The record-union., 1894-06-09


into the stables and its doors softly
opened opposite the entrance, so that
their eyes, when they awoke, should first
fall upon the really sweet and soothing
scene OF the mossy old mansion, with its
red, ivy-covered chimneys, its quaint old
gables, the bright reach of lawn between
and the restful hills beyond.
impatient as were the generous hearts
to begin the softening influence of per-
sonal reformation, it was not until nearly
evening that the two figures upon the
straw began to stir. Their day time was
now approaching.
Mr.. Jaggers and his daughter had
|. finally concluded to go to the stables to
welcome them. The first words which
greeted their startled ears were from the
| lips of Slim Liz as she hammered Ter
companion with her heels.
''They cud make it ninety days, fur five
| fingers o. tn right stuff, Maryw
! Lord A year, fur half as much ~
| groaned her companion.
by Jupiter, you shall have itv' burst
from the sympathetic Jaggers, as he
| called the stable-boy and gave him a
whispered order.
The two women sat bolt upright at this
unexpected answer to their form of
prayer, rubbed their bleary eyes and be-
gan pitiful lamentations mingled with
grooming beggings to know what strange
! fortune had beiallen them.
! ~ ou're where you're going to have
comfort and peace" stoutly asserted Ja-
son Jaggers.
And where your old lives will slip
! from your shoulders like Pilgrims bur-
den," added Edith tenderly, as she took
the women by their hands and assisted
| them to the stable floor.
Come, come now, Mary and Eliza
beth; don't be afraid. Here nowp They
gulped the proffered liquor down fiercely.
My daughter here'll show you where to
clean up q bit, get on some different
clothing, take a little look at your new
surroundings, and then We'll all have
bite to eat together" concluded Mr.. Jag
gers in fatherly tone that did him honor.
1t was pretty but still pathetic sight
to see the fair Edith leading the two old
and now almost vniceless outcasts across
the lawn and through the servants hall
for their bath, where she playfully
pushed them into the room with bundles
upon bundles of new clothing and happy
hearted, cherry encouragings, all with
bird-like gurglings OF delight; to see her,
a little later, conduct the strangely
changed old woman to a sweet and
roomy apartment not far from her own,
where she showed them countless little
objects her own hands had thoughtfully
provided; and then, while Jason Jaggers
beamed with happiness and paced the
lawn impatiently, as he looked again and
again at his watch, to see her sit there
and strighte out with her own dainty
fingers their frayed and ragged locks, set
ting pretty caps upon their heads, max
ing sure of this fastening, adjusting that
bow or ribbon, and patting and twisting
and jerking this and that fold into place
upon their scraggy forms, and finally to
see the brave, good girl bringing the two
| frightened souls TO the dinner table.
where Mr.. Jaggers Justify welcomed
| them with:
"Sit right down, now, Mary and
| Elizabeth. No formalitieS here. We're
old-fashioned folks with old-fashloned
ways, and nobody cares a rap if you eat
up everything in the house! Eh, Edith?"
mot soul, Papa JaggerS; not SOulD'
And thus, with hearty sallies and SIM
pie pleasantries. the dinner was eaten.
good Mr.. Jaggers adapting his CONNER
cial line of experiences and chatter to the
| lowly minds OF the old women with little
avail, but with positive grandeur of
magnanimity and good intent. when the
| two scared things were taken for a walk
about the beautiful grounds.
| While Edith futtered prettily around
| them, Jason Jaggers, out of the bound-
| less goodness of his heart, explained to
| the dim and wondering souls all his pro-
| ected improvements for Glen Corrie
house and grounds, the different varieties
| of fruits and vegetables in his gardens
| and the rare specimens OF eXOtlcS IN his
conservatory, until old Mary and Eliza
| beth had attained a maudlin imbeclllty
of submisSiveness, when Edith enter
| tanned them at the piano; after which
came quiet hour of reading, by Edith, of
selections from the humorous authors,
while Jason Jaggers, with moist eyes and
| Joyous face thanked all that is good for
| his happy inspiration of direct charity;
and after Edith herself had conducted
the now tottering women to their room
| for the night and had exchanged glow
| ing congratulations with her father as
| they, too, passed to their respective apart
ments, Mugsy Mary and Slim Liz sank
in hysterical heap Of ill-betiting attire
an6 abject misery upon the floor and
wept bitter tears for the first time In all
| their lives together.
"Thirty days o. this, Mary, an Pm
done fur!' sobbed Slim Liz as though
| her heart were breaking.
| Half that time'Il do Mugsy Mary ~
| walled her utterly disconsolate compan-
| ion; whereupon they dragged their skirts
over their poor old heads and whimpered
themselves asleep where they lay.
| 1t was well for the peace of mind of
Jason Jaggers and his daughter Edith
that the progress of their experiment was
interpreted by the sunny, hopeful and
thoroughly tender quality of their own
| loving natures.
| The tremendous aging of the outcasts
! in the brief period OF few days; the
gradual paling OF the fires of their keen
| old eyes; the dropping and retreatlng OF
their wolf-like jaws; the constant tagging
of their tottering steps; the sudden and
certain shrinking, bending and dimin
| ishing of their ungainly and grotesque
forms, were all attributed to the almost
miraculous changes wrought by the soft
enlng influences brought 10 bear upon
| them.
Indeed this was Jason Jaggers' mental
theme for congratulatory reflection when,
one morning a week subsequent to the
arrival of the outcaSts, he was awaiting
them and his daughter at the Hover
laden table in the pleasant breakfast
room. Suddenly Edith burst into his
presence. her face bathed in tears and,
] sinking into chair beside her father, she
uttered these startling words:
Papa Jaggers, they're goneW
! Then, while she had good cry, Jason
Jaggers hustled about her, essaying to
comfort her with
tut, tut, tut! Impossible, impossible!
Nonsense, nonsensel Why, they've just
wandered OFT about the grounds for
| little. Come, cheer up, daughter. Well
| have Mary and Elizabeth back here in
] few minutes. Dear, dear, dear ~
Being man of action, Jason Jaggers
| did more than hustle about and excli.im.
! Servants were sent to hunt over evory
portion of the grounds. Others were dis
| patched to all the near byways, lanes and
| hills Still others were sent along the
highways countryward, and far upon the
thoroughfare leading back to the city.
Mr.. Jaggers himself mounted his tavorite
horse and galloped hltner and thither, re-
turning from time to time to Glen Corrle,
hoping to find Edith and the old women
smilingly awaiting his coming. But night
returned, and still no word from the poor
old outcasts.
81 have an idea ~ then exclaimed Jason
Jaggers. Come, daughter, We'll take
little run into town. / would like TO see