The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-05-05
A PAIR OF CoNsPIRAToRs.

"Hezekiah, here's a letter from
niece Lucy. She says she's going to
be married in the fall and we must
come up to the wedding" Mrs. Wal
lace looked at her husband, smiling
wistfully, but doubtful, as she spoke.
Hum !" responded Mr.. Wallace,
taking no notice of the latter part of
her speech, 80 Lucy is going to be
married. Bless her heart, I forgot
she was grown up. Write and ask
her to come down and stay with you
awhile this summer, and get her sew
ing done. She's a regular pack of
sunshine, Lucy is, and worth her keep
anywhere" "
'Twould cheer me up a heap if
she would come, and I'll write to-
day." answered his wife, rising and
going about her work f; for, although
MrA Wallace was man in excellent
circumstances, he said that was no
Ron there should be a servant in
\ s touched Mr.. Wallace's purse it
rSade him vince, and his wife did
WITHOUT necessities often rather than
ask him Tor moneys When Mr.. Wal
lace mailed the invitation to Lucy
Wynn he little guessed that he was
setting a trap for his own feet. In
deed, clever as he was he never found
out the truth.
81 wish things looked better, ;"
Mrs. Wallace sighed, eyeing an ugly
hole in her best room carpet, as she
waited for Mr.. Wallace to bring Lucy
from the train. She had mended the
carpet until it could be mended no
longer, but her husband said it would
do for another year.
The wall paper, too, was an eye
sore. Ugly to begin with, it had
sprung loose from the wall in several
places. Mr.. Wallace said that they
could wait another year for the paper,
too"
Lucy Wynn came running in to
meet her aunt, saw the hole in the
carpet and deliberately walked right
into it.
She fell, gave a groan and attempt
ed to rise. Her uncle sprang to her
side and lifted her. Lucy said moth
ing, but looked significantly at the
carpet.
"You forgot to mend that carpet,
Maria" said Mr.. Wallace, sharply.
81 have mended it twenty times, by
actual count, Hezekiah," Mrs. Wal
lace replied, composedly.
Lucy proved unhurt and tbe sub
ject of the carpet was dropped, but
that night, when her aunt accom-
panied her to her room, she asked,
abruptly
"Aunt Maria, does Uncle Hezzy
hold his purse-strings as tight as
ever?"
''I'm afraid so," Mrs. Wallace
said, signing.
"Well, it's shame for you to
have such a carpet and such paper in
your best room. Well have to make
him get"
"Oh, don't do anything rash,
Lucy" pleaded her aunt, who loved
peace above carpets.
"Aunt Maria" responded Lucy,
IT won't do anything rash, but I've
made up my mind that you are to
have those things, and I'll see that
you do"
Then, drawing closer, she conhded
a plan to her aunt which she at last
consented to, between hope and fear.
Set two women, one of them young,
lively and charming, to consplre
against man, and the man is usually
the loser in the affair.
The next day Mrs. Wallace darned
the carpet for the twenty-frst time,
and Lucy, as soon as her uncle's back
was turned, cut the darned place
across and called her uncle to come
out on the porch in a hurry. AS she
anticipated, he stumbled in the hole
and fell at full length. He picked
himself up without word, although
he was badly shaken, and hurried te
Lucy.
"What is it, Lucy?" he asked
"Oh, nothing now, Uncle Hezzy,
she answered, ignoring his fall. 81
saw a beautiful butterfly, but it ha'
flown away"
Through Lucy's Vaccinations h'
fell four or five times. Mrs. Wallac'
mended the carpet each time, anc
Lucy as often cut it open. AS it wa
directly in front of the door there
was no avoiding it; one had to lool
sharp or get a fall. Still Mr.. Wal