Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-12-03
REBECCAiS PLAN.

REBECCA'S PLAN
Il wouldn't mind losing the money, said
gentle Mrs. Orme. IF it WASH for Claras |
music And she wiped "A tear or two from
the eyes that were still blue and bright.
We'll / would then, said Rebecca, who |
stood in the middle of the kitchen floor, |
brandishing her china towel as if it was an
aggressive weapon of warfare. Nobody |
wants to see their little savings made ducks
and brakes of. If you had took my advice,
Mrs. Orme, you never would have given 1t
TO your city cousin to invest, but KEEP it in
the county bank, where it was safe and
sound even if it didn't draw such high
interest. But you always was foolish about
money
At this Clara Orme fired up, a dove
might resent the attack of some warlike
hawk on the maternal nest.
"Rebecca,' said she, "be silent You
shall not speak so to mamma.
well isn't it the truth = said Rebecca
Mamma, don't mind her pleaded Ga
ra, putting both arms around the gentle
widows neck and laying her velvet cheek
against the flushed forehead. Let the mu-
sic go After all, what does little money
signify =
Child, you speak like a baby" said Mrs.
Orme. Money means "A great deal more
than you think"
But nevertheless she was instinctively
comforted by the magnetic touch of her
| child's cheek. the coaxing sweetness of h9r
voice And although Rebecca, the hired
help, " still stood there scolding, the sting
had all gone out of her reproofs. Rebecca
had lived with them since Clara was ba-
| by 1t was her way to scold. And in
| g e nra'c
cuses Mrs. Orme admitted to herself that
Rebecca was more than half right She
never should have given that thousand dol
lars to her cousin, the city broker, to invest
in South Central Pacific when South Cen
trail Pacific was running up to such a daz-
cling figure that everybody fastened to
share its splendors. What goes up must
come down, her old Uncle Lemuel had al
WAYS said and she should have known that
South Central Pacific wasn't Sound" But
there was no use crying for spilled milk
The money was gone in the South Central
Pacific collapse, and all the city cousins re
grets couldn't bring it back. And after all
they didn't mind little economy, if only 1t
wasn't for Claras musical education the
lessons from Madame Queschi would have
to be stopped now, and how could Clara ev-
er expect to be great pianist if
But Just then the kitchen door swung
OPEN and little Bell came in carrying her
apron full of wild grapes, with a glory of
late sunshine around her, and a fringe of
blue asters stuck like deep amethyst plumes
in the shabby ribbon of her old straw hat.
"Oh. mother, mother she cried breath
lessly, see what have got And there
a city lady down at old Mrs Nickesa's buy
ing all those funny wooden chairs that Pc
leg was just going to split up into kindling
wood, and the broken clock, too, and the
spinning wheel up garrett
Mrs Orme and Rebecca looked at eacf
other with sudden Frightening of theil
| eyes.
''Old furniture. eh Z" said Rebecca. IAN,
you was a-talkin of sellin' yourn at auc
ton to 20 up to town, and be near the WON
4 an that gives lessons to our Clara. 1t ain
b noways likely they'd fetch much at ven
t doc sale Amt this good chance for you
= Mrs. Orme =
3 Yes, l suppose So said the meel
I widow, with doubtful hutter at her heart
1 Put on your hat, Rebecca and go down t.
/ Mrs. Nickelsa and see what you can do.
f Mamma - cried Clara, surely you new
. er will sell the old chairs and bedsteads =
t My dear something must be done, " sai'
. Mrs Orme, with varying color in her sof
II face. 1T will cost me pang to part wit
# the old things, but, after all, deserve to b
= punished for my folly in that South Contra
h Pacific business, and you know we couldn
;, do ANYTHING with such a lot of old furni
+ ture in city fiat. Hush, Don't make m
, coward when need most to be brave"
b. But as she sat there in the lowceiled
$ brooding old kitchen, with the yellow Sci
= TENDER glow around her, the vine leave
e whispering at the easement, and the locust
lie winding their tiny bugles in the maple tree
II outside. it seemed as if all the golden al
lie was full of ghosts of departed days. Poe
is Mrs. Orme, the world was very hard to he
" in these times
Rebecca presently returned, accompaI
led by portly lady elegantly dressed
y surah satin, jetted lace, and scented Va
ley Cashmere shawl,
Yes, Mrs. Van Voscelin cds buying o.
+ furniture. She dotted on real antiques; il
IS deed-with a simper-she might almost sa
At that she was crazed on the subject Ha
v. Mrs-Mrs.-oh, yes, Mrs. Orme-anythir
a. that she wished to part with
h Eyes, said Mrs. Orme rather abashed
so much splendor; II am talking of givir
up my house here, and l should like to st
the old claw-legged table, and perhaps ii
hall clock and the curious carved chairs
De the parlor. These last she added, wi
~ modest pride, ARE, l believe, quite rar
"a They We're given to my mother before 81
4, was married, by the captain of HollaI
", "a trading vessel who brought them dire
Ms from Antwerp, and they have been mu
ed admired by artists.
nd "Oh, indeed ~ said Mrs. Van Nosceh
ey but there is so much imposture about the
!. !" things. YOU know. However, / don't q
re- iect TO looking at them.
of Clara had grown scarlet at the cool ms
| ,F ba oft iaHN
cir smiled deprecatingly as she led the VI
nal toward the best parlor. Rebecca express
icy her feelings by scrubbing vigorously avn
rs: at the yellow paint ON the windows sill
M remove an infnitesimal fiy-speck therefor
liI Cup and down sassy, amt she y sa
~, she.
les Il don't see how mamma endures i
lti- cried Clara, tightly clinching her little ii
lis Hard words never yet killed nobody
re- observed Rebecca, who had the soul OF
the philosopher within her gaunt form,
ma Presently Mrs. Van Vosceln and the W
rly ow Orme came back, still debating.
ok I'm give you twelve dollars for the fo
ion chairs, said Mrs. Van Noscelin. III
Ihe are rather pretty in their way, but MOTH
'si' remarkable And Wen call the clock, 81
ca ten, and the claw-legged table-claw-l'
or are really quite common nowadays-eig
20. 700 Make the lot thirty dollars"
tha ''Oh," cried Mrs. Orme, recoiling
INV could not possibly sell them for that"
ith Its all they are WORTH" said Mrs, Y
has VosceGn People put an entirely fctitiC
NJ; value upon such things now. And yo
IS find that no one else will give you sue
ip" price for the old rattle-traps."
Co Mamma ~ pleaded Clara, piteously, i
ing her hand ON Mrs Orme's arm,
"And, added the remorseless iconocli
st. Il have my doubts about their being ,
to antiques after ALL People do get so impo
Ugh upon in these days. No one knows wln
do believe
Ugh Mrs. Orme drew herself up 81 dc
think you need entertain any seruples