Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-09-21


switched off on n side track some
where"
Miss Abbie's face flushed and she
was on the point of making comics
sion of her poverty stricken condition,
so far as blood relations were con-
cerned, but the deluson OF fancying
herself communing with some one
bound to her by ties of nature was
sweet and she Rugged it to her heart
and let the mistake drift on for future
reparation.
"There are many things l want to
know about my fathers family" he
said to her that evening, "and you, OF
course, are the one | look to to
straighten out the tangle OF circum-
stances that has been veSing me for
several months. When are you really
that each of us should turn bioSra-
pher?"
"Not yet" she said, hastily. eff
there are any unpleasant and unan-
swerable questions troubling you put
them aside and let things take their
own course for time. We will con'
slider them by-and-by."
81 bow to your superior judgment,
my dear aunt" he said, with mock
humility. "When, in your opinion,
the proper time has arrived, let me
know"
1t was two weeks before he preached
the subject again.
81 ought to 90 away to.myrrow or
the next day." he commenced abrupt
ly one evening, when they sat on the
steps watching John Mt work among
the rose bushes, "and before leave |
think it only Just that you enlighten
me on the family history in general.
But perhaps | ask that you will con
slider it point of honor that | take
the initiative and tell you what know
of my father after his family lost sight
of him. should have done this in
the beginning, but you will remember
that my attempts to lead up to any
such q conversation were discouraged
by you"
He paused.
eyes" she murmured, 81 remem-
member. Go on"
81 have but little to tell, and shall
say that without any attempts at rhe-
torical Establishment. I was born in
the far West. When was less than a
year old my father died. My mother
lived but short time after that and
1 was brought up-if bringing up you
could call it-by her people, who had
moved to a neighboring town the year
before. From somebody, presume
1t was my father, had inherited con-
siderable independence and ambition,
and as soon as | was old enough ]
commenced to try to make for myself
a way in the world. How far | have
succeeded you can perhaps be the best
and most impartial judge. 1t was
only within the last few years that |
have entertained any active interest
in my fathers family. One day |
asked an old woman who had been my
mothers nearest neighbor and closest
friend if she had ever heard either OF
my parents say anything about his life
before he came West, and she told me
that just previous to his death he had
spoken to my mother of Judge in
st. Louis to whom she could write il
she ever found it necessary or expe'
dent to make any inquiries about his
past. There was but little hope that
the Judge was living, or il so he could
be found, but relying on that slight
bit of information, set at work.
Strange to say, he was still we'll known
in st. Louis, although he had retired
from active lite All he could tell me
was that my father had lived in the
southern part of this State; that he
had been wild and had run away from
home when only boy. His father
married again after several years and
they had issue-a daughter named
Abbie. / followed up branch after
branch of the Coleman family, but
nowhere could | find woman with
such a praenomen. At last [ heard OF
you and straightway started to see
you. Guided by some strange and
perhaps objectionable impulse tele-
graphed you the news of my expected
arrival withot taking time to notify
you in more formal manner of my
existence and discovery of your where.
nbouts. So here AIN, your hayward
nephew, ready to atone, so far as it is
possible, for my own transgressions
and those of my fathers"
John had finished his work, and for
several minutes after Tom ceased talk
ing they looked out in silence over the
garden of rose bushes and the fruit
orchards beyond.
81 thank you for your confidence,
she said at length, catching her breath
between words, as If choking with
some sudden emotion. "You have
made mistake. | knew it from the
lITht, Dub lOl H. o"u cuhC "l'' lul
like to undeceive you. My father an
mother both died when quite young,
as did my two little brothers. never
had relative who could possibly
have been connected in any way witt
your people. / knew it when YOU
telegram came, but | told John W,
would find out who you really were
Then after you came it seemed very
hard to set the matter straight, You
see, l have been so lonely sometimes,
she said in tone of self justification
"and you cannot know what n comfor
it was to me even to claim relation
ship with some one who only fanciel
was his aunt. l nm very sorry lie
you drift on and on in your false i'm
preston 80 long. OF course, saw |
would all have to come out some time
Pray forgive me.
"My dear aunt" he said with
, laugh, "for so l shall continue to cal
you in spits of the absurIity of tn
title when applied to you b
S me, l cannot blame you.
, should not have plunged into the mat
: ter headfrst as l did. In spite of til
0 mistake, do not see why our relA
. tionship should be counted n thing q
I | Al, ,,o,t T eb,l looya q, m, nrr,y, l,,,