Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-02-06

an; Aunt ljYusilla was outrageous, tc
be sure, but it was partly nerves; she
could not mean all that she said.
1--WE are doing no wrong, so we need
rot be afraid of men nor ghosts" Her
bert comiorted the girl Poor old
creature, she can't walk while she
lives and she won't walk after she is
dead"
"Do you suppose that she ever had
anyone that cared for her, Herbert?"
81 should think not"
"Then am sorry for her, and won't
blame her too much. But, Herbert,
am afraid OF her."
Il guess you're getting nervous your.
self. Corinna. Come, let Us sit down
and read now" They were reading
aloud Life of George Washington; il
appeared serially in one OF the maya.
zines. Herbert had hat evening
brought new number from town.
1t was quite true that Aunt Drusilla
in all her life had never had lover,
never received the attentions and the
pretty speeches that cause woman to
value herself happily. She had always
been plain, self-sufiicing, even forbid.
ding. But she had one moment OF
vanity. Some years before, the wagon
CT an itinerant photographer had
broken down on the top of the hill in
front of her house. 1t took hours &c
mend it; and at noon the man asked
Miss Brocl<way If she would give him
some dinner. In return he would make
her photograph, cabinet size and
nicely finished. She set a meal before
him; afterward he sighted her with the
camera, put away the negative and
p' omised to send the picture in a few
days. II guess I amt likely to see my
own face, without tits in the looking
glass" she said, cynically, as he drove
away.
But the vagabond artist kept his word
end sent her the photograph.
II amt got nobody to give 1t to, an
TIL keep it myself. IT'S wuth too much
money to throw away" she told Mrs.
Dunn. Nobody imagined how greatly
Miss Drusilla priced that picture; in
which all the wrinkles and seams-not
the autographs of gentle and mellowed
but of hard and suspicious
ill-humor-had been smoothed out of
her face. H. fattered her up to the
point Of the credible; she was aware
that she possessed no beauties, but this
likeness softly persuaded her that she
was not SO bad looking, after all. She
came to take its testimony rather than
that OF the ancient mirror in its tar
nished gilt frame-which, indeed, gave
n greenish hue to her countenance, and
perhaps elongated it trihe. 1t may
be that the photograph was SO dear to
her because, like true friend, 1t took
her at her best possibilities instead of
her nnlovely actually. She was apt
to frown at the mirror and came as
near as she ever did to smile in look
ing at the photograph. The portrait,
always stood in the same
place, near to the corner of the mantel-
piece, next TO the side window of Miss
Drusilla's chamber. The wan bircn
tree, looking in, must have witnessed
some oddly kind glances pass from her
face to its likeness. The bit of paste
board was the sole object of the ten
derness of The old woman, were this
from egotism or from dim recognition
of her better self. miss Drusilly's
turrible proud of her picter. 1t don't
handsome much, fur's i can see; but
: IN glad IL she takes comfort in any
thing" Mr.. Dunn said to hib wife.
Corinna and Herbert did their best
not to offend the old woman again by
sight or hearing of them. The girl had
noticed that evening when. after the
crisis of nerves, she carried out the
aunt's small teapot, that the decoction
had been Of extra strength; and she
took heed that in future it should be of
a nilder brew. But Aunt Drusilla was
she would hear nothing
in favor Of young Jennison; his grand
father had eaten of the sour grapes OF
litigation. and she would set the grand
sons teeth on edge with all sorts of
hideous oddities. She would summon
the family in haste, pounding with her
stick; as soon as the door was opened
she would scream disagreeable remarks
ct the lovers order Jepnison opt Of the