The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-04-19

proper keeping instead of clinging to
them rs ii they were life-preservers?
am very sorry, Miss Matte. havo
represented matters to the heir, but he
fails to see them in q proper light.
SO the ladies packed their trunks
and gathered in the little parlor to
spend their last evening, preparatory
to an early start in the morning. And
while they sat, ,mournfully conversing,
strange event occurred. A shock
headed boy rang the bell and handed
in note, which ran in this wise;
Miss Martha Joyce: / do not
| know that the disease Of which my
uncle died was contagious, but | have
horror of illness in any shape or
form. ] therefore beg of you. before
You leave his house, to burn the bed
stead and bedding lie used, that | may
not find it when take possession.
Yours, very truly,
WILLIAM OhpFIELD."
"Well!" cried Bessie, "if impudence
can Q lch n sublimer height than that
l am mistaken"
''Burn the bedsteadl that splendid
black walnut bedstead that matches
the chamber suit" said Miss Matte.
''It really seems pity"
''Let him do it himself" said May;
1--WE are not his servants"
"Tll tell you what 1 will do. dears,"
said gentle Aunt Matte; 81 have had
everything washed but the tickings;
I'll just empty the mattresses and have
those washed, too. But / really can
not reconcile it to my conscience to
burn up things that are perfectly
harmless"
"Oh, Aunt Matte, give the bedding
to old Peggy! She will be delighted.
The blankets are soft and fine AMI the
sheets all clean. The young sinner
only wants them out of his way"
SO old Peggy, an aged woman, pen
sioner to all the charitable folks in
Topham, was sent for and told of this
stroke of good fortune.
"We will go with you," Bessie siid,
'and help you carry them"
The four women ascended one fight
of stairs to the room where William
Oldfeld died. Everything was in
order there, and over the mattresses
NNo opt tui NlltS hul StllltS Iulib
that BESSIE put with the rest Of the
bedding, while Aunt Matte and May
ragged the mattresses to the floor.
"Hhey are all stuffed with hair,
Peggy" Aunt Matte said. 81 or
dered them myself"
"Yes, marm," said the old woman,
feeling them carefully and nodding
her head; 'I'm thinking I'll sell the
hair. Husk stufiing will do for my
old bones, and / can buy some flour
and coal, likely, with the price of the
hair"
''Just as you please" said Aunt
Matte, tying the mattresses securely
with stout cord. "Now, girls, are
you ready? Hannah will help Peggy
with this bundle, and we will carry
the sheets, blankets aud spreads.
So when William Oldfeld took pos.
session the next day he found the
? bedstead bare and note from Ressie
tied to it, respectfully declining to
0 make bonfire of the furniture and
stating the fact that the bedding haG
: been given away for charitable us 2.
''If he doesn't like it he is welcome
!, to dislike it," that young lady said,
! graciously, as she signed the dainty
Il epistle in her finest handwriting.
Tho heir said bad word, locked
u up the room and occupied another
apartn ent, where there had been nc
''confounded Sickness" as he said
t and there reigned in the house wher,
o Aunt Matte had kept dainty neatness
q | Of l,.Ni,
! household, the disorder following fire.
!, quent late suppers, when the cit,
!, friends of young Oldfeld came dowr
to ''make night of it aad help hin
n spend the old mans money"
g Quiet Topham was scandalized ant
: sighed over the days when the dissi
= pated nephew was far-away disgrac
l. for mild gossip, but there seemed T.
= be no help for the trouble.
y The funeral had been over nearl
3. three months, and Miss Matte ha
y collected goodly number of littl
|, folks once more around her. when on
,. morning, while Bessie was busy in tn
'e little kitchen baking pies and May wa
IS running a sewing machine in the sit
ting room, there came hobbling up +
IF the door old Peggy.
3, "Come in, Peggy" Bessie SAID
30 cheerily. "You are just in time fo
4 an apple pie baked for you"
nt "Bless your kind heart and swee
is face," said the old woman. 'You M
s. never so poor yourself but you +.
member those who are worse of. Bu
I'd it's Miss Matte want to see.''
'You are just in time, then. There
the noon bell ringing, aud here come
v Aunt Matte and May to help abol
u dinner"
n Miss Matte" said old Pegg,
r. "did you ever lose paper when yo
se were at the old house?"