Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1889-06-06
Saint 1ar!J's Beacon.

A1NAeb uHe CoWtoEks e4io A1al
Alantha. although her teeth chatter.
ell 50 that she could hardly drink the
catnip tea thai faithful Francois had
brewed in a tin canister. The ras.
calls didn't get anything for their
pains
How oyou know ? said I.
I know q variety of things, said
Aunt Alantha, enrtly.
We gave the alarm as soon as pos
sible. but in those wildernesses il was
about a. practicable to track band
Of ruffians as to follow the fight oil
the wild geese who few shrieking
over orr heade towards the South.
AL efforts were in vain to trace their
whereabouts.
Aunt Alantha.' said /, you must
70 back 10 Albany with me. Isie NOT
safe for you to live So
Katherine said Amt Alantha, 4
shall never leave this house alive. 1t
aad presently poor Francois came
crawling up stairs. very stiff and lame.
ley cut 70 ropes said he. IAN zey
run. ley come in by 20 big window.
seen zsm. Madame an ma 'amseIle
hurtl I will cut re cords very care-
ful. Only wait
4 thought that window was too
high for any one to reach said Aunt
Alantha, the moment her mouth was
at liberty.
Francois spread ont both hands.
'Ze diable, said he. can come in
wherever zere lie a crack 30 big as o
chipmunk's hair.
Sancho lay stretched dead on the
hearth. The fires were out; it had
grown very cold.
is my home, and here must stay
She spoke the truth. The chill and
the shock, added to the infrmities of
age. brought on attack of pneumonia,
which carried her off in three days.
Papa and mamma hastened to at
tend the funeral.
A lawyer from Troy came peeping
and prying around with steady in
sistence which reminded me some
what Of the burglars.
There 10 a will, said he, 'leav.
ing everything to her niece Emily. the
wife of Cicero Kyle
Then our fortune is madsr cried
mamma.
But, apparently there is nothing 10
leave but the house, two hundred
acres of mountain land, and chose few
sticks of furniture
Then sighed papa. we are as poor
ever. She must have spent all her
money in speculations. What do you
say, children There are some fine
views hereabouts. Shall we come
here and liver
mo. no, moi we all cried in Choir
us.
Very we'll. said papa. Mamma
is the heiress. What does she decide?'
To sell everything at auction said
mamma, for what it will bring; and
to leave this gloomy place.
But it was not until we had com.
pleted all the business forms, and
were climbing into the wagon that
was to take rs to the Lake Champlain
boat, that Marian uttered q cry of
surprise.
What is that hideous thing they
are putting into the back of the wag-
on 2 said she.
The case of stuffed birds, as ! live?'
said Leti.ia. 1T must be a mistake,
i bid it in myself, at the auction
confessed /. hanging down my head.
1T was only three dollars. And Aunt
Alantha said she meant mamma 10
have It.
Mercy cried mamma. I would
not give houseroom to such an afro
city
But mayn't I keep it myself?' I
pleaded. Aunt Alantha thought 90
much Of it.
Let The child have her way said
papa.
So that Aunt Alantha's case of stuff
fed birds was finally set up in my
room at home. where it was remarka-
bly, hideous, and nearly gave me the
until I got used to it.
In the spring when we cleaned
house. the maid thrust her b,oom. ham
die through one of the panes Of glass.
and knocked NANCY looking yellow
hammer of its perch. ! picked it up.
"Poor thingI said I. Its coming
oil to pieces
i guess. miss, said Bridget, the
moths have got at 'em, worse luck
How heavy il is I cried I. 'Gra-
cious, me. Bridget
'Arah, Miss. it's full of money, it