The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-08-16
CORNELIA'S SURPRISE.

I,drinp house. but a mansion in fash
ioralIe quarter. with its well furnished
auartncnts filed with gentlemen dodgers
,.bo had their breakfasts and suppera
.cnt i1 from "a nCghbOring restaurant
and who ate their midday meals down
tovu And Bliss Dyssho owned the house
and its contents She kept dodgers, and
she also kept "a skeleton in the closet
Most people do. The skeleton OF Miss
~. shoe was the Fear Of Need. He was
Kept iu the closet as much as possible, II
moi being the pleasure Of his owner that
be should be seen by men Not that Miss
j., .hc liked deception by no means
She vas naturally frank. But the skele-
ton VIZ, d private possession. That she
had kclCtou, that De would come out
of the closet at time, and, despite the
fact that she had several thousand dollars
o. her credit i'm the savings bank, sit at
lor table and point his bony right fore
Nrrcr 40 her. that be would enter tho
privacy OF her chamber and disturb that
sumbcr which good health, good temper
aud good digc,tiOn-tO say nothing Of
good loaks--otherwis assured her, made
up u dls'rcs ing fact: but this was no
ues concern but her own, she thought.
m This conclusion she was right.
That this skeleton should exist at all
vas her own fault for the house that
Miss Bysshe owned was four story and
basement double brown stone front, on
,ho corner. with an extension TO it and "A
huge sub.celar under all II was an
enormous housc--a mansion of pretcnse
II was furnished iu "a style that showed
a.
made il had twenty eight chambers.
There was "a library IN IL of over 1000
volumes ,l,r dead father delight, which
occupied two large rooms on the first
floor Tho apartments were all lofty and,
with tle exception of four hall bedrooms,
capaci9u3 Twenty Of the chambers were
rented at au aggregate rental of over
twelve thousand % year She should have
been clufeuteL Her surplus income was
largo Jul Was aOrumulating IN the say
ing bank WAY was need 10 be fcaredy
Why should That skeleton not be quiet
forever ia his closet like any other set Of
ar'icUlatcl boucsy
The truthwas that Miss BySshe had an
other cause Of fcar-nOt. a skeleton, for it
was young plump and pretty-m tho
shape of younger sister, Adela, girl
just turned uf 49, There had been four
oi tLm--CoTelia, Grace, Blanche and
Ad,il Grace and Blanche had married
mhlrrily and had atoncd their fault
one within year If her marriage, and the
other about two years aftcr-by dying.
shortly alter This their father died Pre-
vious ;o lis death DE made his viii, and
having CTS he wrote therein, full conf
dcncc in tA' prudence and discretion Of
ny beloved wife. Barbara. he had left
her ali lis por-o ed property, in which his
wealth mainly consisted. The only real
estate lc lad wac his fine town residence,
and ta.s. with ai5 furniture, plate, library
and l.lonriugs. De devised and bequeathed
10 his elder daughter, COInclia. She had
All annuity Of three hundred & year,
which bad come through whimsical bit
Of humor on tho part Of her father Cor
nelia .iWaya went to her father for pocket
money "roc here Comelia, he said at
one 81 these visits. you bother me in the
midst Of my reading. III stop it. III
pay all your bills for dress and such
thinls for they come at the right time
and ! know you are not cXtwyagant; but
III bay yoU aa annuity of three hundred
and y0u cu eo t0 yourself Tor pocket
monCg. anal ho did
The confidence Of William Bysshe in
the prudence and discretion OF his be
loved wife Barbara, was not justified by
the sequel The widow married again
within Year. which would have been a
compliment To- the memory of her dead
husband had she not linked herself TO one
who's, GOOD looks and dashing manners
were his only good qualities. The quiet
life Of Barbara Bysshc was not continued
by Barbara Barton She and her husband
had "a good time" They spent right
and left until the ample fortune was i'm
paired. and then, in the hope of retricv-
ing the loss. Joe Barton went into Wall
street. and his wife with him, as mveter-
ate gamestor as he. Alas! the bulls
tossed them in air and the bears tore
them, and ono fine morning Joe Barton,
having been detected signing name not
his own 70 a check, levanted and was
seen 40 more, The Bysshe fortune was
no more. Mrs. Barton took to her bed,
where her daughters faithfully attended
her. Eat COrnelias care and a physi-
clans skill wero useless. The mother
died Of o kind Of galloping consumption,
and Cornclia was left with her house her
annuity and her younger sister. To Adela
she was mother as well as sister. and the
female Benjamin Of tho house, her ad-
in life and her rosy future &C
cupied her mind
Mss Bysshes friends suggested that
she might sell the furniture and library, |
and On the rent Of the house, which
would bring at least $4,000 and probably |
$1,000 a year. live very comfortably |
But Cornclia had different views. The |
was good. the house had been |
newly carpeted the year before, and she |
determined TO let her furnished rooms, |
which would add at least 90 per cent. to
her income There was something, too, |
that was attractive in being at the head |
" large establshment--a fashionable |
house. She had been born with |
a golden ladle Ia her mouth, and the |
spoon she found there instead should |
Al least be gilded. So she advertised
Furnished apartments to let" and they |
were taken up rapidly. She had nothing
10 do but receive her rents and keep Il
loving but sharp eye on Adela
The greater part Of the first floor was