Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-01-29


summer" pleaded Dot.
'Well," said Fan, bitterly, 1--WE are
poverty-strickenV"
It was lamentably 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 I crossed the boundary line
between girlhood and womanhood. My
mother died when / was but six years
old, leaving me small fortune in the
hands of an honest trustee, who more
than doubled its proportions before l
came of age. When 1 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 worshiped her handsome,
elderly husband, in spite of the dis
parity of years between them. A year
later, my twin-sisters were born, and
christened Frances and Dora, speedily
converted to 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, so that there was absolutely no
cloud upon our happiness, until death
came amongst us. Two years later, my
father died, leaving large property to
be divided amongst US, and appointing
James Trueman, his lifelong friend,
our guardian.
By the terms Of his Will, my sisters
were 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, it was presumed, all
our property as well as that of some
dozen or so of other people whose mon
ey he held in trust.
Down we came from our life of luXu-
rious ease, with startling rapidity, to
live upon my income, inherited from my
mother, n comfortable independence for
one woman, but found to be rather in
adequate to meet all the wants of two
girls brought up to have every wish
granted
Aunt Maria was not my aunt, but
aunt to my little blue-eyed step-mother.
She had farm in Pennsylvania, where
we had gone when the twins were chill
drcn, and endured such martyrdom
from her scolding and fault-finding
that the memory was kind of horror
to us. Still, she had most kindly writ
ten every summer since to invite us to
visit her, and it 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 US now
that we are grown up"
Grown up!'' said Fan, scornfully.
do you ever expect to grow up, Dot?"
For l must record here that, although
they were twins, never-were sisters
more unlike than Fan and Dot. Fan
was tall, slender and graceful, with
black hair and eyes, clear olive COM
pleXion and rare beauty of feature.
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 accomplish
ments. Dot was petite, plump, blonde,
as pretty as a fairy, with fluffy golden
hair and blue eyes; impulsive and affec-
scatter-brained, and with only
such accomplishments as could be
learned specifically.
''We must go somewhere" she said;
land as Aggie has turned stingy, we
will 90 to Aunt Maria'S"
So we went. Aunt Maria sent Jake
with the spring-wagon to meet US, and
Jake informed us:
Been a railway smash here, an Miss
Maria's got one house full, tell yer
fourteen of 'em, all hurried bad. Broken |