Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-05-13
A RING OF FATE.

rambling stone mansion. a quaint and
curious antique homestead. whose jut-
ting gables and peeping oriels peer
ou3 from amid the luxuriant creepers
and where certain solemnity reigns
from years end to years end-a So
lethnity,as to the old-fashioned gardens
with the octagon grass plots and the
ssy dial; as to sleepy birds that
tw..tter and whisper about the caves;
Us to the lichen- thatched steps alas!
30 seldom trodden nowadays; and as
to the old, big brass knocker with
It's iuhuman dolphin munching his own
tail. and as to the great shadows OF
this trees that make of the whole
place a gloom with but little chance
for sunshiso to penetrate.
But behind all this seriousness there
Is The smile Of youth and the cheeri-
ness of life; in the back Kitchen" a
low little building connected with the
main house by short covered gallery,
a great wood fire burns brightly on
this hearth. and the two long deal
tables are covered with rows of small
stone pots Of an unequal size; huge
poscelain-lined cauldron steams upon
thu crane above the blaze ard it is
presided over by an ebon goddess Of
ample proportions and jolly aspect
whilst a fairer Hebe. with a long
ladle in her small whita hand. dances
attendance betwixt the carldron and
the pots.
'Dere now. Miss P'leen, dem
shrimps is just on de bile. Now,
honey chile! just you begin wiz yer
ladie! Mis- Car'lina and Miss Virginia
ought to see 'em. they ought! Bless
my soul honey ef was white as dey
are, and he'd all de blood oh de Wey-
mouths and de Myddletons ana de
Brantleighs too .a-racin' thro' my
veins, I'd like to take look at dem
shrimps!"
.,Ah. Aunt Chloe" responded the
fair young girl with a laugh. Aunt
Carolina and Aunt Virginia are very
good, l am sure, to let me do up the
shrimps, and sell them to the grocers
up country. never could expect
them 10 look at such plebeian pro-
ceedings!" Pauline Brantleigh laughed
merrily. as she drained off handful
after handful of the shrimps.
TO be sho!" cried the old negress
yet Miss P'leen, you knows that
Miss Car'lina and Miss Virginia won't
tink de money much 'plebee" per-
ceedins which you get from dem same
shrimpH"
Perhaps not" assented the young
mistress. gayly filling her pots
But you mustremember Aunt Chloe
that Aunt Carolina and Virginia can
live only in the past-before the war
the splendid old days when Wey-
mouth house was the most hospitable
roof in Charleston. and where only
grand ladies in satins and velvets
and shining with jewels. sang and
danced and flirted in the great beauti-
full rooms.
'Laws-a-m Chloe drops the
paste brush which she has been WELD
ing on the freshly-flled pots. and Miss
Brantleigh lets fall with tremor. the
handful OF shrimp.
Its de knocker, sho as yo' alive,
Miss P'leen and it amt knocked in
Don't two years-not sense Miss Vir-
ginia was brunged home in dat bar
row by de man what foun' her onsen-
sible up de street,"
For sho'. Miss P'leen exclaimed
Chloe II amt no how representa- de
Weymouths in dis yere frock; could
YOU Miss Pleenp just screw up a
little courage. Don't look so frighted
honey; faint nothin'. nohow. Jes'
you go on an I'll be a-spyin' to see OF
any ones rude to YER"
Miss Brantleigh wasted no more
time. but leaving the worthy Chloe
still brandishing the paste brush above
the pots that the porter was to call for
at three o clock precisely, to send by
express to their destination. she hur-
ried to unbolt and unbar the heavy
oaken door,
A gentleman stood on the grassy
doorstep, young and moderately
handsome fellow, with an unmistak-
able air of fashion and good breeding
about him that made Pauline instinct
lively recollect her pink little hands
Aer DlP apron anu ner general COOK
cry" aspect This fine handsome
young gentleman expressed. in very
courteous terms. his apologies for in
truding. and the fact that he had
'been advised to call and see If the
Misses Weymouth could be induced to
part with u few of their valuables;
that tho fame of their collection OF
bric-a-brac and old china was, as it
were, world.wid and that they would
perhaps not esteem it dishonor to
benefit the great public by allowing
themselves TO be bereaved of q few
bits for whatever consideration the
Misses Weymouth might see fit to
name-ahemr
Here indeed, were gathered the
idols OF the Misses Weymouth. the
lares and penates of their spinster
souls, sooner than part with one NOR.
sci of which, for filthy lucre. would
they. half defantly half-ignoringly,
allow plucky little Pauline, their only
niece, to exc out scanty sum by the
potting OF shrimp; sooner than behold
one cup of the famous Weymouth
China Quit It's proper shelf would they