Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-04-26
THE RAG
CARPET.

lie, said florella Arnold, the urst brides
maid, while Zenobia harrington, the bride
elect, sat with an expression OF the su-
premest scorn on her pretty doll face. And
the obn noxious roll, enveloped In packing
canvas and safely secured with twine at
both ends, lay on the fioor In the center of
the little circle.
For mercy's sake, lisped Miss Arnold,
"who is this Aunt Tribulation or Despon-
dency, or whatever her name isi"
Aunt Consolation Peck, corrected Ze-
nobia. "She died last month, and she was
always telling people that mamma was her
fayorite nieco-treacherous old cat-and
now she's gone and served me So"
"Shall eau John to open iti" suggest
cd Miss Arnold.
mol" replied Mrs. Darlington. "a rag
carpet opened herei Let IL be taken up into
the lumber room at once It's the strangest
idea, but Aunt Consolation always was the
most eccentric being In creation"
"But II she's 50 rich dare say she's left
you snug little sum Of money"
"That she hash Z, Mrs. Darlington an
swered, biting her lip. "It has all gone to
be divided among a swarm Of relations, to
most Of whom Aunt Consolation would
not speak while she was alive. Too pro-
voking for anything. What's that, Johnf"
as the servant came into the room. A
gentleman and lady with q carpet bag
down stairsf Mr.. and Mrs. Docktopi
"If IL isn't your cousin Ruth Ann, that
married farmer and lives in Aunt Con-
solation's very house. And we shall have
to ask her to stay to the wedding, sup
pose"
Mrs. Docktop, a stout little body In a
dyed black silk dress and atrocious yellow
butterflies on her hat, looked admiringly
at the wedding preparations.
you've got an elegant house, Cousin
Darlington" said she, but''-with du-
bious glance at the handsome brussels car
pet-'I don't nowhere see the rag carpet
that Aunt Consolation left to Zenoby."
'Humph," shifted the brides mother,
"as II we would use that thingp
''You don't mean to use itS'
"Of course not"
"Well, p'raps then you'd sell 1t to me
cheap. I need something for the best room
floor, and II $10"-
Mrs Blythe harrington hesitated. They
were family who made great show ON
a small foundation, and although $40 was
not much still IL would help TO pay the
dressmaking bill which she SO dreaded to
submit To her husbands supervision.
well, am sure l have no objections
II Zenobia'-
"oh, do get the old thing out Of the
house. no matter how" exclaimed Zeno-
bia petulantly. And SO the matter was
settled.
Mr. and Mrs Docktop remained TO the
wedding, and when they returned home
they bore with them the rag carpet.
"lt's cheap as dirt, 4" said Mrs. Docktop,
"for Aunt Consolation woye it herself,
and whatever she made was well made 4"
Wasn't good enough for them Barring
tons, though" added her husband. II
wouldn't put It down afore fall If was
you, Ruth Ann"
When the fall came, showering its red
leaves down on the roof of the old house
and painting the sumacs and blackberry
vines with scarlet, Mr. Docktop came home
one day to where his wife was absorbed In
the periodical whirl of house cleaning.
"Heerd the newsf" he asked, with a
straw In his mouth.
'Newsf No. What newsi"
"That there fellow that Zenoby Barring
ton married-he's failed"
"Failedf Nol''
"But he has, though. Smashed clean
up"
Poor Zenobia Arran sat alone In her
elegantly furnished boudoir with the traces
of tears on her cheek and hands, whereon
the wedding ring yet shone with all the
gloss Of newness, clasped dejectedly in her
lap.
"It's no use, Bridget. can't SEQ any
one. Why didn't you tell them mot at
homer
"It's your relations, ma'am-Mr. and
Mrs. Docktop, maam."
"Oh, dea-a-rl'' sighed Mrs. Arran.
"Why can't people stay awayr But sup
pose have got to see them"
And slowly and unwillingly enough she
went down stairs to the drawing room,
where, upon the extreme edge Of one Of the
satin chairs, and his wife opposite, sat Mr..
Reuben Docktop.
swell, Cousin Zenoby," he began. "I
don't s'pose you expected to see me here"
"No, did not"
"Well, you see, me and Ruth Ann, we
was a-puttin down our new rag carpet--the
one we bought o. your mother for $40
well, we was unrollin 1t and out fell pa
per. What's that, says Ruth Ann. I'm
blest II know, says 1. We'll, look, says
she. And / looked, and I'll be jiggered IL
1t wasn't Aunt Consultations will.
"Willp'
l<itSU Will anu UeSbdHlenU, YOU kuOWs
And I've got it, done up In brown paper,
In the breast pocket of my overcoat
won't say but there was a temptation, just
at the first, to destroy the darned old pa
per and not say nothin about 1t. But Ruth
Ann, says she, Reuben, you know 'twould
be no pleasure living on a place we knowed
wasn't fairly our'n.' And 1 b'lieve she
was right"
"Mr. Docktop, what do you meani"
Il mean," said Reuben, coming to the
point at last, land said so, didn't II that
Aunt Consolation Peck she writ a will and
left all her property-all, mind-to you
and hid 1t right in the middle Of the rag
carpet she sent you as weddin present
the week afore she died"
at cannot be possiblei"
"Ef you dom b'lieve 1t, here Is the win
ITSELF" said honest Reuben, producing 1t.
And Zenobia's heart reproached her for
the obloquy with which she had treated
Aunt Consolation Peck's wedding gift.
She was rich again, this time with none
of the heeting wealth that turns to dead
leaves In the grasp, but real, substantial
possessions. But Reuben Docktop and
Ruth Ann, his wife, .dwelt on In the farm
house under the hill.
"For It is the least can do, Cousin
Docktop," said Mrs. Arran, ito beg you
to accept the old homestead as reward for
your magnanimous conduct"
"Land" cried Reuben. II hain't done