The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-08-02
A GRAFT on
THE FAMILY TREE

The house was old, even for Rosques-
bury. To- night the windows blazed
with light. Bonfres burned at the
corners of the crooked old streets that
wound about it and rockets cut sharply
through the smoke that rose slowly
from them.
Beneath the wide old roof that spread
above the twinkling windows, more
than one of the signers of the Declara-
ton of American Independence had
feasted and slept in the grand old time
of long ago. For the first owner of the
place had been a patricia rich, gener-
GUS man, proud and brave. In the long
picture gallery hung his portrait, the
grim, powder burnt face looking sternly
down from its frame. And on the
pages of the histories down in the Ii
brary was his name in honorable place.
To- night the great grandson of the
brave old man had called his friends
together, and the ancient walls rang
with merrymaking.
This great grandson was a man
worthy of his sire. Proudly he traced
his lineage back to the stern old war
rior who looked down from the gallery
wall. There were those who declared
that in Philip Annesley the old man
lived again.
But to- night when the great fires
leaped and danced among the logs piled
up in the old streets, and the priceless
chandeliers in the old halls and parlors
twinkled and shone like new constella-
tions, and the music from many-slring-
ed instruments throbbed through the
great rooms, nobody of all the gay COM
pany gave thought to time so long
gone. The present happiness was suf-
ficient.
Ladies in quaint costumes, and men
in quaint old clothes, danced and chat
ted behind puzzling masks, for this was
a masquerade, and from the ocean came
a soft, earessing wind, adding its sweet
ness to the beauty of ii all.
In the yellow breeches and blue coat
and diamond buckles of his illustrious
ancestor, Philip Annesley moved
among his guests, and many bright
eye peeped slyly out at him, and
many a white hand stayed his progress
through the great rooms He had
made an Grafton in the town ball to-
day that had brushed the ashes of in
difference aside, and set patriotism
aglow. There was no mistaking the
tall figure with its swinging walk and
courteous bow and the kindly poise OF
the stately head. So he must stop and
listen to low-spoken words of praise,
to pretty, daring compliments from lips
that were safely hidden from his laugh
ing blue eyes.
Upstairs. in great luxurious cham
Der, sat, even so late as this, a wee,
faded old woman. A woman so pale
and so still that but for the great shin
ing eyes one might have thought her
dead. On her lips was calm, un-
changing smile, and in her eyes shone
8 soft light. The fire that burned even
tonight in the quaintly-tiled fireplace
threw splashes of soft red light among
the shadows that loved TO cling TO her.
She was old-almost hundred years
old. Her shining eyes had looked into
the faces of more than one of the men
whose names were being honored to-
night.
As the music grew louder she leaned
forward, her hands catching at each
other like fleshless claws
81 did it; l wonder If death is wait
ing for me to repent? / did it, and
am not yet sorry nor afraid. 1t was
best; she was but puDy thing. The
stock WIS too old. There's nothing in
blood. It is in the soul Blood, for
soothl Men are made in mOulds like
diamonds OF pearls or useless pebbles
Each independent of all others. But
the soul-the thing that lives; it is thai
and place. filed the place with tbs
soul that love. That is all. Filled il
so long ago-so long ago that even Ma
ture has forgotten, and people trace re
semblance Toto 1t was at twelve
O'Clock on night like this, and ths
next night Alice died. No wonder
poor thing, But / am not sorry mol
afraid. Is it you. Edith? Come" The
last words were spoken in answer to 1
repeated knock at the door.
/ Through the soft wavering firelights
girl came and stood beside the grea
cushioned chair.
'TS6aI I help you to bed now, Mis-
Annesiey?n
ITO bed? Tonight? All, no. g.
away, child. The music. don't yO'
hear it? That is rest for me. They ar
doing him honor. he is king among
them, my Philip"
"How you love hims'
Love him? / have loved hin