Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-08-09
A RING OF FATE.


rambling stone mansion, quaint and
curious antique homestead, whose jut-
ting gables and peeping oriels peer out
from amid the luxuriant creepers, and
where a certain solemnity reigns from
years end to years end-a solemnity
as to the old fashioned gardens with
the octagon grass plots and the messy
DIAL as to sleepy birds that twitter and
whisper about the caves; as TO the
lichen matched steps, alas SO seldom
trodden nowadays; and as to the old,
big, brass knocker with its inhuman
dolphin munching his own tail and
as to the great shadows of the trees,
that make of the whole place gloom
with but little chance for sunshine to
penetrate.
Such is the ancient Weymouth
mansion forbidding, stern, with cur
tanned windows and smokeless chin
neys But behind all this seriousness
there is the smile of youth and the
cheeriness of life; in the back kitch-
Ell, low little building connected
with the main house by short COW
cred gallery, great wood fire burns
brightly on the hearth, and the two
long deal tables are covered with rows
of small stone pots of an equal size;
huge porcelain lined caldron steams
upon the crane above the blaze, and it
is presided over by an ebon goddess of
ample proportions and jolly aspect,
whilst fairer Hebe, with long ladle
in her small white hand, dances at
tendance betwixt the caldron and the
pots.
"Dere now, Miss P'leen, dem
shrimps is just on de bile. Now,
honey, chilel just you begin wiz yer
ladle!'
Miss "P'leen, thus adiured, does be-
gin, and presently another great cal
dron on the other table is full of the
pretty pink shrimp, and. ere they can
cool, Miss P'leen's pretty pink hands
are lifting them by handfuls, draining
them through her slender fingers, and
filing all the dozens of small linen
bags with them, giving the corners
dexterous twist and popping each tiny
bag into its Jar.
Miss Car'lina and Miss Virginia
ought to see EN-, they ought Bless
my soul, honey! eff l was white as dey
are, and he'd all de blood OBJ de Wey-
mouths and de Myddletons and de
Brantleighs, too, a-racin' thro' my
veins, I'd like to take look at dem
shrimps!"
"Ah, Aunt Chloe" responded the
fair young girl, with laugh, Aunt
Carolina and Aunt Virginia are very
good, am sure, to let me do up the
shrimps and sell them to the grocers
up country. l never could expect
them to look at such plebeiau proceed
ings!" Pauline Brantleigh laughed
merrily as she drained off handful
after handful of the shrimps.
ITO be shoH' cried the old negress.
'Yet, Miss Pleen, you knows that
Miss Car'lina and Miss Virginia won't
tink de money much 'plebee' proceed
ms which you get from dem same
Shrimp
Perhaps not" assented the young
mistress, gayly filling her pots. But
you must remember, Aunt Chloe that
Aunt Carolina and Virginia can live
only in the past-before the war-the
splendid old days when Weymouth
house was the most hospitable roof in
Charleston, and where only grand
ladies in satins and velvets, and shin
ing with jewels sang and danced and
tiirted in the great beautiful ROOM"
That's so, Miss P'leen. Befo' de
war" calculated Aunt Chloe, musipg-
ly. "Laws-a-mercy, honey! dats fore
you was done borned-and to think
that Miss Florida's baby's a-pottin'
shrimp for a Twin, in dis yere ole
smoky hole!"
Shes very happy at it, Aunty.
Hark'
'Laws-a-mercy" Chloe drops the
paste brush which she has been WELD
ing on the freshly filed pots, and Miss
Brantleigh lets fall, with tremor the
handful of shrimp.
Its de knocker, sho' as yo' live, Miss
Pleenl and it amt knocked in bout
two years-not sense Miss Virginia
was brunged home in dat barrow by
de man what foun' her onsensible up
de street"
"Who can it be2" cries the girl, ner-
vously.
1T may be a visitor" whispers
Chloe, in an awe stricken tone I'VE
amt done had none in bout four sea-
sons now, De last was de old lady
what coined and wanted to buy some
o yer auntie's brick bats, and you
know, MISS L leen, what happened
dem Chloe's ample sides shook as
she spoke. "Laws-a-mercy, how Miss
Virginia did queen dat imposin' pus-
son out of this mansion.
Pauline laughed at the recollection,
too, but, as the knocking continued,
she looked appealingly at the old SER
want, and then at her own stained,
moist hands.
For sho', Miss P'leen," exclaimed
Chloe, II amt no how representa- de
Weymouths in dis yere frock; could
you, Miss P'leen2 Just screw up lit
tie courage. Don't look SO frighted,
honey; faint nothin', nohow Jes'
you go on an I'll be a-spyin' to see eff
any ones rude to yer"
Miss Brantleigh wasted no more
time, but, leaving the worthy Chloe
still brandishing the paste brush above
the pots that the porter was to call for
At 3 o'clock precisely, to send by ex-