River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-01-22

summer" pleaded Dot.
Well said Fan, bitterly, we are
pOverty-stricken,'
II was lamentably true. We, Fan,
Dot and myself, Otherwise Agnes, are
the "Gutheridge girls All our friends
call Us 50, al.h lu n il is many a long
year since I or ,ssed the boundary line
between girlhood and wOmanhOod- My
mother died when ! was but six years
old. leaving me a small fortune in the
hands Of an honest trustee, who more
than doubled its proportions before
came of aye. When / was seventeen
years old. my father married the pref
test little blue-eyed girl. only two
years older than her step-daughter. and
who evidently wOrshipcd her handsome,
elderly husband, in spite of the dis
parity of years between them. \ year
later. my twin-sisters We're born. and
christeued Frances and Dora. speedily
converted u Fan and Dot. Ten long
years Of happiness followed. before my
dear, loving little step-mOther died. We
were a most united family, and my
fathers great wealth gave US every
luxury, 81 that there was absolutely no
NA0AAA fAAAA bt&A ffttAAts1n until AAIeANA
came amongst Us Two years later. nv
father died, leaving a large property to
be divided amongst US. and appointing
James Trueman, his lifelong friend,
our guardian.
BY the terms Of his will. my sisters
We're To be considered Of age at eighteen,
and the property TO be then divided In
the meantime, ! was to superIntend
their education. take care Of the house.
and be in all things a second mother to
them.
just one week before their eighteenth
birthday. James Trueman disappeared.
carrying with him, il was presumed. all
our property as well as that of some
dozen or 50 of other people whose mon
ey he held in trust
Down we came from our life Of luxu-
rious ease. with startling rapidity. t.
live upon my income. inherited from my
mother. a comfortable independence for
one woman. but found u be rather in
adequate to meet all the wants Of two
girls brought up 10 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 " that nO~one could disturb
that, and we dismissed all the servant.
but cook and "A housemajd- w gave
up the carriage. and gradually learned
to do without many things that had
long been considered necc>-s4ries.
Among these was the annual sojourn
ut some fashionable watering place
where I was usually taken for the
mother ar the aunt uf my sisters Two
summers had gone by since the loss of
our property. and we had managed. by
close economy. 10 get a change OF ar"
for few weeks in July and August.
but on this. the third one. the ease
seemed hopeless
Fan and Dat had been enjoying a
winter of gayety. and having exhausted
the stock Of filery in hand At the time
our purse cola t'sed. had spent al my
spare money ON tarlatan and ribbons
and the summer fund was gone
Aunt Maria was not my aunt hut
aunt To my little blue-eyed stcp-mother.
She had farm in Pennsylvania. where
we had gone when the twins were chill
drcn. and endured such martyrJlom
from her scOlding and fault-finding
that the memory was kind If horror
t. rs. still. she had most kindly writ
ten every summer since To invite Us Ia
visit her. and il was really our ''forlorn
hope" If we must escape the heat and
dust Of the city.
Perhaps said Dot in a forlOrn
voice. AUNT Maria won't scold Ms now
that we are rrrnxyn I'm
Perhaps not. l answered
Grown up said Fan. scornfully.
''Do You ever expect TO grow up. Dot?''
For must record here that. although
they We're twins. never were sisters
more unlike than Fan and Dot. Fan
was tall. slender and graceful. with
black hair and eyes. clear olive com
pleNion and rare beauty Of feature.
She was dignified in manner. rather
cold 20 those with whom She was not
very intimate. and had a well-stored
mind and many graceful accomplish