The Penn's Grove record., 1896-06-26
CLARE'S TWO LOVERS

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CLARE'S TWO LOVERS
II know I'm pretty" said Glare Win
bingham to herself. gazing composed.
~ into the depths Of her mirror, but
4 don't think I'm sufficiently beautiful
TO send all the young men Of my &C
Quaintance into ecstasies over me-
1t is not always very easy for a girl
10 Judge of her own looks, but Glare
tried to be as impartial as possible on
this special occasion.
"Yes." said Glare. nodding her head
10 that certain spirals of golden brown
hair which always hung over her fore.
head danced coquettishly up and down,
II am pretty. And then that 8 $1,000 a
year that Uncle Bruce's will secured
to me Isn't altogether a disagreeablo
pill for some Of my lovers to swallow.
1don't think l was made for an helress'
I've always had an idea that / should
make a splendid poor mans wife,"
She took from her belt a withered
rose and bunch of faded violets as she
spoke, and arched her pretty eyebrows
over them In a puzzled fashion.
"Harvey Gillette gave me the rose"
she soliloquized. "He's very hand.
some, and I always did have a weak.
ness for handsome people; and he's a
rising young man in his profession, peo-
pie say. / like talented people, too.
III keep the rose just a little while"
And she laid 1t away in a certain satin
lined box where she vas wont to treas
ure souvenirs of these. her girlish days.
"And Frank Hoods violets-poor
Frank Hood He's so silent and so
awkward, and yet there's something
about him that won't let You despise
him. Well, I won't throw away tho
vlolets. either, not Just yet"
And Glare went composedly TO bed.
For why should she lie awake and
lose the roses of her complexion and
dim the sparkle of these glorious violet
eyes, thinking about the respective
claims of the various lovers who
hovered, moth-like, about the torch
light of her charms? There was time
enough to make up her mind-quite
time enough.
So, In the very middle of the season,
when balls, operas and dejeunes dan
cantes were at their height, and when
old Aunt Dalmayne wrote a piteous let.
ter up to her brother in town, setting
forth that "she had the rheumatic
dreadful bad, and there wasn't no re.
liable help to be had, and she vas that
lonesome that she couldn't stand 1t no
longer, and wouldn't n of her three
nieces come down and stay with her
. spellg" Glare astonished the family
rircle by volunteering to go.
"My dear" said Mrs. Wintringham,
'.you don't know what you are under
taking. 1t is q common farmhouse,
not oven painted, among the hills"
sand Alantha Ann Is as full Of whims
as an egg can be of meat" said Papa
Wintringham, rubbing his nose. "But
] suppose she Is lonesome"
well" said olyre, "MIriam's busy
vii herrte2sersyStory lessons and her
German class, and Laura belongs to
those sociables, and I seem to be the
only one disengaged. Besides, 1 am
getting tired of balls and dances and
suppers. / should like to try the other
extreme, just for fun"
The scene looked indescribably bean
tful to Glare Wintrlngham that frosty
December night, as the jolting old
wagon, with a buffalo robe spread over
the seat, and a sleepy old horse t~rotting
In front, turned into the valley road,
and she could see the ancient farm
house, ste~ep-roofed and brown with
half a century of suns and rains, with
the maple boughs wrestling overhead
IN the gale, and the wooded hills rising
MP on every side, while one ruddy
beam Of light glowed from the tiny
window under the caves, casting, as
It might be, a Javelln Of brightness
athwart the road In front of the door.
II guess she's expectln' of you," said
the rough charloteer who hid been
sent to the depot to meet Mrs. Dali
smayne's city niece, "but I'm afraid
you'll find 1t desput lonesome"
"Oh,n cried Clare, gleefully, as she
sprang out of the vehicle, II think it's
splendid"
And she entered the iow-celled kitch,
en-, all aglow with the roaring fire OF
pine logs on the hearth. Aunt Dial.
mayne had evidently bestirred herself,
for the table was spread. and the old
lady herself hobbled forward on a
crutch 10 welcome her niece.
why, my dear" cried Aunt Dial.
mayne, stepping back to take a second
survey, you're as pretty as a picture
Amir said Glare, laughing. "Rut,
aunty, what a glorious fire you've got.
and what a darling old urn, and how
good that ten does smellP
And before Glare slept that night she
had taken Mrs. Dalmnyne's heart fair.
.y by storm.
She had been an inmate of the farm.
house for about a week, when one OF
those grand antesC Christmas snow.
storms came on which veil the whole
country In spctless white and hang the
woods in royal robes OF ermine. Aunt
Dalmaync's rheumatism grew worse
and she Kept her room, but Glare went
about as i~ight-hesrted us ever, doing
the whole work Of the house, with such
assistance as Moses Peckham. the
hired a was able to render.
The nov had fallen steadily all day,
blown into drifts 10y the wind that
kcwled lugGbriousiy through the
gorgss OF the hills. and Mt last the
twilight deepencd over the stormy
earth. Clare T'as sitting thoughtfnl!y
before tho freight, peel!nS apples fcs
. pudding. which was desr to Aunt
balmayne's soul. when Moses came Ia,
"Miss Clare" said he. there's two
gentlemen got storm bonnd outside.
hnd they've missed tho way. ana ,heir
borse is clean tired ont. and they want
ID to know II we'd give 'em n night's
lheite-. ! told 'em Mrs. palmaype wns
lick and / wasn't boss. but I'd ask the
toung woman that does the work"
Glare WINGED q little and then
aughed outright at Moses unpublished
language.
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