Smyrna times., 1894-01-10
AUNT BEULAH.
BY FELIX FROST.


tilda Kelly stood at the window of the
little fat where she kept house" for
her father and Cora and Agnes, two
sisters, and looked out thoughtfully
upon the coast range, the Twin Peaks,
and the cloud pictures that she en-
joyed so much, with their ever-chang-
ing aud new delights.
Quite this side of the hills, and stand
ing out in bold relief, was St. Mary's
Cathedral. A huge pile of clouds had
crept up from behind the peaks and
massed themselves about the spire.
While she watched it, the mass sud-
denly parted, and shining through the
rift came the long red rays of the set
ting sun. They struck fairly and
squarely upon the gilded cross, and St.
Mary was glorfed.
AS Tillie gaZed with wonder and ad-
miration at the magnifcence of the
spectacle the thought came into her
mind, will there ever come a break
in the clouds of our life through which
the light can shine ?" and as she gazed
intently upon that blazing symbol OF
faith and hope she felt that she had re-
ceived her answer.
Cora Kelly was the eldest of the
three sisters, and for the last eight
years had been kindergarten teacher
She had never been pretty, and the
daily strain upon the nerves had worn
away flesh freshness.
Agnes, the second daughter, was
! plump and fair, and under other cir
cumstances might have had a sunny
disposition; but life had been a play
time for her, and her temper suffered
in consequence. She sang in the chOil
of one of the Santa Clara Churches OF
Sunday, and gave music lessons dur
ing the week. Her only time to prac
tice was in the early morning, jus
when Cora, worn out with kindergar
den duties, wanted to rest. Both girl
fully realized the necessities of eacl
others case and at the same time were
keenly alive to their own desires. Th
result was war. Tillie sometime triet
to play the part of peacemaker, bu
generally proved such a miserable fail
ure that she fed from the room and tn
wrath to come.
Matilda, having no particular talent
was made the housekeeper. She wa
the youngest-the baby-but by n
means the spoiled and petted darlin
of the family. Upon her fell the sci
ious burdens of the household. Sh
wa5 warmhearted and impulsive, an
while not exactly satisfied with her To-
was not consumed with that desire fO
other and better things which was eat
ing away the lives of Cora and Agnes
And so, being patient and not owe
ambitious, she escaped much of tn
fraction of life.
Tillie was engaged to Frederic Mo-
ris, young bookkeeper, and expecte
to be married in the early fall.
On the evening this story opens, tn
family had just finished dinner whe
Mr.. Kelly drew from his pocket lie
ter.
! Here's a letter from your Aur
Beulah Want to hear it, girls?"
OF course they wanted to hear it.
+ letter from Aunt Beulah was an III
: heard of event; and while Mr.. Kell
adjusted his glasses, the girls looked 1
!. each other in speechless amazement.
$ He unfolded the large, square She
of business paper with the clumsy ne
n vOusness of one unaccustomed to Il
receiving and reading of letters. Aul
Beulah wrote stiff and angular han
and her sentences were short and
the point.
Dear Brother - We are nearir
Easter, and suppose the girls are b
ginning to think of their Vacatio
They might come here for a time.
have not seen them since they we
children. There is room enough he
= and the air is pure and fresh. The
are quite welcome if they feel incline
to come. They can ride out on Il
electric cars-any one around here CT
show them my house. 1t is not fs
and they can easily walk.
BEULAH.
: "Theie you are, girls" said n
, Kelly. You have been wanting to
away to Monterey or somewhere Il
summer-here's your chance. 7
trip won't cost you cent, and it loo
we'll to keep up friendly relations wi
:. other members of the family"
ut doesn't look we'll to be buri
alive" snapped Cora. Il shall not {
Aunt Beulah never cared for US. a
doesn't want us now"
"You can just bet she wouldn't ha
asked you if she hadn't wanted yo'
"Why, girls, it's the loneliest plt
in the world" cried Agnes. II pass
every week going to and coming FRI
Santa Clara. The house is not mt
than a shanty."
"Well, said Cora, 1--WE have planr
for Monterey, worked for MOnter
and l am going to Monterey"
Mr.. Kelly rose slowly and shuif
4 toward the door.
at makes no difference what J
have planned for" he said, NOR W
Y you have worked for, that can s
\ Money is scarce; my work is falling
, and / guess if you go anywhere J
will go to your Aunt Beulah's"
- 81 suppose that settles the matte
q said Anes, Grossly. "Why could
u you have held you tongue about M
terey, Cora ? Tillie and | might h
coaxed pa over somehow. But you
ways spoil everything"
G And then ensued a wordy war fl
which Matilda fed.
Aunt Beulah belonged to the
'ie- school. She had come across the pll
with her brother in the early iifties,