The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-10-17

n could easily snow her his Doaru1ng
house.
"I,m SO much obleeged to you p
said Aunt Susan. "I've been dread
full nervous bout trying to find the
house myself. 1 hated to write to him
to meet me, cause it'd take off the
best part of the s'pIise. i jest want to
walk right in on him."
That was just what she had the
pleasure of doing, the next afternoon.
James Larkin was taking his we'd
ding suit from the box in which it had
been sent home, when there came q
knock at the door of his room.
J Aunt Susan was trembling with ex-
element when her nephew opened the
door,.
"Why, Aunt Susan |" he cried, and
then he took her into his arms and
kissed her on both cheeks.
There was no lack of tenderness in
her nephew's greeting, yet tho change
in him was painful to her. He was a
when she had seen him last. Now he
was q tall, broad-shouldered, full
bearded man, with q way that made it
q little hard for her to call him
Jimmy" He did not say SO, but she
felt that he would rather have her call
him James," and that sounded so
cold and formal to her.
He now had the graces OF a city
bred young man. She found it hard to
the usages of the fashionable boarding
house in which her prosperous young
nephew lived.
He might, perhaps, have wished
that Elvira Hodge had made his aunt's
garments more stylish, when he took
her down to dinner, but he was in no
sense ashamed of her. When they
were going downstairs, with her hand
timidly resting on his arm, he made
her face and saying, tenderly and
heartily, "I'm so glad you came, Aunt
Susan"
81 thought you'd be-" Sshe said,
patting his arm affectionatly. "You
know you're the only boy 1 & ever had"
"And you were always the best of
mothers to me-"
But when she was alone in her room
she wondered if it had been wise for
her to come. after all. She did not
doubt now that James was genuinely
glad to see her, but she had discovered
that his betrothed was the daughter
of a rich man, and that the wedding
was to be an elegant affair. Aunt
Susan feared che would be out of place
that she might in her innocence do
or say something to give James and
his bride cause to be ashamed of her.
The wedding was to take place the
next evening, and there would be no
opportunity for her to meet the bride
or her family until then. All was SO
new n strange to her!
She had expected to "take right
hole" and help Mrs. Holbrook with the
wedding dinner, even If she did "keep
a girl" There wasa big, new kitchen
apron in her trunk, brought with Aunt
Susan to be worn "while she was max
ing herself useful in Mrs. Holbrook's
kitchen" 1t disappointed her to be
told by her nephew that her services
caterer would provide the supper.
She did not know what a caterer
was, and felt confused and uneasy, and
wen to sleep half wishing herself at
home.
When, the next evening, she found
herself in the beautiful house of Mr..
Holbrook, surrounded by finely dressed
ladies and gentlemen who looked curl
ously at the o~dd-looking little old
fashioned black silk, she heartily wish
ed'that she had not come.
Mr.. and Mrs. Holbrook were as at
%tentive to her as they could be with a
house full of guests; but Aunt Susan
soon fonnd it convenient to slip off into
Il corner, where she hid like the LITTLE
country mouse that she was.
But she was glad, after all, hat she
had come when James, looking so tall,
and happy, and handsome, came into
the great parlors with his bride on his
arm, in her trailing, satin dress and
long veil. Aunt Susan was so COM
pletely overawed by this magnifcence
that, instead of going forward with
the Others to offer her congratulations,
she slipped of upstairs to the room in
which she had taken off her bonnet
and shawl. There she drew u package
from under the shawl. In it was her.
wedding gift to Jimmy, the quilt that
had but yesterday seemed to her as
beautiful and Appropriate n gift as
she could bes:ow upon him.
Across the hall was tho open door
of a room almost filed with shining
silver and glittering glass, with pic
lures, and rare ornaments, and beauti-
full books, gifts to James and his bride.
Aunt Susan felt that her own offer
ing, although it was the gift of her
own labor and love, would be out
of place. 1t might offend her nephew
and his bride to sec it there. Some
one might laugh and jeer at it, and
she could not bear to think of that.
1t seemed SO poor and trifing, now {;
she could not bear to think of allowing
Jimmy and his wife to know that she
had brought them such q gift.
She turned back q corner of the
quilt, and looked at u piece of the pink
and white muslin of which one of
Jimmy's first garments had been made.
a flood OF tender memories filled her
heart, and she buried her face in her
gift and cried as she had not cried for
years.
There she sat for u long time, pay
ing no heed to the noise and the merri-
ment down stairs. Presently she
heard u rustic of silk and satin in the
hall, and q low murmur of voices. In
a moment q pair of soft arms were
around her neck, and q girlish voice
was saying:
81 am SO glad that we have found
you at last! We have been looking
everywhere for you !"
When Aunt Susan looked up, she
found the bride kneeling by her side,
while James was bending low over her.
You haven't been up here all this
time, have you ?" he said. 1--WE have
wondered where o were. Helen
was so anxious to see you"
i" OF course [ was" said the bride.
There is no one here / am so glad to
sec. James has told me all about you,
and it was so good Of you to come so
far to see us married. You must kiss
us both and wish us JOY, won't you ?"
III you'll let me-" said Aunt Susan,