The Winslow mail., 1897-04-24

| OF SOLD neaVlneSS! On, CndC 1Sn Sc
cret drawer! It's only a place to put
umbrellas and canes in. 1 used to be
certain there was a secret drawer in it
when l was a child. But I've changed
my mind now"
John Barton walked slowly around
the settle, eying it from every point of
view Miss Penriff watched him.
eyes, it is beautyg' said he what
will you take for 1t, Miss Penriff?"
81 hardly think you can afford to buy
it, young man." said the elderly lady,
grimly.
John Barton reddened little.
ooh, as for that" said he, rather awk-
wardly, 'I'm representing some one
else. Personally, perhaps"
"Well," said Miss Penriff, 'it cost
three hundred dollars. But l don't ex-
pect to get its full value"
'Aunt Keziah would take hundred" !"
futtered Dolly, eff"
every well," said Mr.. Barton, cts a
| bargain. Is there a man about the
place who could help me lift it into the
wagon?"
There's old Silas Virgins beyond
the big rock" suggested Dolly.
And while Johnny Barton was gone
for him, the old lady sat down on the
settle, where the yellow sunshine glim-
mered and the smell of late mignon-
nette came in at the window.
Here was where l used to sit" said
she. "There was big stained glass win
| dow in the hall just over it, and a great
| fireplace beyond, where they burned
such big black legs Of cold, winter
nights. and there, in the other corner
| my lover used to sit"
Her voice quivered; a tear sparkled
in the faded blue eyes behind the steel
trimmed spectacles.
"Oh, Aunt Keziah!" cried Dolly, sud-
denly f1inging her arms around the old
lady's neck. 81 never knew you had
a lover"
Does any woman ever live to be 20
without lover, child?" said Miss Pen
riff. But your grandfather was very
ambitious man. He was losing money
in those South Sea shipping ventures
even then, though | didn't know it
and he wanted me to marry rich man
and retrieve the family fortunes. And
Henry was poor"
"Was that his name, Aunt Keziah?" 2"
$50 l never married at ALL" went on
Miss Penriff. 'Good-by, old settler
And, with infinite pathOs, she touch
ed her lips lightly to the biggest of the
griffin's heads.
But Dolly held tight to her aunt's
hand; she clung around her neck with
passionate kisses.
"Now you know, Aunt Keziah," said
she, almost in a sob, why l didn't ac-
cept Orlando Daley. Now you know
why l love Johnny Barton Johnny
isn't rich, but neither was your Henry.
Oh, Aunt Keziah, you won't blame
mel"
Dear me!' said Miss Penriff, in a
sort Of bewildered way. you don't
mean to say"
Eyes, l do" said Dolly, turning pink
and white, like the tall hollyhocks at
the garden gate. "It was only last
night when we walked home from the
prayer meeting together. l couldn't
think of what Elder Johnson was say
ing because Of Johns blue eyes, and
it all seemed like a dream to me, until
he asked me to try and love him lit
tle"
''And do you love him, Dorothy?"
"Id ride around the whole world with
him in that old covered cart, If you
only say yes" sobbed the girl. Il don't
that l love Johnr'
And she slipped back into the shad-
ows as Johnny Barton and old Silas
Virgins came to lift out the mahogany
settle
Miss Penriff watched them through
a mist Of tears.
Here was the blossoming out Of truth
and love. and all that blessed disre-
gard of ways and means that only
comes in the dawn Of life. She Add tut-
grown it all, but 1t was a story that re-
peated itself with each new generation.
She remembered that Mr.. Oakley had
said that John Barton was good
fellow enough. She looked at the old
settle where she and Henry Hartford
had sat years ago, and she beckoned
softly to Dolly.
Dorothy" said she, "if you love the
lad. take him. II was young oncew
And then she went back into the
house. so that she might not see the
old griffins, with the claw feet, being
carried away.
Only two weeks afterward Dolly
came eagerly to her aunt
Johns uncle Is coming down from
New York" said she, ''the gentleman
who bought the mahogany settle, 1t
wasn't for a store, Aunt Keziah, that
John bought it. 1t was for his pwn
house. He's very rich, and John Is his
only heir. And he liked my photo
graph, and he's coming to see y)U to-
night. Doesn't it sound exactly like a
story-paper?" faltered happy Dolly.
who's that knocking at the doort 1t
can't be Johns uncle already!
Miss Penriffs drawn face had bright