Hutchinson gazette., 1900-06-21
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A MATTER OF CHOICE.


tainly surprising letter. Listen
girls. It's from Aunt Molly
"Boston, August 10, lsO--
"Dear Sister Marguret!-Hou know
i always did have notions, and living
alone these last five years hasn't I'M
proved me any, | am tired OF living
alone, too. The house is big and lone
ly. IL occurred 10 me the other duy
that those two girls of yours were
grown up, and might ns well have
one. | am coming down next week 70
zee which one ! want to spend Vhe
winter with me. ! don't suppose II
makes any difference with you, and, II
H. does--wcl genernllyhave my own
way. Your loving sister,
MARY bartlett"
"Well, Of all things" gosped Jessie
Bessie looked ut her mother her
quiet little face one interrogation
point.
at viii be wonderful chance for
whichever girl Sister Mollys choice
falls on, II It is Bessie, she viii have
fine opportunities in her modelling
and Jessie equally with her music,
You will see and hear everything
worth seeing and hearing in Boston,
md you know what that means. Only
there's the one that's left ! think
II will be best for each OF you TO make
up your minds you are the one to stay
at hOme,'
Mrs, May paused and looked at the
eager faces confronting her, wonder
tl,,t Iiuppip,t inn
would have upon them. They had al
ways been so close friends and COM
panlons, They ftted together so well,
TOO. Pretty gay fun-loyng Jessie,
and Bessie, more quiet, less pretty,
but so dcit and sweet, II II could
only have been both, IL would have
been NO much better! "lf II should
make trouble between them" she
thought, reRrctfully.
"lfs perfectly lovely" Jessie
sighed; "but it's absurd, too, feel
ns though we had fallen into a fairy
tale. Here are the two sisters and the
fairy godmother Ilcss, ! shall be the
wicked sister, and lay some dreadful
plot against you, then go Off in trl-
umph Think Of my music. Think
of those symphony concerts. Thnl;
of-O, II makes me dizzy. What is
Aunt Molly like, anyway, mamma? |
ran hardly remember hrr at all,
81 SUPPOSE not II has been eight
years since she was here, She Is very
pleasant, but she IL little peculiar
You will find she speaks her mind
with great frnnkncSs, among other
things Uncle Stephen left her
wealthy; and, ~ ! said. winter In
Boston with her will mean all the rd
vnntnges that can be procured. lIut
II will not be home, and Aunt Molly
may he Il kecner critic than mother
All the rose-lenyes viii not be in Bos
tom"
81 wish she would take us both,
Bessie said mournfully.
The things she might do with hci
beloved art were very enchanting,
but, IL she went, what would Jessi,
do? However, there was very lttl,
danger OF thnt; of course Aunt MolN
would take Jessie, she was so merr,
and pretty
Still for the week that followed sh,
dreamed over her clay Of the clnssi,
models, the help and the inspiration
she needed so badly Fer her, nult
omy, conscIcndiouslv rs she poured
over H. would NOT shed much nght on
those delnsiye curves and muscles
Meanwhile Jessie croonrd over th,
piano and dreamed of beautiful, musi
cal Boston, where she really coulc
know what her voice was worth
dreamed, too, Of possible triumphs il
its flexible flnte-like notes. for in III,
depths Of her heart she agreed whtl
Bessie in regard to Aunt Molly
choice.
The day Aunt Molly came they wen
= down 70 meet her outwarlly calm, bu
inwnrdlv tumult Of excitement. Sh
was rather large and neshy with de
cisivc voice and eyes that looked as /
they had done good deal of twinl,
ling at amusing things,
"Well, you are the pair, are you?
She said after greeting their mother
"Both Of You graduated this spring
did YOU? and Jessie is eighteen. an,
Bessie seventeen, and the rest | mus
find ont for myself, must I?' Afte
which she devoted herself TO thei
mother, and pnid no further attention
TO Them
"Positively, Bessic," Jessie whispcr
ed, 81 never felt so queer in my life
The idea Of any one's liking me ncve
assumed such terrible proportions he
fore"
"Lct MS try not TO thinl Of NJ. Tes
sic; and above all things let us holt
together, and not Let II come betwec,
MS. ! think she will ask you, but
she shouldn't"
Jcssic's face flushed n tcll-tnle rec
and she turned her eyes from Bessie
besccching gaze.
"0f course II wouldn't be- You
fault" she answered in constrnine
voice.
That was the beginning. In the tw
weeks that followed the girls drrte
steadily apart; for after Aunt Mol
had said in her decisive way, "Reall,
child, those little clay things Of your
are quite bit more than ordinary
maybe You have the germ Of famou
sculptor in that demure little body q
yours" BESSIE would have beer NOR
thnn human IL all her ambition ha
not been fired, and she Ind not fel
thot she had as good right to he