The morning call., 1890-12-20
THE GUTHERIDGE GIRLS,
BY ANNA SHIELDS.

II SUPPOSE we will have to go to Aunt
AS Maria's," said Dot. with dolorously APP
III pealing glance at me, which l felt deeply.
but to which / made no response. Fan
shrugged her shoulders and said, very EN-
phatically:
a. had rather stay at home"
but it looks so poverty-stricken TO stay
in town all summer" pleaded Dot.
WELL" said Fan bitterly, I'VE are pov-
erty-stricken."
1t was amentably true. We-Fan, Dot
and myself, otherwise Agnes - are the
Gutheridge girls" All our friends call us
SO, although it is many long year since l
crossed the boundary-line between girlhood
and womanhood. My mother died when 1
was but 6 years old, leaving me small
fortune in the hands of an honest trustee,
who more than doubled its proportions be-
fore came of age. When l was II years
old my father married the preItiest blue
eyed girl, OILY two ears older than her step
daughter, who evidently worshiped her
handsome, elderly husband, in spite OF the
disparity of years between them. A year
later my twln-slSiers were born, and christ
eBed Frances aud Dora, speedily converted
TO Fan and Dot. Ten long years of happi-
ness followed before my dear, loving little
step-motber died. We were most united
family and MY fathers great wealth gave us
every luxury, so that there was absolutely
no cloud upon our happiness until death
came among us. Two years later my father
died, leaving large property to be divided
among us and appointing James Trueman,
his lifelong friend, our guardian.
By the teIms of his will my sisters were
to be considered of age at is. and the prop
erty 10 be then divided. In The meantime
was TO superintend their education, take
care Of the house, and be in all things sec
ond mother 10 them.
Just one week before their eighteenth
birthday James Trueman disappeared, car
rying with him, it was presumed, all our
property, as well as that of some dozen or so
OF other people whose money he held in
trust.
Down we came from our life of luxurious
ease, with startling rapidity, to live upon
my income, inherited from my mother,
comfortable independence for one woman,
but found to be rather inadequate to meet
all the wants of two girls brought up to
have every wish granted.
But we managed very well. We kept the
house, as my guardian of old, and lawyer
after | came OF age, John Grant, Informed
us that no one could disturb that, and we
dismissed all the servants but cook and a
hOusemaid. We gave up the carriage. and
gradually learned to do without many
things that had long been considered neces-
saries.
Among these was the annual sojourn at
some fashionable watering place, where l
WAS usually taken for the mother or the
aunt of my sisters. Two summers had gone
by since the loss of our property, and we
had managed, by close economy, to get a
change of air" for a few weeks in July
and August, but on this, tho third one, the
case seemed hopeless.
Fan and Dot had been enjoying a winter
of gayety and having exhausted the stock of
fnpeV hand col.
lapSed, l had spent all my spare money ON
tarlatan and ribbons, and the summer fund
was gone.
Aunt Maria was not my aunt but aunt to
my little blue-eyed step-mother. She had a
farm IN Pennsylvania, where We had gone
when the twins were children, and endured
such martyrdnm from Der Scoldng and
fault-irding that the memory was kind of
horror TO US. Still, she had NEST kindly
written every summer since 10 invite us to
visit her, and it was really our "forlorn
hope" II we mnst escape the heat and dust
of the city.
''Pt rhaps," said Dot, in a forlorn voice,
Aunt Maria wont scold us now that We are
grown up"
Perhaps not," answered.
"Grown up!" said Fan, scornfully. "Do
you ever expect to grow up, Dot?"
For must record here that, although they
were twins, never were sisters more unlike
than Fan and Dot. Fan was tall, slender
anu graceful, VIII Dldck mar ana eyes, clear
olive c. mplexion. and rare beauty of fea-
ture. She was dignifed in manner, rather
cold to those with whom she was not very
intimate, and had a well-stored mind and
many graceful mplishments. Dot was
petite, plump, blonde, as pretty as fairy
with fluffy golden hair and blue eyes; i'm
pulsiye and affectionate, scatter-brained, and
with only such accomplishments as could
be leaned specifically. She sang like a
bird, but Fan always had to play her accom-
.1,a "A 4 1
Fan touched up her efforts; she embroidered
II Fan drew her patterns; she danced like
sylph and with her tiny figure and slender
wrists could ride horses that Fan Shrank
from mounting, though Fan was a good
horsewoman. To say that she ruled Fan
and me completely gives but a feeble idea of
the way She tyrannized over us.
We must 90 somewhere" she said, land
as A2eie has turned stingy We will go to
Aunt Mara'S."
So we went. Aunt Maria sent Jake with
the spring wagon to meet us, and Jake in
formed US:
Been railway smash here, an Miss
Aaria's got one house full, tell yer-four-
teen of 'em, all hurted bad. Broken arms
and legs plenty, an mattresses on the
floor; all tie women In one room, an all the
men III the IL summer parlor. You gals
Will have your old rooms, cos all the sick
folks is down stairs; but / reckon you'll
have TO eat Stops, cause the whole stores
kiyered With beef tea and Cruel. Pm bout
starved myself, though L ate six bowls o.
cruel this morning. Couldn't find nothing
else, 'cept custaid, an custard amt film"
This dolorous account was fully confirmed
when we arrived al the house. Aunt Maria
had no time to scold With a corps Of
nurses recruited from all the neighboring
farms size was busy day and night among
the sufferers, and We wero at once enrolled
as assistants in this volunteer hospital, in
the woinen's ward. Dot came out with col
ors flying. Never was such a nurse. Where
the child learned all her tender devices l
cannot imagine; but she was the sweetest
tenderest comforter of pain i ever saw.
Fan was of little use. The sight of blood
siekened her, and exposed wounds made
her faint, and she was speedily detailed TO
amuse the convalescents.
We had been month at the farm when,
one morning, while was in the kitchen max
ing some additions to Jake's bill Of fare,
Fan came in.
Agnes" she said. in sort Of GREATNESS
whisper. who do you think came out on
the porch this morning, his arm in a sling.
aud his head bandaged, just able to walk
with help?"
Her pale face and trembling hands told
me the truth before she added:
g 1t was Horace TruemanH
"a clear case ofretribution," l said, dryly ;
" the sin OF the father visited upon the son."
was sorry | said it for it had been one of
the jests of the two families for years to call
Fan Horace Trueman's =" little WIFE" and |
had often thought the words were more than
mere jesting to the two parties concerned
After James Trueman proved traitor to his
old friends trust in him, we never men,
TONED Horace to Fan; but l often thought
the child was graver and quieter than of old,
though she guarded her secret WELL.
When had answered her according to my
own belief of the matter. she flushed rosily,
and said:
''Ah! you are wrong. We were all wrong.
James Trueman is dead, and Horace was on
his way home to make restitution when he
was laid up here. He was SO glad to see me.