Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1903-01-09
Cousin Emily's
Revolt
BY CARROLL w. RANKIN.

|
row plank walk at the outer
edge of the long ore dock. One was
a small, soberly-dressed woman of
perhaps 40 years of age. The other
was a tall, radiant girl of II. Their
| eyes were fixed upon huge ore-car-
rier, steaming slowly out into the
| clear blue of Lake Superior. Five
handlerchiefs of varying dimensions
fluttered gayly from the stern rail,
and five happy faces smiled back at
the two watchers silhouetted against
the ore-stained timbers of the dock.
"What an advertisement they'd
make for tooth-powder!" said Kath-
crime, watching the receding boat.
did you ever see such a beaming
lot? Isn't it lovely for them to have
a chance to take Il lake trip? Wasn't
il nice of Uncle Joe to think of send
ing them all? Isn't it fun to see
folks off?"
"No," said her companion, unex
! pectedly, sit isn't"
"Why, Cousin Emily Anybody'd
think you weren't glad to have them
go. Think what a change it will be
for mother! Ten whole days without
mite of housekeeping to think Off"
"Of course I'm glad for your moth
er's sake; she really needed the rest
But you just wait Katherine, until
you've been seeing people off for 4c
years, without ever going to any
place yourself, and see how you like
it! I've seen people off on steam
boats and ore-carriers, on special
trains and private cars, and just
plain, everyday cars ever since | was
born; but | haven't been dozen
miles from home in all that time.
First of all l saw everybody off
to the Centennial. Did | go? Not a
bit of it. Young as l was, l had to
stay at home with your grandfather's
sprained ankle Then all the family
went to Mary Banning's wedding, and
left me at home to poultice Uncle
Timothy's felon. Did | go to the
circus? Did | go to Chicago to the
opera? Did | get to the worlds fair
or the Paris exposition? Did /"
"Why, Cousin Emily!'
"Did | 90 to the family gathering
at Madison? No, | didn't. Somebody
had to stay in the house to keep the
water-pipes from freezing. and ! was
that somebody. Did | go to the last
whist tournament? | wanted to, but
somebody had to stay with Cousin
Anne's teething baby, and of course
l was the one.
81 didn't even get to Grandfather
Perkins funeral. / saw all the fam
lily off in a private car that time; but
| was left at home with the Denberry
twins. There are those twins on that
boat this very minute; and here am !.
! seeing them off and staying here my
self to chaperon you"
Pm sorry" began katherine.
"Oh, you needn't be. 1t isn't your
fault. 1t isn't anybody's fault, unless
it's mine. | tell you, Katherine, it
doesn't pay to be useful person.
But come: let's go home. The boat
went around the point two minutes
ago"
The plank walk was none too wide.
While there was no actual danger, ii
was necessary to proceed cautiously
in order to avoid rubbing ones gar
ments against the ore-crimsOned tim
bers on the one hand, or tumbling I'M
tremendously into the lake on the
other So Katherine led her more
timorous second cousin along the
narrow ledge, up the steps and into
the safety of the broad, covered walk
in absolute silence.
"Well, that's over" said Cousin En-
ily. examining her sleeve for possible
= ore-dust. "Katherine, want you to
promise never to tell anybody what
said about being sick or seeing
people off and never going any
where myself. Pm ashamed of my
self for saying it. The family
has been as good as gold to me all
> these wears. | think | must have been
tired and nervous after flying around
all the morning trying to get every
, body's things packed in the right bags
: I'm afraid now that l put your moth
d, er's thimble in Toms suit case"
! "All the better" laughed Katherine
. "She'd hem all the way from here to
Cleveland if she had it. If Tom finds il
;, he'll throw it overheard to keep her
q from sewing Never mind, Cousin EN-
lily. Rub out that anxious wrinkle and
come along! | shan't tell a soul about
? all those trips you didn't take"
And katherine did not; but the girl
=. who had never in her life planned any.
Z thing for herself, since she had 50
:. many others to plan things for her
8 spent several days in deep thought
q This was so unusual that Cousin En-.
v lily sent surreptitiously for the fam
i. lily doctor, who felt the girls pulse
q while pretending to shake her hand
n and then gravely recommended a
v freckle lotion.
4 Katherine's father was not wealthy
e but on her mothers side the family
v was a large and influential one. 1t in
!. cluded one millionaire, one mne-own
Il err and three railroad men. To be sure
|, the millionaire was stingy, the mine.