New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-28
AUNT PEN.

ASKING Mona to ana stay With her.
Mona Mona who is not bit nearer to her
than our own girls Besides, you. aunt's an
invalid-a hermit sees no one, goes nowhere.
On the contrary, her health has improved. She
says she feels better than at any time these last
twenty years.
You don't say so! And l thought her eighty
thousand pounds as good as IL the children
pockets"
.lore likely to be in Mona's, from all can
@e," said Mr.. Hyde moodily. She writes me three
sheets, asking a dozen questions about her dear
nephew Philips child Now that Aunt Pen Is
strong and able to give up rccluse habits, she
intends to see little society, and means to
begin by making acquaintance with her gland
niece. Mona. suppose | must iiN a day for her
journey into Wales?"
You will do such thing" snapped his wife
1--WE thought of better plan It's really too
provoking I've always supposed Aunt
Pens twenty years illness could only end
in one way; and it seems scarcely
fair for people 10 deceive their relations by
pretending TO be confirmed invalids when they are
nothing OF the kind Bat, as she has chosen To
recover, there is only one thing to be done, Mr.
Hyde; we must ask her here.
Ask her here, my dear ??
Ask her here" repeated Mrs Hyde firmly,
ut will be easy enough TO trump up some excuse
for refusing her invitation to Mona and that she
may not be disappointed we will ask her to come
and spend month with us and maze her ac-
ouaintance Once here, Mr.. Hyde, YOU can judge
for yourself whether chit like Mona IS likely 10
stand in the way OF girls like my Lou and flossle
Besides a mixed nurseiy-ful of little ones, more
Mrs HYDE of Carolside, numbered among TER
flock two daughters, now standing with anything
but reluctant feet" upon the verge oil malueh-
hood Lou was nearly eighteen; FloSsie year
Younger. Mrs. Hyde's motherly cares were JUST
now also extended for few months TO young
cousin of her husband the before-men-
TONED Mona who R pa e1e IN s sge ~ capcT"n
had good reasons for sheltering under her WING
such an undesirable fedgling as pretty pennies
Mona Hyde, who, as it happened, had one Ge-
faEniD af1
step-brother. Jack Tracy was Just low on the
Continent. travelling with friend Tor TWO or
three months before returning TO maze nome III
Mrs Hyde was earning his lasting gratitude. ana
a good chance for Lou or Flossle III the near
future by inviting Mona whose scho9i-hie al
Bonn had Just come to an end, to spend the III
Tracy, perhaps. might have gone through life
with more comfort and less persecution from
manoeuvring mothers, had not fate dccreed MN
presumptivc heir 10 an Irish pcer9gc: The peerage
was old; so old that IL had ALREADY reached thr
stage of decay Judging by the fecbcnees and IN
trinity of its uphOlders; yet still the Ears ol
Portpatrjck thaving nothing much else TO boast
Of prided themselves upon the lnahenable
encc in holding the stirrup for ROYALTY whenever
royalty rode abroad. And however inconvcnicnt
this hcrship might be in the main. II had at least
hecn valuable in securing for Tracy niche IN
Mrs. Hyde's good Graces. and a shelter for his
lonely little sister under her roof
CaroIsidc was comfortable. roomy old man
wel-wOOdcd grounds Its owner W0s certain
Sir Kenneth Falconer. who. finding himself at
thirty bearing a burden Of poverty hld upon h'in
by many generations Of spendthrlit ancestors. had
wisely determined to breast the tide Of adverse
fortune instead Of letting il Overwhclm him as /,
had overwhelmed his father and grandfather ~
very soon after succeeding t. the inmlv hOnols
he had broken up his establishment. dismissed his
servants. sold his hunters and luckily found a
tenant WILING TO pay anGs S c4f Tor @r%
who thought il not iGnOmiDiouS TO enjoy HE upon
his wiles ample property Mrs hyde fath'i'
n noted cotton manufacturer. had bcQUea'hcd ms
daughter. BY way Of dover, a large share IN MS
h0nrshing business and heritage OF snoh3lSn
and pride OF purse which harmOniZed i'll with the
stately old rooms at Carolside. But although Mrs
lIydes bearing not altogether patric.an. her
aspirations were high in the silken surroundings
Of her present. she wished 10 forget her rough
contact with cotton in the past.
The neighborhood seemed willing to forget II
too. in consideration Of tie pleasant little dinners
and wcll-arranGcd parties by which the tenants OF
one drop Of gall in Mrs. llydes cup Of sweetness
F0ur months had come and gone, and Sir Kenneth
Falconrr the great Of the district, had moi vet
paid his respects 70 her.
had retired to Faconscffc a solitary tower upon
,hc sea coast near. which had served rs dover
There in spite of his diminished consequence,
he still held his head high. and cared for no
man he"
Let us return 10 Carolsidc reused into flutter
Of preparation by Aunt Pens expected arrival
For the invitation had been accepted, and The OLD
lady with her maid. her pOny-carrage and her
man, was already on her way to pay them Il
When the afternoon arrived. very carefully did
Mrs HYDE marshal her forces for the inspection
NJ Aurt PENS critical eve before herself going in
hcr brOugham 10 meet the h0norcd VISITOR at the
distant country station
Arrnt you going 1 TO- Griy :s into B ,H
Thrones back with them for day or two
No. aunt"-so she always called Mrs HYDE
IL promised Dick 70 walk with him TO Heather
Well don't ne late. Aunt Pen will expect 10
find you all here when she arrives Dick run
up before YOU start and change that shabby Jacket
There's everything in first Impressions so bc sure
YOU keep yourself tidy. And nilnd, girls You are
all back quite by o'clock The express is al
ways punctual
\ glance Of approval from their mothers eye
rested upon Lou and Flosse's stylish holland
dresses as they drove Of III their low bas ketcaI
riagc. and thence travelled VIVA satisfaction oil La
seasons old Yet the girl might have worn many
things more unbecomng. As She danced OF Will
little Dick full of life and spirits. YOU saw ONLY
how It's pale tnts set off the mignonnc figure and
dark. close-cured head above it, Mona had Z
book with her, and when: after to!rrably long
walk and several steep climbs, they found them
selves mon brown moor, Mona threw herse
down among the bracken and was soon deep II
butterflies until for strokes suddenly changed on
from the great stable-clock Of Falconsclfc, whose
GRAY tower frowned ormlv the landscaDe
balf-milc away between land and sea. There
upon Dick. running up in haste. reused Mona IRON
her abstraction into dismayed activity.
"Oh. Dick. II is nearly an hours walk
What will your mother say? Dicks shrug o
the shoulders small consolation.
II would save time 20 cross the stream b!
the stepping-stones instead Of going round
wouldn't il. Dick"
Dick hailed this as good idea. and after
Quick run across the moor and scramble dow
the rocky hillside the cousins reached the brnl
Of the little beck brawlne down from the heights
1t is a good deal swollen by the rains. SAT-
Mona, doubtfully: but think we can manage
II hold up my dress"
She gathered her skirts together and, wit
laudable caution. stepped from rock rock
Dick springinG before her like young chsmoi.
She shouted to him 10 DC careful for the vii
waters sYirled almost IN q level with their stou