Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-07-26

f3SR \nuOu. merging
W IW5gH l5p into evening, and
" m hA OH drawing the
| XI% heavy CUrluin, n
little figure that
had been curled up In the corner of tho
deep window seat started up.
II was reading"
Reading! Tcnnyson no, Shake
speare You are always fooling away
your timer
Then Alma flashed out:
"You won't let me do anything else
with it. would like to help any of you,
but you won't let me-"
II guess not, indeed. We don't want
anything spoiled"
Alma, taking up her book went meekly
to her own room.
There were four Misses Hannaway-
Eliza, Matilda, Agnes and Alma--but the
/ Oldest three looked upon Alma as an in.
| trGd1r, waif burden thrown upon
them most unwarrantably.
Their mother was a Haynes, who hat.
! doubled their fathers income when she
I married him. They were all handsome
women, and notable housewives. Little
! Almas mother was nobody-a girl who
stood In a store. After the first Mrs.
Hannaway died there was never any de-
ficiency in the housekeeping; the widow
er's ward obe was kept in spotless order
and all Ridgcwood wondered at the capac-
! ity of the three girls.
But, like their mother, they were
smart, active bustling, but without anf
OF the softncss that vents itself in Ca
resses and tender words. They loved
their father in their own hard fashion,
but they haze sort of contempt for his
gentieness, his quiet ways, and his ten
der heart. When he married a mite of u
bhe-eyed girl, they were furious and
when baby Alma had the audacity to ap-
pear, their wrath knew no bounds
Very soon he little wife dropped un-
der the continual ill-temper and fault
finding, and faded away, meekly and
uncomplaningly, as she had lived.
Then the father took the wee babe iuto
his heart of heart. For seventeen Years
the two were inseparable.
A close student, devoted to books. Mr..
Hannaway found keen delight in train
ing Almas quick intellect, and leading
her along the dry paths of knowledge,
made delightful by loving converse and
clear explanation.
Being man Of moderate fortune, Mr..
HannawHy allowed his older children all
the privileges OF society. and his pleas
ant country seat was a iavoritc resort
for young people. Suitors came, but
went away There was something about
the three handsome, smart girls that did
not attract lovers, and when their father
died they were all still unmarried.
II they had never loved Alma before.
be sure it added nothing to their affec-
tions to find their fathers will left her
an equal fourth of his estate. They felt
themselves defrauded, her mother hav-
ing added nothing to their fathers prop
erty, but they were too polite to turn
the child away, though they made her
feel herself an intruder every hour.
Utterly desolatC when her father was
taken away, Alma turned to her books
and her music for comfort, shutting her.
self in the library for hours. reading or
practicing upon the piano that was her
last birthday gift from her father.
II do not care to go into the parlor
whenever | want you to play for me,
darling" he said, $50 we will have a
music-boX OF our own in the library"
And the library was now her very own.
Every article it contained was left to her
in her fathers will, and she could feel
that here, at least, she had a right to be.
But books and music, after ALL will
not feed Il starving heart, and Alma
dropped and faded visibly. There was
never day when she was not made to
feel that she was not welcome in her
fathers house, and favorite form of
torture was to taunt her with her
mothers poverty, and remind her that
she had no right to money that came
from the Haynes estate.
Yet. although they gave her but little
peace in her life, the sisters met in most
indignant council one morning over lit
tie note:
"I am going away where no one VIII tell me
every day that am 'in the way. Mr.. Carter will
send me my quarterly payments and see to my bus
iness. will never trouble you again.
'ALnlA"
Mr.. Carter, Alma's guardian, would
give no information as to her where
abouts, but introduced the family lawyer
and had settlement made of Mr.. Han
estate, that gave Alma certain
lots in neighboring city, and other prop
erty, amounting to one-fourth of the |
property left the sisters. The Ii |
brary was emptied, and its con-
tents, with those of Alma's room, stored
away.
twas useless to rage: the terms OF
the will were plain, and Alma disappeared
from her home, while her guardian took
strict care of her interests:
"Bless me What can the stage be
stopping here for?" cried old Mrs. Hun
ter, taking off her glasses and staring at
the unwonted apparition at the gate.
"Stopping here !" said Tom, a tall, fine
looking farmer of thirty-fve or six.
''Sure enough, mother, there it is, and
little lady getting out. Motherw
"Oh, Tom !"
The exclamation fell from both as they
caught sight of the lady's face, and mo
ment later, both whispered softly:
"HelenW
"It must be Alma, Tom," the old lady
said, bustling to the door. And a mo-
ment afterward Alma was folded close in
q motherly embrace, feeling hot tears
dropping on her face as tender voice
said:
"You must be Helen's little girl come
10 see her grandmother at last"
eyes" she answered, "May / stayf |