The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-12-05
A Fortunate
MisfOrtune%

" ~ T"Oi Hau Deen at he1
lvl brothers house but little NOR,
IMAM a week, yet already she hao
70 confess TO a vague feeling Of dis
appointment.
she had not seen her brother and
MS wife for more than seven wears
curing all Of which she had longed
Tor them with the homesick intensi.
" OF the exile. TIE anticipation Of
this homecoming had cheered her
through many dreary term of
teachlng; yet now that reality had
vaken the place of anticipation. she
found something lacking.
The old home was still the same.
and her brother and his wife were
a. kind as ever; but during this time
O separation their only child had
grown from girlhood almost to
womanhood, and with the growth
mad come change in father and
mother which made poor Aunt Ruth
feel like an alien and stranger.
The merry. open-hearted brother
had become quiet anG careworn. The
bright, pretty, cultivated sister-in-
law. as dear to Ruth as if united TO
her by ties Of blood instead OF mar
riage. had faded into an almost
shabbily dressed drudge whose only
purpose in life seemed to be to keen
Hazefs bed Of roses free from
thorns
Both had been as glad as possible
90 see their self-reliant. independent
western sister; but il seemed TO
Ruth as II their principal interest
was in noting the effect upon her
OF Hazeis grace and Hazel's beauty
and Hazers accomplishments. That
had been the constant theme Of con-
versation when Mr.. Loyeioy was not
too preoccupied TO talk at all or his |
wife had an infrequent moment Of |
leisure
Now Aunt Ruth was quite ready to
admit that the grace and beauty and |
accomplishments were there, but l
the greater grace of helpfulness and
flial gratitude seemed to her both
lacking and unlocked for. Nor was
the girl wholly or even principally
to blame. No return had ever been
demanded Of her Tor all that had
been given, and the idea Of giving
unasa.d was yet unborn.
Ruth's own few gentle attempts
at remonstrance had been met with
such an air of mild surprise. such
earnest disclaimers on the part Of
the parents. that she had seen the
futility of words and resolved to say
no more. She did not wish to be
regarded as meddlesomc and disa-
greeable.
Just now she was feeling particu-
larly out of sympathy with the con-
ditions. AS she went steadily on :
with the dishes she was washing. ,
she could hear her niece chatting /
in animated fashion with caller in ,
the parlor. She knew that il was
MIR. Bennett. the young man who
had called In the afternoon TO see
II Hazel would sing ar parIor con- l
rert 10 be given at the Young Mems q
Christian association rooms the next :
week. i
Mrs. Lovejoy had answered the '
bell and informed him that Hazel '
vas out; but Hazel herself. when |
he came home from her drive with 4
! girl friend, had spoken of meet
ng him. and told as great joke I
'bout his remark that "he would 4
all again in the evening, as the serv- G
int had assured him she would be
n then" n
III the child had only seen what Il
I meant!" sighed Aunt Ruth TO her. n
elf. v
But even Hazel's mother had q
augbed the matter of, although q
ather consciously and with flush; n
nd when Hazel had smiled and said:
Never mind, mamma dear. When l.,
get to be a prima donna you shall e,
ave all the servants you want" the a
mile and the foolish promise had Vi
alved the wound efrectually. "a
As the young people talked and al
lughed together in the parlor. Ruth
,uld hear Hazel's mother moving IA
,ftly about upstairs. putting to re
gifts in her prompt. methodical nc
ay the things which Hazel had left bs
.atttered about when she made her fo
,ilet and hurried down to meet her ca
lller. ~
Then BY and by door opened. sh
Id suddenly there was the sound ot
fall and suppressed cry Of To-
lin; and Miss Lovejoy rushing out. on
'und her sister-in-Iaw lying near pa