Middletown transcript., 1895-01-12


little boy was sent for it at dusl
Jane wished herself dead again.
only she could have had pride in any
thing or any one, she thought; but lif
was all shame to her.
"Oh, auut! if you only wouldn't,
she sobbed and Aunt Dinker shook he
head.
"Habits are hard to break" she sai'
"but I'll try. Only you oughtn't to b
so hard Oh me, when I've stuck to yol
so." And then she revealed plal
which she had concocted for giving th'
boy an education. "I'll put him to th,
best school in New York." she said
"I'll keep the story that they tell-lit
as it is-to MY self, and I'll pay hi'
bills regular. 'Tain't likely Pm going
to see him grow up without eddication
Well make him a clergyman or a
doctor. Well snap our fingers in the
faces of these critters. I'll take him
up myself tomorrow, and he shall come
down every Saturday night"
IL shall miss him so," said Jane.
''But it is for his good, and thank you
aunt"
So Jane spent the night in tears,
and in the morning Aunt Dinker
went to the city, taking with her little
Richard.
Jane suffered a great deal that day,
aud when at night she saw Aunt
Dinker return alune, she could not find
voice to speak tn her. But the old lady
was in good spirits. She sat down be-
fore he fire With her shawl on, and told
Jane how pleased Richard was with the
journey, and how Miss Speers had ad-
mired him. And Jane brought her her
tea, and she took it sitting by the fire,
but still kept her shawl Oh; and more
over the shaw looked curiously thick
and bunchy.
Once before had Jane seen the same
thing, and it had resulted in the ap-
pearance of somebody's work-box! Her
heart misgave her.
"Aunty," she said, in trembling
tones, ''are you cold?"
mot particularly" said Miss Din
ker.
"Then shan't 1 take your shawlp'
s"When ask you to do So"
Jane was silent. Old Miss Dinker
fidgeted. Finally Jane burst into re-
proaches.
"Oh, Auntie! couldn't you help dis
graclng my poor boy, to steal in New
York, where they'll have no mercy on
you, and at the school, where l hoped
he could hold his head as high as any
one? Oh, aunt. aunt!"
"You ought to be ashamed of your
self, Jane. Pve been a good aunt to
you; and as for the school, l never
touched thing. | put my hands in
my muff, and set jest so, and made a
pint of it. And it's nothing much to
make fuss over. l took it almost
without thinking, it came so handy"
"What is it?" asked Jane, despera-
tely.
"Well, I'll tell you.' said Aunt Din
ker; land if they want it, they can
have it-a shabby old thing. AS l was
going from the school-us to the depot,
there came up a rain. l had on my
best bonnit, SO l looked about me, and
there was a church open, and in l
popped.
"Well, as stood there, out came a
gentleman that | knowed was the
clergyman, and says lie. walk in,
ma'am, and wait for the rain to be over.
There's fire in the westry.' And he
left me before the CRATE in the incest
little room. And l waited until the
streets were dry. The sexton came
and talked TO me, and told how they'd
been weGdin' there, and they'd just
gone. And somehow, when got into
the street, this was under my shawl"
'She's committed sacrilege at last, :"
cried Jane. Oh, dearl on, dearl"
"'Tan't, neither" cried Aunt Din
ker. "Il's only shabby old book. +"
And as she spoke, she unfolded her
shawl and tossed upon the table dlngy
leathern tome, on the cover Of which
was marked in black letters:
Marriage Register of st. Grace's
Church. 1660-1S73."
Jane seized upon it, with low cry.
"St. Grace's Church," she said.
"Aunt, aunt, that was the name. That
was where l was married." And her
trembling fingers turned over the
pages; and her eyes sought out the date,
and suddenly glittering with joy.
1T is hereW she cried, "herel here
herew and cast herself down upon the
floor, and sobbed as she had never
sobbed before for very thankfulness
while Miss Dinker, bending over the
page, saw written there, in plain, old.
fashioned hand:
"Ou the twentieth Of June, by me-
Oliver Sparkle, Captain Richard Muir
ply to Jane Dinker, spinster, of the
town of Cumminseed, N. j.
"Witness-B. Britters, Clerk"
When Jane Murphy arose from the
floor, she was an altered woman. Proof