The Advocate and news., 1898-10-05


locked these twenty-six years. He has
never mentioned her name, and no one
has ever dared to speak 1t in his pres
ence. He went into her room one morn
ing soon after he came home, and put
all her things into a fine trunk and
locked 1t, and then sent 1t to the attic
It has been there ever since and will re-
main there while longer unless he takes
1t away"
But where did Uncle Philip get all
those beautiful dresses?" Murray asked
why, your Aunt Maerian was an
actress and your uncle an actor and he
fell in love with her while playing on
the stage. They brought all their the
ter things home with them and after he
returned to his right mind he slowed
them all away in the attic"
well, tell us about his going to the
asylum and when he got out, and all
about everything else," Edmund said.
WELL" continued Aunt Caroline
"they took him there and it was nearly
year before he came back home. He
must have suffered terribly for we could
scarce believe 1t was the same young
colonel that had gone away. His hair
was turning gray and he looked about
ten years older. He never mentioned
poor Maerian's name, and at last we
thought he had forgotten her. Now you
are never to speak of her to him; nor
Mildred must never do anything like she
did to-day, again. must leave you now
and go see how he is"
"But, Aunt Caroline" said, did she
never come back? Nor did Uncle Philip
ever hear from her?"
"She never showed her face here again,
and l don't think he has ever heard
from her. Not that / know Of, anyway.
She ran away with his cousin and they
may have gone on the stage together, for
he was an actor also. If your uncle ever
sees Henry Manchester he will kill him
l know, and Mis- Maerian, too, for he
swore he would. / saw and heard him.
He took the old Bible and did it the day
he packed everything that had been hers
away and know he would keep his oath
if he hung for it the next minute.
Nov goodnight, dearies, 1 must go
back to him"
After she had left us we talked it all
over and pitied Uncle Philip and hated
his fathless wife with all our hearts.
Uncle Philip ordered us all sent home
but Mildred. Strange to say he would
not allow her out of his sight. 1t was
she who nursed him so tenderly through
his long sickness and it was Mildred he
took to Scotland with him. He seemed
to be happy with her and only her. When
they returned from their trip Mildred
passed most Of her time with Uncle
Philip
OF his wife we never heard anything
until about three years after Mildred's
escapade One evening telegram was
handed to Uncle Philip, and it's contents
proved to be that she had been killed
in a wreck and they awaited his orders
concerning the body He sent for it, and
one morning 1t arrived. We were anX-
ious to see her, and after few hours Of
impatient waiting he called us into the
library and there stood a massive black
coffin, not that she was large, but the
coffin was carved and the handsomest
/ had ever seen, and going up to 1t we
saw what once had been the lovliest
woman, now cold corpse whose face
was Scared and patched. Uncle Philip
had her buried in nearby cemetery, and
that ended the story Of his life. He never
married again and is greatly changed in
his manner. He seems younger and acts
more like young man than one who is
nearing old age He says he feels like
boy again and I'm sure he reminds
me Of one Aunt Caroline died not long
ago and Uncle Philip had us to come and
live with him. l am great favOrite of
his, and so is my sister Mildred. In fact,
I hardly know whether Uncle Philip is
our uncle or our father. He has been
a father to us since ours died.
The old attic still holds it's own and
the younger children often go there and
play Uncle Philips romance, but never
dare to speak Of our wayward Aunt
Maerian to him.