The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-10-25


ahone more brightly than elsewhere.
The mingled scents Of the flowers and
the salt sea are as fresh and sweet as
tne story that was enacted here years
ago.
Matte was maid to Miss Priscilla
and her sister Miss Miriam, who dwelt
IN the cottage then. When little more
than a child she was taken home" by
the two elderly spinsters, who dealt
most kindly by the orphan from that
day
The Misses Lorimer were spoken Of
as very genteel ladies" although their
antecedents were unknown. They had
settled in the fishing hamlet when
both we're still comparatively young
but they had always maintained a
marked reserve, and had mixed little
with the inhabitants.
On the day Matte learned something
Of the past and realized fully the pre-
carious future Of her old ladies, life
became an astounding, but above all,
a stern reality to her. A letter came
that morning addressed in a strange
hand to Miss Lorimer The pOstmark
was "London"-that far-off place as
ISOLATED in Mattie's mind with pave
ments of gold and the palatial homes
of wealthy bankers-it was there the
banker lived who was own brother to
the Misses Lorimer.
Matte handed the letter to Miss
Priscilla where she sat at the head of
the frugal but dainty breakfast table,
and left the room. The door was all
but closed when she heard her mis-
tress cry:
HE is dead, Miriam! Oh, Miriam,
George is dead"
The distress in the voice she loved
held Matte.
What" cried Miss Miriam. mo,
no, it is not possible The debt! God
would not call him home before his
work was done"
His work is done. The last of
the debt was cleared a week ago."
Miss Priscilla answered with a forced
calm that hurt the listener more than
her poignant cry. The letter rustled
in the old lady's trembling fingers with
the sound of autumn leaves in the
wintry wind and Miss Miriam's low
moaning intensified the effect of sud
den storm and disaster.
George gone, George gone-and he
the youngest. We have nobody now
What will become of us?" Fear made
the last words faint.
1--WE have God" said Priscilla.
'You do not say, Our Father ="
Miriam's voice had hardened strange
ly.
Don't sister, don't" cried the elder
quickly. your bitterness gives him
another wrong to answer for at the
last judgment-and he has surely
enough.
poor father. You are right, sis
ter"
A sorrowful silence fell on the sun
ny room, the windows of which faced
the south and the sea.
The thoughts of the sisters were
incommunicable even to each other
eve have not seen George for 25
years." Miriam remarked after time
GAY, he grudged the expense of the
long iourney-dear laddie!" Priscilla'f
voice broke in a dry sob, but neither
of the sisters had shed tear. They
would not mourn too grievously the
brother whose life had been so noble
in their eyes in it's stern devotion tc
a high ideal of rectitude. Besides
they had known a worse sorrow thar
such death as George Lorimer's car
bring.
"What does the lawyer say about
about his circumstances" 1t was Mir
lam who put the anxious question
She was one of those timid womel
who live in constant fear of destitu
tion-they who are instinctively con
scious, poor things, of their incapac
ity.
"He had a decent burial, and-anI
there seems to be a little over
enough to do our turn"
THANK Cod"
It was at this moment the littl
maid outside the door burst into un
comfortable weeping, and the elder Q
the sisters rose from her place an
followed her to the kitchen.
Through her tears the girl saw ho7
Miss Priscilla's expression altere
when alone with her-it had turne
to one of blank despair.
Matte" she whispered, II must te
somebody or it will be too much fo
me. I had to spare poor Miriam, BIT
4oTJ