The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-22
CorneIia's Double Mistake.

| most welded pairs with their cnlfdrel
grown up about them. They had beer
happy, however. and when they died lief
their daughter a little income, which, b!
close pinching. she could manage to liv'
upon.
Correlia was not pretty girl, but thou
sands Of palmer girls had married and set
tied while she remained a spinster. Per
haps the fact that she was by no mean
a good-natured person had something u
do with it
But for that dreadful family Bible il
which the record OF her birth was writer
down. she would have felt safe in slicins
on ten years OF her hfe-a proceeding
which she fanoied would increase hel
value in the eyes of a certain Mr. Dums
day, who had recently paid her few sol
emn calls. He was really an old man him
self. but the older the man the younger
generally, one finds his choice OF q wifi:
! TO be-
Who knew her exact age? Cousin Betsy
But Cousin Betsy would not wish TO quar-
! rel with her. and was too old woman tc
think her anything but young. The cler
gymlan who baptized her But he was su'
perannuated and lived with his son-in-laW
in another state. The family doctor Wa:
dead. and the dear old gentleman who hat
1
went to Europe years before. and was
probably dead. Good Mr.. Noirei Bui
she should never hear from him again
es, it was safe She would do IL
1t was night-half past u at least-tht
| hour when 'churchyards yawn and graves
give up their dead" Miss Corneha arose
! She stood before the fire with her bach
toward it. and took the candlestick In hel
| hand
| ANY one who had observed her would
certainly have believed that she was go
| ing straight to Cousin Betsys room &c
end that iady's life by q jab of the sharI
little knife blade but she paused at the
candlest tick, knelt down, opened the fam
! lily Bible at the fyleaf. and slowly. eau
| tionsly began 10 scrape. scrape. scrape al
the last two figures on the record OF heI
| birth.
Then she crossed the room, took from
| a freside cupboard a pen and inkstand
wrote two other figures in the place OF
those she had erased, blew upon the leaf
until it was dry. carefully touched up the
rest of the record to match in brightness
and drew back to read the amended lines
which now plainly stated to all beholders
that she had entered this world thirty
years before instead OF forty.
Mr.. Dumsday regularly game q court
ing now. He was rich widower. whose
| married daughter professed herself anx-
| ious that pa" should have some one to
take care Of him Miss Cornela had quite
made up her mind that lavender should
be the color OF her wedding dress--a COP
per-colored bride expectant always does.
And the two were sitting together one
evening talking confidentiaily about rheu-
matis1n and its best liniment. when the
door bell rang and a tall, lean gentleman,
in a suit of black, was ushered into the
parlor.
Miss Cornelia Lunt believe" he said.
Eyes. SIR" said Miss Cornelia.
The gentleman bowed. handed her a
card with &C. Dodridge. Solicitor" upon
it, and took the seat she offered.
II understand that your respected par
ents are no more, ma am" said the soli-
citor. They would remember better than
you do, probably, period of thirty years
ago when one Mr.. Noire boarded with
them"
Eyes, sir" said Corneha growing red
in the face. I've heard them speak Of
him"
An" said the gentleman, 'he was a
dear friend as well as client of mine. He
died about two months ago in London. He
was wealthy at the time of his death,
and he never forgot the extreme kindness
of the friends of thirty years ago. who
knew him in his days of comparative pow
erty. Yes. they are gone also; but the lit
tie girl who waited upon him so lovingly
still lives, She was II years old at that
time suppose 1 address her?''
mo SIR said Miss Lunt. redder than
ever-as Mr.. Dumsday turned an attentive
ear to this dreadful statement-and feel
ing that one lie begot many, and that
having fbbed in the family Bible she
must stick to it or die-"No, sir. l was
not born a that date"
'I have my old friends record said
Mr. Dodridge-"1S- was the date of his ar
rival here You were one month old then
IS was the date of his departure.
Plainly you were eleven years of age
You attached yourself fondly to my old
friends heart, madam.
mo. l didn't" said Miss Cornelia, tart
ly. Il ought to know. l never saw him.
1 was born just after he left, I've been
told. There's the Bible on the table; look
at the date"
She opened the volume at the fatal fly
leaf the lawyer perused it slowly.
II see; see," he said. We'll, well, and
who was this little grip
Agony OF agonies Here was another lie
needed. Mr.. Dumsday's eyes opened
widely. He listened more intently. He
looked at the lawyer: he looked at the
lady She must fb again. and blackly this
time.
That was a little adopted child who
died." said Miss Corneia family. They
didn't think they would have any family
of their own"
Il see" said the lawyer rising-'I see.
Ny friend hoped she had grown to be a
woman. Good-day."
And 1 can't see why you should come
here to add to d lady's age. said Miss
Corne1ia- I'm sure it's hnpolite"
Madam" said Mr. Dodridge. hat in
hand. II have an excuse: Mr.. Noire, good
old man, left all his fortune to that little
girl. Had she lived she would have been
an immense heiress- l paved the way
paved the way. that's all"
He departed: Miss Cornelia bowed him
out After all. what did IL matter? For
tune. in the person of Mr.. Dumsday. was
at her feet, and she had saved ten years
Of her age in his eyes.
But alas, what allied Mr.. Dumsday? He
had arisen; his face looked pale. his
countenance anxious. He shook his head
slowly. vent TO the candIesiand. folded
the leaves of the family Bible. and spoke
as follows:
"Cornely. from what 1 see you're Just
about 80 years OF age. aren't your
Yes said Corneiy, wonderiugIy.
This is a trial % me. CoTneiy.'' said
Mr. Dumsday Il know I've been u
blame If it come TO othing. but We must
part"
Did you think was younger said
CorneIa- is that IT.
No, Cornely." said Mr. DHmsdzy: but
took a little cath 20 ny daughter Jer1-
mimy-Mrs. Nutmeg. that is-never 70
marry a second wife under - People gen
-, -4rs-,- 49,