The weekly sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1886-07-15

JUST AFTER THE WAR.
"A STORY OF TEIE SOUTH
Eleanor W. Nec ~
AUTHOR of" AEss LiHlejohn.'

! Well somebody had to go to the
door, and Peggy didn't seem inclined
to come, and thinking it was not
company knock, I mustered up cour-
age, and opened it.
Jerusalem, there stood a lady, not
old and not young, with the sharpest
face | ever saw, and the sharpest fig
ure. A man was with her, who had
driven her from the depot; trunk
was on the steps, and he was quarrel
ing when [ peeped out, through
crack, before 1 flung it wide open.
| know look ed a..faight. with my
soiled, rumpled dress, and bloused
hair, and the lady thought it, for such
a look of disgust as came over her
face, | hope [ may never see again in
my life.
When the driver saw me he said,
''NIiss Priscilla, here's yer Aunt, Miss
Neville, as is just come on theItrain."
If Leonard had pounded all the
breath out of me, l couldn't have telt
weaker, than l did when, Uncle Sam,
the driver, said, your Aunt, Miss
Neville"
All my expectations; all my inten-
tions of good behavior were for moth
ing. To think of being caught in
such a pickle; why couldn't she have
written, like anybody else. Oh!
could strangle that abominable Leon
ard Holmes he was the cause of this
disgrace; this awful disappointment
Aunt Priscilla's disgust increased,
as [ kept her standing, without asking
her in, until at last her tongue found
words, if mine didn't, for she said,
"child are you an idiot, don't you
see I've come to stay at least while
where on earth is your mother, or
some one with any sense"
That stung me, but / could only
gasp at first, then | pointed to the
parlor, and uncle Sam put the trunk
down and went off. That left us
alone. tried to say something, but
| was so frightened, but | did manage
at last to tell her mother was out and
I'd go for her.
Then [ made straight line for the
back yard, almost flew across it, reach
ed the back fence, and as I'm like a
cat at climbing, mounted it in
second, but this is one OF nv
unlucky days surely, for though I'd |
been over that same fence hundred
times without an accident, what |
should happen at the most impor-
tant time, but that my dress should |
get caught on one of the spokes, and |
fastened in such a way, that I could |
not get it off, and there I gracefully
hung, in danger Of being choked to |
death, as the skirt pulled the waist,
and that caused tho neck to bind me
SO that l thought l should die sure
enough.
1 screamed with all my might, but
no Peggy seemed in existence that
day; taken the opportunity Of yisi-
ting too no doubt.
However some one came up, and
disentangled me, then said, in Leon
ards voice, Priscilla, please forgive
me, 1 feel so badly" But 10 forgiv-
ness from me, Pm off at a bound.
I never intend to forgive him; he's
injured me too far for that; he's ruin
ed my fortune with Aunt Priscilla. I
saw it in her eyes.
Why ON earth couldn't she have
acted like other people, and written
to let us meet her. / believe she did
1t on purpose.
When | reached MIS-. Bruces, and
mother saw me, she looked as if she
knew something awful had happened,
and began at once to say 'your faith
er," but l shook my head and gasped
Aunt Priscilla's come. She seemed
very much relieved. I shouldn't have
thought she would have felt so. She
told Mrs. Bruce good evening, and we
started home through the street. Be-
fore we got very far, she said, "Pris-
ella, what have you been doing
child?"
Bursting into tears l told her how
Leonard had treated me, she took it
quietly, and when we got home, told
me to 90 up stairs, and make mvse.f
more presentable. |
She went in and kissed Aunt Pris-
ella, but as I mounted the steps, I
heard Aunt's first lecture, subject,
practically of housekeepers remaining
at home, and attending to their fami-
lies, and thereby began to hate her,
as much as l do Leonard, for mother
needs all the recreation, and more too,
that she takes, for she is almost al
ways al home, and, under my breath,
1 called Aunt Priscilla, an old med
dlesome busybody.
When got to my room, and began
to fix up, saw big orange, and an
envelope with another valentine in it
on my bureau, and slip of paper
with Leonard's love-" and begging
for forgiveness" written on it. Ihate
him so, / didn't want anything his
money could buy, but as 1 didn't have
any to get another valentine with,