The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-03-03
dreadful Cuban ladies one reads about.

fold, who had grown very pale. 1--WE
have no right further to pry into anoth-
er persons belongings"
Aunt Phedra turned upon him like
an enraged lioness.
"She wrote TO me To look into her
things" said she, 'and I'm looking;
ard I'm glad | looked; for rs sure as
you live, Ralph Sunfold, Elsie Bennett,
my adopted daughter, has got married
on the sly, and these are her husbands
things, packed in among hers"
"But that is. impossibler' said
straightforward Ralph Sunfold. "She
is engaged to mew
"Oh, Ralph, Ralphr' cried the old
lady, bursting into the slow, agOnized
tears of age, As she let her head fall on
her nephew's shoulder, "don't think
any more OF her. She's a jilt-a heart
less eoquet. Oh, my boy, my boy! she
never was good enough for your
Mr.. Sunfold turned silently away.
lie would have pledged his life for the
truth and purity of little Elsie Bennett;
but what did these mute witnesses
nean-the testimony of the laughing,
handsome photographs, with the silky
mustache and the dark, audacious eyes?
"What are you doing, Aunt Phedra?"
he asked, his attention attracted by her
quick, sudden motions.
Shutting up the trunk" said the
old lady, brusqucly. an send it back
to her at once. I'll have no such bra
zenfaced doings in my house!
"No, Aunt Phedra,' said Ralph,
resolutely. "If either of US leaves the
house it must be me. Elsie has right
to the shelter of your roof. She is your
adopted daughter"
"From this moment" said the old
lady, sharply, "she is nothing more to
men'
4 cloud had come over the soft star
light of the winter night; the wind
moaned through the trees; and Ralph,
sitting sadly by the fire, felt a. if his
whole life were darkened over and
changed.
Auut Phedra, opposite TO him, was
knitting mechanically away with COM
pressed lips and ominOusly grave visage
and neither spoke.
y sweet, siivery laugh sounded on
the frosty silence outside, merry foot
step tripped up the three stone steps,
and like gale Of fresh, pure air, in
iluttered Elsie Bennett herself-Elsie,
with cheeks painted the softest car
mine by the brush Of the great frost
artist; brown tresses escaping from
under the brim of her jaunty hat, and
her eyes sparkling like blue jewels.
"I thought / should take you by sur
prise" said Elsie, looking triumphant
ly around. ''One of the school trustees
is dead, and we have n vacation until
Monday. So took the first train and
here | am. Aud, dear me, what's the
matterr rs for the first time she per-
ceived the inscrutable change in the
faces of Ralph and Aunt Phedra. sis
anybody sick? Has anything dreadful
happened"
"Oh, Elsie, Elsier' said the old lady,
show can you stand there looking Us
in the face so calmly?'
"Why shosldn't I, Aunt Phedra?''
said the girl: glancing from Ralph to
the old lady and then back again.
Ralph stepped forward and took her
hand.
'Aunt Phedra," he said, al would
pledge my existence on her truth and
sincerity"
"But 1 don't understand you" said
Elsie. | don't know why"
At this minute there came a resound-
ing tattoo on the door.
"Who's that?" cried Aunt Phedra,
who had worked herself into a state of
nervous excitement so great that the
appearance of fiery flying dragon on
the scene would scarcely have been be-
yonG her expectations.
Mr.. SunfOld went to the door. There
in a Tapping felt hat and dingy, bot
tle-green suit, stood the Individual who
combined the three professions of stage
driver, expressman and mail-carrier to
t e village of Brixbury. He might at
one time have possessed a last name,
bit no one knew what it was, and he
was universally known as simeon"
"rve made n mistake" said this in
dividual, taking eff the felt hat to
scratch his head. 81 left young Squire
HarrisOn's trunk here this morning,
and sent the young lady's 10 Harrison
Hall. Here il is in the wagon, if yell
just lend u hand, mister, TO get it out"
MY trunk at Harrison Hall.'' cried
Elsie.
esquire Harrison's trunk here" fair
Is shrieked Aunt Phedra- "Then that
accounts for the cigarettse and the cap,
and the smoking jacket, and the-And
oh, goodness Ralph" clutching nerv-
ously at her nephew's sleeve, we've
been and broken into a strange mans
trunk. Do you suppose they'll arrest
us for larceny?'
But Mr.. Sunfold only laughed-his
heart was so light that he could have
laughed at anything now-and as he
helped old Simeon bring the pretty
little uncovered trunk in, he glanced
merrily at his aunt.
al don't believe we shall find any
contraband goods here, Aunt Phedra,"
said he.
"What are you talking about?" said
Elsie
And while Aunt Phedra IVES getting
tea Ralph told the little school ma'am
all about it.
Teas readyw said the old lady,
presently, putting her layender-ribbon-
ed cap into the room.
stop minute, Aunt Phedra," said
the young man. Before We go to tea
/ want you to give your consent-form-
ally, mind-to our marriage
ayes, yes" said the old lady, 81 con-
sent"
with all your heart?' mischievous-
ly demanded Elsie.
eyes; with all my heart" said she;
and she locked as if she really meant
it.
Tn. - iii .ba oII Iodx 10 bar-