Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1893-07-06
THE FAMILY SECRET.
HY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

There's Il skctching party, SAID Mrs
| Poyntz-'slx of us--three ladies and
three gentlemen. Do you know of any
place in the nelghborhooo where W,
could get decent board ?
The postmaster locked upat the cell
ing and then down at the big stone spit
toon He reflected.
Then he shook his head
NO. said he, I don't. The hotel
doa't open TIL June. Old Mrs. Moxon
used TO take boarders, but she had Il
stoke o paralysis last month. 1dannc
of no one else
I should be willing to pay a fair
price, SAID Mrs. Poyutz, 'and we'll give
as little trouble us possible
I-don n't-know-of-nobody, re-
peated he. Here, Jancy Wa)ton-two
packages and a letter for your folks,
ana Elk cents unr
A bright. eyed young girl slipped
forward from the shadowy corner where
they sold calico and canned goods at
double city prices, and counted six
cankered cents, Reluctantly, from Il
shabby purse.
Her checks were flashed. her heart
WAS humping like trip hammer. as
she lifted her iinid eyes to Perciyal
Poyn,a handsome :Ice.
II think know Of II place whore
you could be accommodated, she mur.
INJURED, If you are not too particular
an old farm house with frean air and
plenty Of room.
Mr.. Poyn;z stepped forward. raising
his hat as lie did 20.
We should rtqnlre four bedrooms,
said he, "nd we're fully prepared to
camp down in almost any fashion,
Would fifty dollars week Tor the party
be too Itilc:'
Janey big brown eyes diIAted. IF
t. dollars il week seemed colossal sum
to girl who had never seen more than
FIVE dollar bill at any one time before.
He drew ont his card.
VIII yoN iavor me with the address,
said he. May | call at once?
This evening", faitered Janey, feeling
az if she had burned all the bridges be.
hind her. 1t; the old Walton home
stead, beyond the miiI-race, where the
bI@ elm trees grow.
And before Prrcival could syllable
any more questions the slim figure had
vanished.
Janey Walton did not go home by
the road, but took instead short cut
flying through budding woods, stopping
on the edge Of Racket Brook to gather
1t handful Of the very earliest vloiets ere
she jumped aIrIy across the stepping
stones, climbing rude wallis like sqir
rel and springing lightly from hum
mock to huInmock in the lnarshy mead
ow under the hill.
So that her cheeks and eyes were
brighter than eyer when she darted IN
to the wide, low criied keeping room
where her two elder sisters sat bemoan-
ing their hard fate.
Amelia and Phllippa Walton were
widely different from their dark, ner
vous natured oung sister.
Amelia was tail and lair, with llizzied
iltxen locks and expresson.css blue
eyes.
Plnihppa was like a hls wax doll
with plnky checks and a del!beration
Of movement borleril z on stupidity.
Dear me, exclaimed Amelia, how
YOU do bonnce into the room
We tho0ght, said the maynifed wax
doll, that You never wele coming back.
There's letter for Phillppa, said
Janey, from the Thackrry Magazine
1t looks like her story coming back,
And two packages for Amelia
'"Declincd with thanks" angrly
read Phrlippa. And those packages
are 'MeIias painted scarfs from the Bu
reau of Work. | kew there wouldnt
be any market for them
AS much as there is for your silly
stories, sharply retoIted Amelia. Oh,
dear! | never would have bought that
blue serge dress if | hadn t though. -
'Llsten' struck IN Janey, abruptly.
We've TO point, now, where something
must be done ; and Eye determined to
take boarders.'
'Boarders
Mss PhiIIppa drew herself up with
hauteur.
'NeyerH cried Amelia, enrhati-
cally.
But we must 1--we, reassurcd Jancy.
And there the interest on the mort
gage coming due this month, and the