Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-10-08
CHAPTER XX.
AUNT MITCHELL SPEAKS.

Hiram soon became as placid and self-satisfed as ever, and the next morning he went down town to his of fee with not a trace of the late dis turbance either showing in his features or ranking in his conscience. For several weeks everything went along smoothly with him, and every day he fell more and more in love with his charit- able qualities and his Christian virtues. Hiram Blatchford was not a man to give way to any insignificant feeling, and he did not allow conscience to de- ter him for any great length of time. He at one time felt that he hadn't al ways done just right, but he managed to shift the blame of his wrong actions to some other persons shoulders, and succeeded, to his own satisfaction, in exoncrating himself completely.
 But another bombshell was destined to fall in the Blatchford camp, and it fell with terrible effect. This bombshen camein the shape of an elderly maiden lady known as Miss Mitchell Blatchford, sister to Hiram, who for some years had lived entirely isolated from her brother. She decided to pay Hiram visit, and, accordingly, one day some weeks after the Christian aid society meeting she alighted at Hirams door.
 Hiram was not particularly glad to see his sister, for to tell the truth she had an uncomfortable way of speaking her mind that Hiram did not like. He distinctly remembered several occasions when she had freely spent her opinion of him and his way of doing, and she had not always considered him in the light of an injured innocent. He knew that she would soon discover the relation existing between himself and his daughter, and ho felt morally cer- tain that her sympathies would be with | the latter, and that "blowing up' for him would be the result.
 Sarah was not glad to see Miss Dlatchford either; and she not only shared in Hiram's feelings, but she was inclined to look upon any of his people as interlopers when they presumed to visit the house that ought to be sacred to the Spicl1lers. She feared, moreover, that this strong-rninded woman would jar on her nerves, for she had under stood from her husband how Miss Mitchell was inclined to give vent, in no uncertain terms, to her honest opin- ions Sarah felt that she was good, saintly creature; yet sho was not anxious that anyone should speak the truth about her in her presence. If she could have had her desire in the matter, she would have had Miss Mitchells visit postponed indefinitely.
 | Of course Hiram and Sarah made an effort to welcome her, but the effort was very much constrained, and was lacking in warmth and feeling. Miss Mitchell either did not notice this, or ignored it for reasons of her own, and proceeded to make herself at home in her brothers house after her own pc culiar fashion.
 Aunt Mitchell, as she was usually called by those who knew her well, was of cold, taciturQ disposition. She was distant and unsocial toward those who were her best friends, and toward strangers, or those whom sine dislihed
 she was frigid to the last degree. She
 had a knacll of forming pretty correct
 estimate of people on first sight, anc her first-fOrmcd opinion of Mrs. Blatch ford was anything but flattering to that l lady's Christian character. MT. Blatch
 ford attempted to make up to her cratic
 sister-in-law, but on each occasion met
 with such a cold repulse that she soor gave up the effort.
 : Aunt Mitchell preserved a quiet, colo
 dignity in her department to he1 , brother and his wife, and avoided theil
 society as much as possible. When she was forced into their presence, how ever, she maintained the bearing of one 5 who is making 0 strong effort to holt herself in check. By her constrained . manner, she not only succeeded 1T } making an icy atmosphere in the house B but she caused the household to fee
 uncomfortable. and gave Hiram spel