Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-12-30

s4 ". 4 EoRRrS.

mLiltuous welcome Of Martha, who said:
"The Lord be praisedP and added: 81
adn't closed an eye since you left, miss. Says
Ito myself, You hungrateful creetur',' I says,
you bin and brought your pore old missus to
deaths door, and II any arm comes to Miss
Christina, the blame Isays, must be yours
But you've come 'ome safe and sound, my
dear, and I'm free to admit that IT'S better
luck than deserve"
81 suppose must go and see Aunt Re-
becca," said Chris, YEARLY. els she still in
bed?"
"Bless your soul, yes land will be till she's
carried out Of 1t in her coffin, I shouldn't
wonder. Now you won't speak ard to her,
will you, my dear?" She's took on terrible
about 1t all, and II she done wrong-wel, tits
no moro than we all do most days Of the
week."
"0f course shall not reproach her." an
swered Chris; ''it wouldn't have been worth
while coming back II had intended to do
thnt"
And indeed when she saw Miss Ramsden
her resentment died away. The poor old
woman, who was lying In bed, propped up by
pi llows, looked up at her niece in fright
ened, depreciating way, and then began to
CRY feebly.
IT didn't think that you would mind 90
much, she sobbed 81 don't care for dogs as
you do, and he really did bite me. But I
know I'm bad-tempered and vindictive; your
poor mother always used to say 50, and this
isn't the first time I've had to acknowl-
edge it,"
There was no holding out against that.
Chris said: Don't trouble yourself any more
about II, Aunt Rebecca; Wen never mention
the subject again." And then she made her
own apology, which might have been worded
in much the same way. She certainly had
not thought that her aunt would mind losing
her so much.
After day or two It became clear that Miss
Ramsden's life was in no immediate danger.
The doctor, however, said that her mental
condition was unlikely to improve, and she
manifested no desire to leave her bed. There
she lay, hour after hour and day after day,
doing nothing, and possessed, as it seemed,
by only two or three persistent ideas. One
Of these was that Martha was a dangerous
traitress another was that It was unsafe to
allow her niece out Of her sight; and there
was yet another, with which Chris was made
acquainted before long. For tho time being,
what che had to make up her mind to was to
remain in the sitting atmosphere Of a dark
ened bedroom from morning to night. In
vain she pledged her word that she would
not again attempt to escape from her aunt's
house.
"Why do you say thatP" Miss Ramsden
would reioin. Nobody is accusing you Of
wanting to run away. Only do think you
might have O little more consideration for
mo. Some day perhaps, when you ars old
and helpless, you will ind out what it is to
be left all BY yourself for two or three hours
at o time"
By way Of set Off against the misery of this
Imprisonment, Chris was provided with a
capital excuse for shortening her interviews
with Val Richardson, who made his appear
anco in Balaclava Terrace a few days after
her return thither, and whose visits were
great deal more frequent than she liked.
In fear apd trembling, and after good deal
Of hesitation, she had made known her en-
gagement to her aunt, and the apathy with
which the announcement was received had
surprised her not little.
II am not long for this world" Miss Rams
den said, lugubriously. when 1 am gone
you will marry, and your husband will spend
the little money that shall be able to leave
to you. That is @ matter Of course; It is what
they always do" She did not seem to take
the least interest in Mr.. Richardson, and de-
clined to SEQ him. "They are all the same"
she said.
Parsimony Is probably like other passions
which have degenerated into vices In being
It's own reward and destitute Of ultimate OBJ
jeot. Those who have allowed themselves to
be conquered by 1t appear at times to deplore
their slavery, just as drunkard will deplore
bis, and to recognize that death will set them
free. Miss Ramsden often mentioned that
Chris would inherit what she had to be-
| queath, but never laid any restrictions upon
her legatee, nor expressed wish with re-
| gard to the disposition Of the fortune which
had been her fetish during so many years.
Val, on the other hand, was much inter-
ested In this subject, and was not so success
full IN Disgusting his interest as he may per-
haps have imagined himself to be. That Miss
Ramsden was rich and that she was dying he
hAa discovered; but he had not been able to
/ nhA ont how FfNh aha ND Nhrio
| thought 1t necessary to acquaint him with the
proWslops Of her aunt's WILL It was not so
| much because she believed him to DO mercen-
| airy a. because she feared to disappoint him
that this discreet policy commended itself to
her. He made no secret Of the fact that he
was hard pressed for money, and she thought
| It would be pity to buoy him up with hopes
which might atany moment be dispelled by
the caprice Of an old woman. Besides, she
was very far from having determined to
marry VAL Had she been sure that she would
one day become bis wife, she would perhaps
have been less lenient with him and less
sorry for him. Certain 1t is that the confess
sions which he made to her were not such as
| most girls would like to hear from the man
to whom they proposed to intrust their per-
sons and their property.
| "In tell you what It is, Chris" he said to
her dejectedly one day; ga little more of this
and shall be dead broke. Backed the
wrong one againi I don't know how it is
that invariably back the wrong one. A
| forty TO one chance, tool"
"Well, but" observed Chris, to whom this
confidence did not come as the first Of it's
kind, "if forty to one Is laid against q horse,
doesn't that mean that he is very unlikely
i indeed to win his racer"
"Not necessarily. Certain horses, don't
/ you see, are reserved for certain races, and
nothing IL known Of their true form and I
had q really arst-rats tip about this one. In
point Of fact, he actually did secure q place
/ for which hadn't backed him. Well, bang
goes i've hundred pounds, that's all And
how I'm going TO pay 70 moro than know"
Women are seldom hard upon men Of So
called sporting proolivities. That betting has
nothing in the world to do with sport is q
proposition which most Of them would proba-
bly, be inclined to dispute and although Chris
thought Van foolish and scolded him for his
folly, 1t never occurred to her to regard him
Is simply q dishonest gambler. Yet man
who risks more than he can pay is undoubt-
edly as dishonest as the ragged rufaan who
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