Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-12-06
EFFIE'S LAGACY.

| have never been to real party IN
my life-only the quilting bees and ap-
ple-paring frolics given around here !
And the Faulkners are such nice peo-
pie l wonder they even thought of
asking me And now to have to de-
cline 1t does seem too hard p
And the tears rushed to Efie Crof-
tons eyes and rolled slowly down her
rosy cheeks.
wouldn't your blue muslin, if care
fully wash"
"Aunt Hepsy That old, worn-out
rag What can you be thinking Off
No. I'll have to stay at home ; that's
all there is about it, and l might as
well make the best of it"
And Efie rose from her seat in the
old wooden rocker, threw on the kitch-
en- table the dainty note Of invitation,
and, walking to the window, stood
there looking out on the farm yard,
the old red barn, and the peach trees
loaded with pink bloom, but seeing
nothing because of those hot, rebellious
tears that filled her young eyes.
q wish I could help you, sister,
said Herman, who was sitting on the
step of the kitchen door, caressing the
silky ears of a beautiful brown and
white setter dog. "But l don't see
how it is possible. 1t will take every
penny can scrape together to pay
the interest on the mortgage, due next
Thursday"
Il don't expect you to help me, re-
joined Efie, without turning from the
window. 1--WE given up expecting
anything. l suppose l shall stay all
my lite on this old farm, never having
amusement Of any kind, and wearing
dark calicoes and washed-out muslins
from January to December. l some
times think l actually hate the farm,
and every tree and spear of grass on
it.
"EHe Efiel" !" Aunt Hepsy looked
over her steel-bowed glasses in sur
prise and rebuke. "You don't know
what you are saying, child"
81 know that I'd leave the farm if l
could" cried Efie, unmindful of the
panied look on her brothers face
"We shall never be any better off, and
it will be work and grind to the end
of the chapter. It makes me fairly
sick to think of it.
"You should not talk that way be-
fore Herman, Efie, said Aunt Hepsy,
as the young man rose from the step
and walked towards the barn, Leo
following at his heels. "YOu know
how hard he has to work, and how
carefully he has had to manage things
ever since your father died. He never
spends an unnecessary cent on him
self, and, dear knows, he don't have
any pleasure. 1t isn't right for you to
reproach him"
EHie's eyes followed her brother
until he disappeared in the barn.
He was tall and broad shouldered,
but his face was Drowned by the sun,
his hands were rough and callous with
toll, and his clothes were threadbare
and fitted him badly.
He was good brother, and Efie
was generally very ready to acknOwl-
edge his virtues, but to-day she was
in an unusual mood, consequent on
not having a dress ft to wear to Mrs.
Faulkners garden party.
The Faulkners were city people
who had rented large country house
only a mile from the Crofton farm,
and they kept it filed to OyeFaOwing
with guests, for whose amusement they
were always giving croquet and gar
den parties, picnics and water eIcur-
sions, depending upon the guests at
the Lakeside Hotel to make up a suffi-
ciently large party.
Mrs. Faulkner met Effe by acci-
dent, and was so much pleased with
her that she asked her to call.
And Effie, wearing her worn blue
muslin and last sum mer's hat, had
done so, and had returned home more
discontented than ever with her lot
more anxious than ever to see some
thing of that great busy world o.
which the Faulkuers talked SO famil,
iarly.
Miss Allen, an old lady who had
spen. two summers at the Lakeside
Hotel, had promised that she should
see it some day, and Efie had for
lon, t;p,a confidently expected an IN