The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-03-25

shut, ard only finally yielded to the !
united efforts of Anne, the maid. and |
Mr.. Brown, when Mrs. Brown majecti-
cally sat herself upon it until the key
was turned in the lock.
AS the parlor car was nearing New
York Mrs. Brown, who was INDUCING
in nap in her comfortable chair,
$aWoke with a start. s h
George" she said, eve omitted to
remove the quilts from between the
mattresses"
That afternoon Mrs Crumpet was
putting on her bonnet, preparing to
drive to the country place, when Anne
dashed into the room with little cere-
mony. She was in a state Of great ex-
element. The curtains had vanished
from the guest room!
Nonsense, Anne, said Mrs. Crum-
pet. Look again. =
Tt is no use it will be to look again,
ma'am," said Anne, smoothing her
apron nervously. Yesterday, with me
own hands, ma'am, folded thin .
blessed curtains in an old quilt and put
thin in the lowest drawer of what you
pins | pinned thin Yesterday with me
own ears, ma'am, heard Mrs. Brown
a-saying as she meant to have room
the very likeness Of ours. When / was
a-tidying the room just now I sees the
two big pins on the dresser. What's
that? SEE /, and turns to the chiffon
ear drawer. The curtains clean gone!
It's a warrant would be sending,
ma'am."
! This was poured out without a
breath, while Mrs Crumpet stood
aghast.
"A warrant after what, Anne
After Mrs. Brown, ma'am, as has
our curtains, ma'am," answered Anne,
undauntedly
Leave the room, Anne" said Mrs
Crumpet. in an unusually sharp voice
for that amiable woman
Leave the room it may be, Anne
| went out muttering; it's Mrs. Brown
has thin curtains, and she sitting on
top O. the trunk SO grand like to shut
it over our curtains!''
Mrs. Crumpet pinned her bonnet
with trembling hands, and mechanic
ally tied the ribbons in a jaunty bow
under her left ear. What could it
mean? Anne had been with her oyer
twenty years; in that time nothing Of
which she had charge had been mis-
laid. The woman was faithfulness and
I honesty personiGed; but the idea that
! Jane could take her curtains was, Of
course, not to be entertained for one
minute. Jane was most determined;
if she wanted a thing. she had it, but in
no such way as that.
Every servant in the house was
summoned and, superintendent by Mrs.
4 Crumpet, carefully searched the room.
j The curtains were certainly not.5there.
Mrs. tssl.i1fp ct drove to her eoun try
/ place in 4 subdued and melancholy
. frame Of mind.
! In the little sitting room opening out
Of her bedroom, in the country house,
i was q photograph frame in which was
a collection OF photographs Of Mrs.
Brown. The first was taken with Mrs
4 Crumpet when she and Mrs. Brown
were at Nine. Chicare's school together,
i two si1npering school girls hand in
4 hand, The last was very recent. Mrs.
a Brown was taken in a black. velvet and
was most imposing and dignified. AS
Mrs. Cfunpe@ locked at this one she
seemed to hear Anne's voice saying:
"And she asitting on top O the
trunk SO grand like to shut it over our
curtains!"
yshe turned away from the photo
graphs with a puzzled, worried look,
1,,,S cr f,,,,t,1
ing Mrs. Browns face again.
During the summer Mrs. Brown
wrote to Mrs. Crumpet as usual, and
Was surprised at receiving no answer.
In the autumn, however, a long let
ter from Mrs Crurnpet arrived. This
letter distressed Mrs. Brown. She
feared her old friend, who was really
getting on in life now (Mrs. Clu1npet
was two years older than Mrs. BFoWn)
must be breaking up! No one could
have denied that the letter was inco-
herent. 1t began with a burst of af-
lection for her old friend; it spoke OF
Anne; it dashed off from Anne to men
ton that they had only come in from
the country the day before-only, how
ever, to return to Anne, to say that she
: feared Anne was not as careful in turn
; ing the mattresses as she should be
= 1t ended with more EXPRESSIONS Of I'm,
!. dying affection but the postscrip1
(Which is the moral of this episode,
j was what Mrs Brown found the mos
]. pulling. What rhyme or reason scoult
i there be in MRS. Crumpet writing.
Y SP. S.---Remember, Jane, remember
/ =. i r.
r of the old saying: believe nothing yol
r hear, and only half you see. z
Suicide and Civilization.
). ? We find that suicides figure most il