The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-18
GUEST At CHRISTMAS.

chance. The Parkers were none of them
blessed with an Overabundance, no, nor,
for the matter of that, an abundance of
this worlds goods: and it was, therefore,
in a sense unfortunate that they all were
possessed OF positions which needed keep
ing up.
There were many ramifications of the
Parker family. There We're the JeX-Park-
ers. who lived at Addingham Lodge, an
which had been the Original cfadIe OF lIle
race. There were the W alus-ParkerS at
gents Park; the Wellesley Parkers, who
had a small prOperty in Suffolk; and the
fne in more or less fasRionable places out
of the season, and pretended that they
did it because they hated soclety;
eii; as sag rE Jus had An offcbsnce
one day they might all be rich, if not
+1-,, iS7 IoYI9fdrf HE ana eagv cir
cumstanceS. For they had an aunt.
Anne e rarl1eT as q she was fond Of saving
trimmed up with no fine first name
lady said more times than once, land
Mary Anne Parker 1 shall die. If you
think it makes Parker sound better to
flavor it with Ormond. or Graham. or
don't expect me to follow the fashion,
Now, plain Mary Anne Parker was old;
she was also rich; convenient and
before The time at which this story. opens
left her a tidy sum-just over a million
without troubling about her relations ever
since. She had, curiouslZ enough. a fancy
to live entirely out of England. She had
a fine villa on the Riviera. a fiat in Paris
4%l4 % q SIM IN H G'1i9i IA yet " 1-fitIer
her fancy carried her although there were
seven girls at the Lodge, and three others
at the hecJorY, 70 say euot!!II1lS o. an tIIS
other branches of the family. who would
dearly have loved to fill the position Of
favorite niece to so well-gilded and pow
erful an aunt.
had never been to Addingham. and knew
very little of the two groups of Parkers
IIvrar a ff0eaTn IN < nEnm
had been compelled by business to find
herself in LOndon-always a time OF pen
ance-She had seed odd members OF each
family. but there intercourse had stop
ped, So you may judge Of the surprise
received the following epistIe. dated De-
eem7tber l6. and written from the Chateau
doubt that you viii be surprised to re-
ceive this letter from me; but as you are
the head of my family, I think it only
right that l should first communicate to
YOU definite conclusion al which have
just arrived. 1 am. you are probably
Fairly rich!' echoed Mrs Jex-Parker;
almost hysterically,. as her husband
reached this point Of the letter.
And 1 have no fancy, not being, a
Catholic, or, for the matter of that, be
longing to any particular creed-haVins
long ago found out the hoIlowness Of
them all-that my money should, when l
the hands of what here is called Holy
aiuI as W was ana that life Ell is i'm in certain
sense, uncertain, though 1 am good for
twenty or thirty years yet. ana L SnOQlu
tions during the next few years. I pro-
pose, therefore. to spend Christmas with
each branch of the family, beginning with
you. if you and your wife have OBJ
fe9aa Ts9a each B f6 bfandR t9h sha Ren 6hT hT
made up my mind how best to dispose of
on my mothers side are looking to bene-
fit to a considerable extent under my will
but l feel you and all the other Park
erS deserve some compensation and alle-
Walton for having been born Parkers 1
zf 0n n n lGfT Tsf ? IS
than leave them an earnest of my good
please advise me- whether it will be
conyenient to receive me, with maid. an
inoffensive creature. who can not speak
word of English. but who is essential to
self no airs. And, believe me. your af-
The squire came to the end of the, let
Then he looked over the tops of his spec
tacles very solemnly at the stout. moth
erly lady at the other end of the table.
''Wel?" said Mrs. Jex-I forgot to say
that in the family each lady was called
by the first half of her name. "Well?"
whats to be done?' said the squire.
What can be dOne?" said, Mrs JeX.
she has asked asked to come She's worth
face Of providence. The only question is
how are we to receive her Shall we put
ourselves out. make a fuss, or let her
take us just as We are?"
Shell be an awful tie on US; of course
boys are at home 1 suppose we shan't be
iDIe 10 make any SORT Oh noise On. II $
horrid! If only she had come any other
time but Christmas"
We'll, she has chosen to come now"
remarked Mrs. Jex, and we can not re-
fuse her. That's one of the advantages
of being rich: you can descend upon any
of your relations without an invitation;
You are bound by none of the ordinary
cOnventfonalities of society"
And. by JOVei'' muttered Jack JeX to
Daisy. who sat behind him. so the mat
er'n find when she comes to tackle Aunt
Mary Anne Parker
Aunt Mary Anne arrived at Addingham
the day previous to Christmas Eve. AS
it fell out, two of the Parker bOys-CfOef-
fry. from the Lodge and Lionel. from
the. Rectory-trstv veIed down by the same
train Miss Parker. who hated crowds,
and could not endure being hustled or
incOmmOded in any way. had engaged a
compartment for her own use; but with
characteristic prudence, she consigned her
maid to a third-class carriage This car
riage happened to be the one chosen by
the two boys bound for Addingham. and
when Aunt Mary Anne. with becoming
dignity. descended from her reserved com
partment at her destination. She beheld
a very fearful and trembling French wO-