Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-06-21
The Old Lady's Story.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.
"When ! was GIRL" said the old
lady-she was very, very old lady,
eighty-five or more, they said, "things
were not as they are now, and the
post Office, here in America, was not
managed as it is to-day. Getting a
letter was serious thing, and send
ing one more SO. I've reason to know
that.
II lived in the country with my
aunt and uncle-not my real uncle,
for he was my aunt's second hus-
band, and she only an aunt by mar
riage-but / had no other kin and
was glad to have home folk. l had,
beside, a cousin by courtesy. His
name was Thomas, and that was
about oil knew of him for years
he came in and went out without
taking any notice Of me. His father
used to talk about him before me,
finding fault with his idleness. Once
/ heard him say:
"'The boy has not the making Of
q man in him, Cynthia. You wait on
him and spoil him, and one day
you'll regret it,
''Then aunt asked uncle il he
wished her to be hard on the only
son out of three.
"Not hard he answered; only
Tom ought to be taught that he will
have to see to himself-we have
nothing to leave him. If / should
die before you, he ought to be able
to support you-and he takes to
nothing
tom, by this time, was a young
fellow of nineteen, and / was fifteen.
Three years later he had no more idea
of settling to any business than he
had had before, and had come into
fortune. 1t was not a large one,
but it was enough to make me
comfortable for life, and ! was glad
to stop washing dishes and doing the
ironing, and ask my aunt to make me
boarder, since could pay her well.
''She was pleased, and that day l
left my little garret-room under the
caves, and had large room on the
second floor given me.
Besides paying my board, ! hired
servant for the housework, and my
aunt thought that very generous.
Hitherto l had worn her made-over
gowns. Now l sent for Miss Crab
tree, the dressmaker, and had plenty
of dresses made, giving Aunt Cynthia
a rich black silk and broche shawl.
She made great fuss over them, and
/ was not surprised that my cousin
Tom should begin to be very pleasant
to me, for the first time in my life.
II thought it was because he saw
I had kind feelings and was grateful
for what had been done for me when
] was little orphan. 1t was new
thing to be made so much Of as was
now, and l enjoyed it. Even when
Cousin Tom began to make love to
me never guessed that it was be-
cause / had money, as l know it was
now.
"'Will you marry me, Cousin
BELIEF he said one day. and my an
swer was: Tom, l feel as il l did
not love you the right way, we are
too much like brother and sister,
"But he teased me and leased me,
until / told him that he might ask
me again at the end of the year.
But you must build no hope on
that / said, for think / shall feel
Just as do now
"And now Aunt Cynthia began to
praise her boy to me, and to say how
glad she should be IL he had chosen
some one she loved.
1T might be that / would have
yielded to this pressure, but that
something shortly happened to turn
the whole current of my life. 1t can
be told in a few words. l met Ar
thur Lorrirner at the house of friend.
He devoted himself to me that even
ing, and he saw me home, and I'M
derstood from what he said that he
was in love with me. Cousin Tom
was furious that / had accepted other
escort. We had scene that very
night. Tom was very rough and
brutal.
"'You have no right to accept an
other mans attentions he said.
You are engaged to me-
"Of course this was false, and ]
told my aunt what had really said
to him. She only cried, and told me
that I had no feeling for her poor
boy, who loved me so we'll.
II might have believed that he low
ed me, and felt myself guilty, but
that little later, coming down stairs
to find my gloves, which had drop
ped, and stepping softly, for thought
the whole house was asleep, l saw
Aunt Cynthia and her son still sitting
beside the CRATE.
Il don't care rap for tha Girl