The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-12-03
Selett Stnrp.
MISS BARTRAM'O EXPERIMENT 7.
A CHRISTMAS STORY BY ANNIE S. SWAN
rom the American Queen.


Miss Bartram was very plain and very
unattractive, and occasionally very cross.
Yet people said that she had almost every
thing in the world she could wish for
Certainly she was rich, and she lived in
splendid house surrounded by acres of
grounds, laid out in the most delightful
ornamental fashion. But as she herself
often said, she had not living soul in the
world to care whether she lived or died
except for the legacies which she was sup
posed to be going to leave to her various
relatives. She had good many relatives
of one kind and another-chiehy cousins
who took a great deal of interest in her
because of her money. She did not trouble
to make herself agreeable to them, so that
perhaps it would have been too much to
expect them to care for her; yet she had
been very kind to most Of them, though
they had shown her but little gratitude
Miss Bartram had grown little tired OF
it all, and one day in December of GER
! tain year, which Miss Bartram' 5 relatives
have much cause to remember strange
idea struck her She was sitting at one
of the lcng windows of her great drawing
room. looking out upon the lawn, on which
the white fakes of the first snow storm
were softly falling, and she felt very mis-
cradle, and lonely, and sad. Christmas
was at hand, and it meant little to her but
the expenditure of good deal of extra
money in the purchase of Christmas gifts
for her large circle of relatives. Then she
was expected to ask as many as lived at a
convenient distance to dinner at The Cedars
on Christmas Day, and somehow Miss
Bartram had feeling that the whole thing
was hollow and insincere. She was rather
a shrewd, clever, old lady, and she did not
believe that among all those who shared
| her bounty there was one who took a real
! interest i'll her or had any love for her in
! their hearts; and suddenly great desire
took possession of her to try them, to dis
cover whether among them all there might
be one disinterested soul. She got up
with a look of quiet exultation on hel
face, and rang the bell with an undecided
| hand
Tel Ringold | want the carriage III
half an hour to drive to Market Bainton,
she said sharply; and in half an hour, ac,
cordinoly, she drove away through the
softly falling snow to the country town,
which was only three miles distant. The
carriage, by her order, was stopped at the
Office of Geoffrey Hendon, the solicitor, III
County Square, and Miss Bartram alightec
| and went in.
| Geoffrey Hendon was an old friend of
hers and had managed her affairs for years.
| He knew all she had done for her relatives,
he also knew that they did not regard hel
| with either respect or esteem; but he hao
never limited at this, nor allowed her tt
say it even. He was kindly soul; and he
| had seen so much of dissension in familie.
that he was forever on the side Of peace
s'This is rather bitter day for you tt
venture out, Miss Bartram," he said cheer.
ily as he set chair for her near the bright
! fire. ''I feel this weather myself. We
are not getting any younger, eh-and ole
blood feels the frost of years ~
'Quite true, friend, but did not notice
the weather in my comfortable brougham
] Well, it's nearly Christmas again. .
"Tve been expecting visit from you,
said the lawyer with nod, Miss Bartram
having always been in the habit of consult
ing him about her Christmas distribution.
llWhat' the programme this year,
"Quite a new one, Mr.. Hendon, she
replied, with smack of her thin lips which
betrayed good deal of satisfaction. "Tm
not going to bestow any Christmas cheer
this year; am going to seek it. y
"What do you mean?' asked the
lawyer, looking at her with puzzled air,
noting her elation, and wondering what
was at the bottom of it.
Soon she enlightened him.
"I'm tired of giving, Mr.. Hendon.
Z M going to try the blessedness of receiv-
ing for change. Will you help me 7
"You'll need to explain yourself first, .
observed the lawyer with his customary
4 caution.
"Well, I'm going out into the world to
spend Christmas poor woman.
s'How can you do that?'
/ 'tOh, must pretend little. That
| what half the world is doing anyhow.
must say my riches have taken wings
can't do it, of course, without yon assist