The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-11-15

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happy. however, and when they die
left their daughter 4 little incom,
which, by close pinching, she coul
manage TO live upon.
Cornelia was not Il pretty girl, bu
thousands of palmer girls had marie
and settled while she remained
spinster. Perhaps the fact that sh
was by no means a good-natured pei
son had something to do with it.
In her youth she had comported heI
self scornfully 10 well-disposed youn
men who belonged 10 the mechani
classes and had declared that she woult
only give her hand and heart 10 Il mer
chant, Il physician, or Il clergyman
Merchants We're rare in Bottlehole. tn
only specimens of that order being tw'
old bachelors, still connected with ;
New York firm. The two doctors wer'
both married and the clcrgymen nj
ways had large families.
Miss Cornelia's ambitious hopes wer'
never realized. and her fathers appren
tice, Tim Cornell, who had admired her
and had been quite believer in her a.
an elegant and genteel person." final
ly pronounced her mighty proud anC
naughty" and abandoned his suit Mis-:
Cornelia at last awoke to the knowl
edge that she was getting on in life, ant
that if she was not careful peopl.
would find it out
But for that dreadful family Bible il
which the record of her birth was writ
ten down, she would have felt safe In
slicing of ten years of her life-a pro
ceeding which she fancied would in
crease her value in the eyes of certain
Mr.. Dumsday. who had recently paid
her few solemn calls. He was really
an old man himself, but the older the
man the younger, generally, one finds
his choice of Il wife to be.
Poor Miss Cornelia, she eyed that
well-thumbed Bible which her compan-
ion and assistant. Cousin Betsy Baker,
always would have upon stand in the
parlor, with absolute horror.
She sat over her crate fire late one
night thinking over the matter.
Who knew her exact age? Cousin
Betsy. But Cousin Betsy would not
wish TO quarrel with her, and was too
old 4 woman TO think her anything but
young. The clergyman who baptized
her But he was superannuated and
lived with his son-in-law in another
State. The family doctor was dead.
and the dear old gentleman who had
boarded with them from her babyhood
went to Europe years before. and was
probably dead. Good Mr. Noire. But
she should never hear of him again.
Yes. ii was safe. She would do il.
1t was night-half-past II at least
the hour when ''churchyards yawn and
graves give up their dead Miss Cor
nelia arose. She stood before the fire
with her back toward ii, and took the
candlestick in her hand.
Any one who had observed her would
certainly have believed that she was
going straight 10 poor Cousin Betsy's
room TO end that lady's life by jab of
the sharp little knife blade, but she
paused at the candlestick, knelt down,
opened the family Bible at the flyleaf,
and slowly, cautiously began TO scrape,
scrape, scrape at the last two figures of
the record of her birth.
Then she crossed the room. took from
a fireside cupboard pen and inkstand.
wrote two other figures in the place of
those she had erased, blew upon the
Loot until if full, t.r
up the rest of the record TO match in
brightness. and drew back 10 read the
lines, which now plainly
stated 10 all beholders that she had en-
tered this world thirty years before in
stead of forty.
''Cornelia."
1t seemed 10 come from above. Cor
nelia looked up expecting TO see some
thing dreadful. 1t was repeated:
'Cornelia, amt you coming to bed!"
1t was only Cousin Betsy speaking
through 4 disused register, which had
once conveyed heat from stove in the
room TO the chamber above.
All in cold perspiration, CorneIia
to reply that she would come
in moment. and then closing the Bible
and putting away the writing materials
she crept upstairs. 4 world of horrible
unseen things close after her.
Mr.. Dumsday regularly ''came
now. And lie was a rich
widower. whose married daughter pro-
fessed n~rself anxious that pa" should
have some one 10 take care of him.
Miss Cornelia had quite made UP her
mind that lavender should be the color
Of her wedding dress-a copper-colored
bride expectant always does.
And the two We're sitting together one
,vening talking confidentially about
and its best liniment, when
he doorbell rang and a tall, lean gen
leman, in suit of black, was ushered
nto the parlor.
Miss Cornelia Lunt, l believe" he
said
Yes, sir" said Miss Cornelia.
The gentleman bowed, handed her
ard with sc. Dodridge, Solicitor" up
III 1t, and took the seat she offered.
Il understand that your respected
parents are no more, ma'am," said the
solicitor. They would remember bet
er than you do, probably. period of
hirty years ago when one Mr.. Noire
boarded with them"
Yes, SIR" said Cornelia, growing red
II the face. I've heard them speak of |
lim.'
"Ah," said the gentleman, 'he was a |
lear friend as we'll as client of mine. |
lie died about two months ago in Lon
Ion. He was wealthy at the time of his |
leath. and he never forgot the extreme |
of the friends of thirty years |
lgo, who knew him in his days of COM |
,arative poverty Yes, they are gone
Ilso; but the little girl who waited on |
lim so lovingly still lives. She was IL |
ears old at that time. | suppose / ad
lress herr"
NO, sir" said Miss Lunt, redder than |
ver-as Mr.. Dumsday turned an At
entive ear TO this dreadful statement
nd feeling that one lie begot many,
nd that having iibbed in the family |
sib,e she must stick To it or die-"No,
ir was not born at that date
~ II. rr;n 4