Catoctin clarion., 1900-10-25

| ways W make Cue olu iauy lie oIlSut'
er one. For Is years Miss Hilda had
been sufferer from spinal trouble that
made her a prisoner in two rooms, the
drawing-room and the bedroom adjo:n.
ing. Every morning Martha, her maid,
dressed her and put her in deep cush.
ioned chair, which was then rolled into
the drawingloom. Here she had for
years spent the day alone, excepting for
friendly calls, occupying herself with
books or needle work, while her nephew
was making his round Of professions al
( calls.
1t is not necessary here to explain the
business that suddenly summoned DR..
Thorman to England, but it was call
of duty and likely to detsin him for
several months. His aunt had grleved
and fretted herself almost sick at the
prospect Of loneliness or the visit of a
niece she was sure to detest. And to
her joyful surprise she found herself
happier than she had been for years.
Grateful to her aunt for her educa-
ton. for the legacy she had been inform.
ed she was to have, Dairy DEVOTED her
self to the task of making the long hours
less tedious, with marked success. She
was not brilliantly accomplished, but
she played we'll upon the piano, sang
pleasingly in a sweet. not very power
full voice, and Miss Hilda loved music.
She played backgammon. dominoes and
chess, and was an adept at knitting.
She taught Miss Hilda lace work, some
new crochet stitches, and started a
crazy quilt from perfect mine of silk
pieces boarded away for years. She
read aloud in clear voice, pleasingly,
without any effort at elocution. and Miss
Hilda dearly loved a good novel, while
her own eyes would allow but very lit
tie reading.
The days flew by rapidly and eight
months of DR.. Thorman's absence had
passed when suddenly Daisy Cassiday
left Sunnyslope-just one week before
the doctor returned to America. Busi-
ness detained him in New York and he
made flying visit to Sunnyslope and
returned to the city. For nearly three
months Miss Iida was indeed alone;
mourning for her niece, fretting for her
nephew, until IL telegram was sent to
New York by the physician who had
taken DR.. Thorman's practice when he
went abroad:
Miss Cassiday is dangerously ill., Come
as soon as possible"
Dangerously, fatally i'll the old lady
lay. but perfectly conscious.
You will stay, Harry she said, as
he bent over her.
Yes, | will not leave you again
And by and by-you will find Daisy.
have done what you wished, Harry,
I have left her Suunyslope and half my
money. Harry. she is the dearest child
in the world gentle, loving and dutiful.'
But why is she not here? Surely you
need her now
u sent her away. l was just an old
idiot, Harry. | tried to make her prom
ise to marry you
Good graciousy 7 interrupted the doc
tor.
Yes, l SET now how silly l was. I
was sure you would love her when you
saw her. And she is engaged to the
teacher of drawing at Mrs. Morans.
She thinks he is great artist, who will
m AXE name if he can ever earn money
enough to haye time to paint. Just
now he is making bare living for one
as drawing teacher. showed her the
folly of such an engagement. told
her all your perfections and your pros
poets as my heir. She was as firm as a
rock. She loved this drawing teacher
and he loved her. Then | grew angry
and I told her to choose between giving
him up and leaving the house, promis-
ing to cut her out of my will. She left
the house. Oh, Harry. l did not think
she would 90. She wrote me the sweet
est letter, thanking me for all | had
done for her,assuriug me of her love, and
went away
Suppose I advertise that you are i'll
and wish to see her.
DO so. Oh, if she was her" now. to
love me and nurse me as | know she
would. Today, Harry. Send the ad-
vertisement to the paper today.
DIR. Thorman promised to do so and
kept his word. Every day for mouth
the appeal to Daisy" appeared in three
leading papers, but no answer came to
the dying woman. Then there was a
parting between Miss Hilda and the
nephew who had been like a con to her,
funeral, and Sunnyslope was closed to