection, Mrs
Tnyers, Ed like that ere corner of the fire.
plcs--i always set on the left hand corner
md don't s'pose it makes any difference
you.
Mrs. Travers rose, in meek obedience to
he specialized autocrat who ruled the
household with rod of gold.
And, Abiah Travers, you'd obleege me
by not smokin while I'm in the house. y
went ON the remorseless old tyrant. "n
there's anything that sends the blood
straight into the eend o my nose its to-
baccy smoke :"
Abiah cast a rueful glance at his beloved
neersehaum, but he laid it down, neyerthe-
css with the air of martyr
g And now I'm goin' up stairs to get
some knittin' out o my leather reticule,
and hope you'll hey tea ready by the time
get down stairs, cause always was a
great stickler for early hours. | know
taint your regular customs to hev it afors
six, but couldn't wait so long, no ways y
And as Miss Peckham slowly climoed the
erealsing chamber stairs, with her ebony
cane tapping at every step. Mary Travers
spoke boldly out
Mother, how can you let that arbitrary
old Witch of Ender order you round in that
sort of way ? Father, take up your pipe and
smoke it ont. She is neither queen nor
empress and, if were you, I'd have tea
Just when wanted it,"
$ Hush. my dear child" said Abiah
rravers, looking apprehensiyely at his
daughters kindling cheek and sparkling
eye You know it won't do to offend
her she's got money to leave"
Money and what il she has? Does
chat give her the right to order us, and
lomneer over us, and turn all the habits of
our lives upside down, | wonder?"
''Mary, my dear, don't speak SO loud,p
put in her mother. Z" You know, child, it's
Tor the family advantage to humor all her
little ways
Mother, would rather work for n liv-
ing than to be SO tyrannized over la our
own house 7"
Hush, Mary Papa and 1 understand
these matters much better than you can
possibly do. am afraid, Abiah, !" said Mrs.
Travers, turning to her husband, that we
shall have to send Richard away"
"Why?'
$ Aunt Peckham says she can't bear the
noise of a boy round the house"
Well, then," said Abiah, regretfully,
he'll have to go, Is'pose."
Father |" calculated Mary, with q rising
color; "do you mean to say that you would
send little Dick away-my unclo's orphan
boy--just because Miss Peckham is whim.
sical old maid 2"
My dear" said Abiah, turning hot, and
looking inexpressibly mean and cringing
under his daughters indignant glance,
lyon know we really must humor her pre-.
judices."
At this instant tlse .'tap, tap of Miss
Peckham's crutch sounded once more on
the stairs. and the discussion was of course
interrupted, while Mary went ON setting the
table, clinking the cups and saucers to-
gether with unnecessary energy, and rat
tling down the knives and forks like young
hail-storm.
This is mighty inconyenient house o
yourn, Abiah," said Miss Peckham, gloomi-
ly. Chimblies in the wrong corners,
windys jest where they hadn't ort to be and
ceilin's SO low feel as If was bein' fiatten-
ed down the hull mortal time"
81 am sorry" apologized Abiah but
'sSorry' echoed the spinster. "Sor-
ry don't butter parsnipsl I'll tell you what
You'll have to do, if you calculate on my
,tayin' here along with you-build two
story wing, with chimbly right in the
middle"
&c Yes-but-it will be 80 very expensive
g Expensive ! OF course wings cost
money; but Luke Storrs' folks would ha'
built anything said, and Jemimy was dret-
full anxious for me to stay there with 'em'
"well, well, don't say word, " said the
daunted Abiah. "Tll build to suit you,
Aunt peckham."
g Mother" said Mary Travers, ut the end
of a fortnight, I'm going to marry Tru-
man Lilly tonight"
Mary y
q l am, mother. I'm tired Of this despot-
ic rule. Father is building an addition to
suit Miss Peckham you have papered all
the rooms for her taste; Dick has been
sent to the poor-house, and poor, half blind
Sally Jones has been turned out of the
kitchen because Miss Peckham thinks that
she costs too much. Mother, no blessing
will come of this, though Miss Peckham
had all the gold of Ophir to back it. And
now can't endure II any longer, so shall
marry Truman partly because he is a
dear, good fellow and love him, and part
ly because he says I shall have Dicky to
live with me and q corner for blind Sally In
my kitchen. And, mother, you may come
and sit on your own side of the fireplace,