The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1890-06-21

1 tbitlltlO ranch.
She cried herself to sleep that night.
and dreamed thar she SAW John Morris
married to a Colorado Girl. who WAS
! terribly old and ugly and walked with
a limp.
/ She WAS reminded of her dream 'hc
next mornin" when Ciccly Morris stop
/ ped in on her WAY 10 the village. eager
! to talk 10 Priscilla about old Matthews
money
. 1t was Saturday. and there was no
| school. and Priscilla was at home, busy
maxim" cake. II was Il Jelly cake. and
the jelly WA laid very thick between
the thin loavc>-ju>t as John liked 1t.
For Priscilla cherished the hope that
| John might come 10 tea AS usual the
next evening.
You don't look hit like an heir
c>s, Priscilla" said Ciccly. You're as
sober as an owl.
What ought to do:" asked Priscilla.
"Wcll. | don't know exactly, l never
SAW an heircss before. I'll read up on the
subject and let YOU know. Are you going
to the funeral this afternoon: But Of
! course YOU are. Everybody's going; ov-
crybody except John. He has gone 10
GAINESVILLE, and won't be back till night.
| shouldn't wonder if he were counting
Amelia Bacon"
The knife with which Priscilla was
spreading jelly dropped to the table with
clattcr She pulled open the table
drawer. and bent over it. pretending to
be searching for something.
who is Amelia BacOn." she asked.
a girl he met Mt the country fair last
year. She lives in GAINESVILLE answered
Cicely.
is she ugly" asked Priscilla, remem-
bering her dream.
Ciclcy stared at her a moment.
What a queer question" she said.
''No; she's perfectly lovely. But she
isn't the sort of girl to get along ON a
farm. John ought not to think of her for
a moment"
Mrs. Hackctt came in Just then to see
if Priscilla intended to wear mourning to
the funeral, and 50 the subject of the fair
Amelia WAS dropped. But enough had
been said to add considerably to the
weight on Priscila's heart. and she began
To feel rs if the gulf between herself and
John was growing very wide indeed.
The funeral WAS long. dismal affair,
the discourse commonplace and tedious;
and Priscilla WAS very glad when it WAS
all over, and she was at liberty IL return
home.
She had hardly removed her bonnet
and the black dress she had worn out of
respect to her Aunt lIackett's ideas of
dccorum. when Mr. Simpson. her late
grandunclc's lawyer. called to sec her. His
manner was the very essence of respect.
1t seemed to Priscilla that he did not for
get for moment that she had inherited
old Matthews money.
There's been thorough search made
for the will, Miss Carcw," he said. but
it hasn't been found can't account for
its loss, for Mr.. Pouncc wasn't man to
burn one will before he had made an
other And his heart was set on building
an hospital for old men: he spoke of it to
me very often. But as things are, you're
the heir, and you can moveinto the stone
house tomorrow if you like"
Il think I'll wait awhile" said Pris-
ella, coolly. Il want to be on the safe
side. and the will may yet be found"
There's not much chance of it." said
MIR. Simpson, but he did not argue the
matter
Priscilla put on her best dress and tied
"A pink ribbon at her throat Sunday even
ing. for, in spite of what Cicely had said
about Amelia Bacon, she felt that there
was chance that John might come.
But hour after hour passed and he did
not appear, and only Mrs. Carew tasted
the Jelly cake at supper. Priscilla would
not touch it. She told herself she was
| sorry she had been so foolish AS to make
it. and that she might have known thcrc'd
be no one to eat it except her mother
Let him go to Colorado" she thought,
as at nine o'clock she repaired to her own
room. II sha'n't say anything against
it. And he can marry that Amelia Ba-
con. / don't care"
She cried herself to sleep, ncverthc-
less, and looked like ghost when she
| came downstairs the next morning.
She rode to the schoolhouse after
breakfast in Farmer Ncsbitt's light wagon,
having thankfully accepted the offer of
lift but before she had driven a rod
she wished she had gone on foot, as
usual. for Mr. Nesbitt began at once to
talk of John Morris.
John told me last evcnin' that he had
to give an answer tomorrow about the
farm" said the old man. SHE seems set
on goin' to Colorady, N won't wait no
lOngcr'n to get Sissy married. l don't
see who first give him the notion o. goin'.
| alters thought John one o. the steady
sort"
Priscilla was glad when the school
house was reached and she could escape
flnn cc,,rnA e n i