The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-10-04
HER HUSBANDS NIECE.


1t was not a common boarding-house
that Mrs. Claireville Brighton kept on
Maidstone avenue. 1t was a refined
and elegant home, with blue satin
furniture, carpets of pale drab mo-
quette, and cut flowers in the windows.
Mrs: Claireville Brighton had studied
over the question very intently indeed
before she had resolved ON opening this
Cooperative Home for the Genteel.
ut won't be an easy life," she said,
"but there are the girls. never shall
get them married off unless make an
especial effort.
So Mrs Brighton took none but gen
tlemen-bOarders, and surrounded her
house with every attraction to dazzle
the eyes of the. possible husbands of
her daughters.
Belle was large lovely blonde, with
decided talent for the harp, and
white hands, which had once been
modelled after by. a sculptor. Gladys
was dark-eyed. and piquant, with soft
little laugh, and taste for decorative
art. Itwas hard to decide which Of
the two was theprettier. At least, SO
DR.. Cecil thought.
DR.. Cecil fancied that he had lived a
single life long enough. He was be-
ginning to dream bright visions of a
home where sweet face should well
come him, and perennial slippers
should be. ever warming at the fire!
The buttons were coming off his shirts.
He wanted sympathy; he felt the need
of well-darned stockings. To be sure,
he was not the millionaire to which
Belle and Gladys had at first aspired,
but he was a visiting young physician,
with an excellent. practice and un-
limited prospects. And Gladys, as be-
ing the younger, had agreed to stand
aside and allow the radiant blonde
every possible chance.
So that Belle was dressed in the
pretty pale-blue costume which be-
came her golden locks and transparent
complexion so exquisitely upon that
March evening, when her mother came
downstairs into the drawing-room.
She glanced languidly up from her
book.
Mamma, don't frown sol" said she.
''Those Fuckers on your forhead make
you look hundred years old"
Anyone would frown who was as
worried as i am," said Mrs. Brighton.
There's Clara sick with cold ON her
lungs. And what to do about it 1
don't know
Il dare say she'll get over it," said
Belle.
DOCTOR" said Mrs. Brighton petulantly.
mot for-Cecil?" cried Belle.
'Oh, Belle" wearily retorted Mrs.
Brighton, .'do you think that 1 have
taken leave of. my senses? Certainly
not for DR.. Cecil! l told Bridget to go
for that young man at the Dispenskry.
Edare say he'll do as we'll as any one;
and Clara is such stupid. thing that
she would tell Cecil the very frst thing,
that she was my husbands niecem
''Yoa did & very foolish thing,
mamma, y said Belle, .'when YOU took
heref from her relations in the country"
81 needed someone to mend the
house-linen and keep accounts" said
Mrs. Brighton. ''And. how was l to
know that Clara was such delicate,
feeble creature?. 1t does seem to me
as if life were all troubles and tribula-
tions!"
While Mrs. Brighton was thus be-
moaning herself, poor Clara lay up
stairs in dismal, windowiess little
room, where all the light and air came
from ventilating shaft, disconsolately
watching the flicker of the lamp against
the opposite wall.
Poor Clara! She had come from
Poppydale to live in the city with her
aunt, fondly expecting TO find existence
a sort of magnitied fairy dream. She
had been disappointed. She was i'll
and lonely The cousins who were to
have been dear companions, had
nodded coldly to her, remarked incl
IDENTIFY that '.they hoped that she would
be able to make herself useful to dear
mamma" Poor Bridget, down in the
kitchen, as holnesick as herself for the
green fields of Erin. was her friend,
and Clara's pale face frightened up a
little when that constant ally came
hurrying in.
~ thought you were never coming
back, Bridget" said she YEARLY. :
Sure, mum, dear" said the girl.
sits the docther I've been for"
At the same moment there was tap
at the door and DIR. Cecil entered.
DR.. Cecil! For Bridget not finding
the young dispensary medical student
at home, had come to the conclusion
that one doctor was as good as another,
and presented her case to DIR. Cecil
whom she met on the doorstep.
lone of the servants, eh?" said DR..
Cecil.
..Sorry bit of it," said Bridget,
.tbut a lady, livery bit as good as Miss
Belle and Miss Gladys themselves. The
missus's own niece, as keeps the ac-
counts and helps wild the linen and
silver. An she'd niver ha' been sick,
sir, if the missus hadn't sent her out in
rain-storm when dog wud ha' been
allowed to stay at home. But it's nc
heart at all some people has!''
And so, while Mrs. Brighton and
her fair daughters sat, all unconscious,
in the blue satin drawing-room. down
stairs, Dr. Cecil was standing at Clara's
bedside, feeling the pulse which bound
ed so rapidly in the blue-vained wrist.
.'She is like pale lily" he said to
himself; las fragile and as fair"
He came down to Mrs. Brighton with
grave face when his visit was con-
cluded.
Il have just been seeing your niece, y
said he, with something of sternness in
his look and manner. ''She is
threatened with pneumonia, and it will
be necessary to move her at once into
larger and more airy apartment.
And She needs wine and arrOwroot-
everything, in short, to stimulate hel
failing strength.
Certainly" assented Mrs. Br; ghton,
and she listened to the doctors direc.
tons with the blandest of smiles, while
in her secret heart she could have mur.
dered poor Clara.
'.It's all Bridget's fault" she said
and so Bridget received a summary dis
missal ut once.
Belle Brighton constituted hersel