Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-26
AN INHERITANCE.

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the oldest Of those ganbrel rooted houses
that vouch for the antiquity Of the New Eng
land village Of Glen1ield 1t had fascinated
these birds of passage, Tho Manning sisters"
as they were collectively called, when they
rere summer boar1ers in the old town dur
Cg the previous season. Resolving TO be no
longer either summer or winter boarders,
they bought the old house. So this October
evening found them resting at last beneath
their own SUMNER tree" in what Miss
Lillian B. chose 10 call after past New Eng
land fashion, 1.-THE living room" The flick
ering light to the open fire, glsncing over
polished andirons and broad stone hearth,
showed room with deep window seats and
finely paneled wainscoting. IL showed also
the face of Hiss G. Anna Manning, woman
of about 81 who wore her brown hair conbed
smoothly and shinipgly back and her brown
dress with smooth aid shining linen at neck
and wrists. She was leaning back in an cosy
chair, regarding Iae4iitatiyely = figure on the
the rug at her feet This did not belong to
The Indian rug, but to Miss Lillian B., and
was extended in the attitude OF CorreggiO's
''Reading Magdalen-"
Miss Lillian was something of an artist
herself; she had studied in Europe. Yet it
must be confessed that she attained her
greatest artistic success in-dT2ping and pos
ing her own pretty figure. This evening she
wore a gown OF soft yeilowiSn silk with a bit
of rose color and rich old Lace at Ter dainty
neck and wrists, end the fire light might
well revel in touching her gclllen hair. She
had been told by a lover OF hers, rather
poor and clever Kew York artist named Hal
leck DubeaIrx, that this hair Of hers had been
'4made to insure the wandering sunbeams."
Miss Lillian had sa1cily questioned if he
meant to refer to hinIselt as a sunbeam, for
Halleck Dubeaux had long since admitted
ohat he was ensnared.
: Tonight she was questioning herself Sc
riOusly She had known Halleck Dubeaux
always Could their friendship become
more perfect? In the past summers sketch
ing days HaI!eck had again asked such a
question. which twice before she had put off
answering He begged herto answer it be-
fore he should leave for his winter in Paris.
She at least fourd il worth thought and was
looking pensive and very loyabie when Miss
c. Anna suddenly exclaimed, as though she
had received a revelation all at once:
Get right up from the1ioor, LlianI You
will take a deathfy cold. We must remeIu-
Der that country floors with country ceilars
under them are not city floors with base
meuts below"
Miss Lillian assumed sitting posture
..trai 5h5Isay, reInaT1dng il an astoniSbed
tone:
Goodness, Mani Won't you please men,
ton it the next time YOU are about to speak
in that wayi The mental shock caused by
YOUR lat, remarkhas dislocated my cerebel-
iumr"
But YOU must remember that country
floors are not city tIoors," reiterated her
Eis5er, seriously.
MY beloved Men, "replied the young lady
addressed, rising and gesticulating dramatic
ally, .'do not know the superiority of coun-
try floors over those Of any city, be they on
Back bay or by the Bay of NapleSf Have
we not sought for years 1loor-w'fth roof
over it, of course--ina position that would
combine the picturesque and the economical
siEhis we have found III tho country, and il
has a secretStaircasei And you know, Nanny
Manning, she coutin1ssa- eating herself on
her sisters knee, -'tnat va don't find fault
with anything here. We only do that about
what never was here; PR ezempie-that an
cestor who didn't have the good taste to
settle Ia sixteen something or other and build
this house for Us, his descendants 1t wasn't
thoughtful of him, Nan Il pains me that he
could have been SO inconstderate7-
"As,n interposed the elder sister, gently,
1T sometimes troubles me that has descend
ant inherited his perveFsity."
Miss Lillian made mouth and exclaimed:
sSIf you are cruel III go and become q ghostl
Now, we may be glad to adopt this plan, for
it would seem mons like an ancestral man
Zion IL we could get a family ghost. You
S,u}d play the l2St leaf on the tree for the
benefit of friends all day, and | would rattle
abou the little attic chamber for their
amusement at night"
'Bad child!-tllas reminds me, your speak
ing of the attic, ! brought down those queer
shoes we found there They are at che top
OF the collar stairs If YOU want them for
your studio Maria can BRUSH
Miss c. Anna got no further in her re-
mark for her sister interrupted with Brush
them, my daari l should as soon think of
advising that lorely Old man l met today to
dye his white hair and beard I didn't tell
You about him, did IL He is AIR. Hidden, the
antiouary, of whom we hearl last summer.
am going TO see him tomorrow. He knows
psboat this house and everything old. Per-
-.r.sFss he can bring ghost to light for us-or
to dark, if its ghos5Ship prefers. l shall try
10 ind cot something ABOUT those shoes. i
gentleman wore them, one sees that by tho
shape and size ! wish their pointed toes
would point 10 legend about the house,
AT any rate the clock Is pointing to bed
time" remarked Miss c. Anna Come"
The two covered the enhers Miss Lillian
iirss lighting a candle which stood in an old
fashioned capdlestsck on the mautel tree.
although the moon made this smaller light
snperlnous.
Without the broad street, where the elIns
were swayirg their graceful arms in the RS
ing wind, was lying in Silenca Lights shone
no longer from the opposite house Miss
Lillian pansed moment by one deep window,
: king her sisters hand in hers, and whisper
Ely half IN sport, yet silenced by the stiffness
without ana within the house:
'Cs2aIAot you imagine the Puritan watch
man canning down past tie church, his
bayoaet catching the uoonbeans on its
poiutl II should stay here till 70, know
that he would come-nos he, but his-you
know what, Nan, one doesn't Ike to say it,
when tie freight is gone
''You absurd girl" responded her sister
ssTo look ct your eyes one would believe You
&c be IN earnest, and two minutes ago you
were talking very Gippantly about g"
.Hush." interpoSed Miss Lillian ~ am
lust as much in earnest now as wasn't then
Consistency is the vice OF little MINDS you
Rpow. And would they be more wonderful
6r mysterious than this moonlight is:H
Miss c. Anna smiled il reply and stepped
out into the great hall that extended the
breadth of the house, and began ascending
the wide staircase which led, with Gignifed,
square cornered turn, TO the upper hall Be