The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-05-29
THE ESCAPE.

Martha Sessions for granted. Her place,
1t was tactily admitted. was in the
kitchen of the Witherspoons. This
did not mean that she was the servant
of the Witherspoops-no, moi There
were two respects in which she diff
fered from the ordinary servant. One
was that she received no salary; the
other was that she was of high birth.
A common person may receive pay for
service and rejoice in it. But Miss
Sessions. daughter of the Hon. Peter
Sessions-now many years with his re-
spectacle and dull forbears-coul not,
even If she had been offered money,
have accepted it. What she did
was to live in the home of her
married sister. conscious. morning,
noon and night. of the fact
that she was the recipient of bounty,
and to do anything and everything
that other folks objected to doing.
Sarah Witherspoon had not been
one to let the distinguished name she
bore die with her generation. She had
given seven pawns to fortune in the
shape of her sons and daughters, and
for each and every one of these little
cared. In short, Martha was the lubri-
Gator of the domestic wheels. and did
everything for the family that she
could do, from hemming the napkins
to sitting beside sick beds.
Yet it was generally understood in
the Witherspoon household that Aunt
Martha was to sit silent at table. es-
pecially if there was company. II
dinner was given she did the most
difficult part of the cooking, and If
she did not stay in the kitchen to di-
rect the serving she perched uneasily
on the edge of her chair ready to rush
into the fray at the slightest sign of
confusion. There were horses and We
hicles in the Witherspoon stables. but
Miss Martha was never expected to
benefit by them. There were many
sociabe affairs in the big drawing
room, but she was not invited to en-
joy them. Her many duties attended
to. it was expected that she would re-
tire to her own room and read by
her student lamp, and the family con-
graduated itself on having INDUCED
her whims and provided her with
reading table and study lamp, and
small Franklin stove. These conces-
sions to an eccentric taste were often
commented upon by the family. They
admired their own generosity in hav-
Ing made them.
There was one cause of chagrin.
however, which even this modern
Griselda did not bear patiently. She
was too much occupied on the Sabbath
to attend church. for the large fam
lily dinners and the suppers at which
friends were informally and general
ly invited kept the household drudge
at her post at the hours of service.
Moreover. she had the pain of hearing
her own particular church and rector
spoken of in terms of derision.
But one day an astonishing thing
happened. 1t is difficult to believe it.
although it is now ancient history.
Frederick Sessions, granduncle to
Martha Sessions and to Sarah With
erspoon, died at so great an age that
he seemed already to have been dead
for a decade when his obituary was
published, and in dying he bequeathed
to Martha Sessions, the most uncom-
planning and self-sacrificing woman of
my acquaintance, all lands, funds and
properties of which l stand pos
sessed."
The news was brought to Martha
Sessions one morning when she was
sorting over the weeks washing, and
she came down to the parlor in her
worn gray frock and white apron and
received the news with incredulity.
But when she was quite convinced of
the truth of the thing. she astonished
the little lawyer by laughing in a
youthful way He had expected nerv-
GUS and grateful tears.
And when can | have possession
of this property, sir?" she inquired.
"The formalities are few, Miss Ses-
sions, considering that you are the
only heir. Within few days you can
do as you please with your own, and l
can advance you money to-day to any
amount you may desire. What would
you lilse?"
Miss Sessions did not entirely under
stand the drift of the question, and
answered with vague smile:
81 should like to ask the rector to
tea"
Madam
'The Rev. Mr.. Ellison. you know
I'm not much acquainted with him,
but he's the rector of my church; only,
unfortunately. I've not attended
church for the last few years. But l
can now. Do-you think, sir, that l
could have new bonnet by Sunday?"
81 will write you check for any
amount you desire"
Thank you. | should like to build
a house if possible before | had Mr..
Ellison to tea 1t would be much
pleasanter to entertain him at my own
board. of course. than
Certainly. Miss Sessions. Why not