The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-23
M NATHANIEL HAWTHORNI
 1904 1884
CCPYRlGHT 1907 BY IRVING KING All RIGHTS RESERYED

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 above all other men and would have hated had her heart been capable of hatred. She believed with all her soul that her brother was innocent of his
 uncie's death and that Judge Pyncheon | had woven around him the net that l dragged him to his conviction. When Hepzibah saw the Judge she
 retreated to the oak parIor and mutt | tered to herself: Take it as you like. cousin Jaffrey--take 1t as you like, I You nave seen my shop. We'll. is not Pyncheon House mine as long as I l live."
 As she glanced up al the portrait of | the old colonel she said decidedly, as if | daring contradictions: This Is the very I man. Let Jaffrey Pyncheon smile as he will, there is that look beneath. Put on him skull-cap and band and a black cloak, a Bible In one hand and a
 sword in the other--then let Jaffrey smile as he might-nobody would doubt l. it was the colonel come again" v r Now and then in the course of the l generations there came hard-headed, | prosperous Pyncheon who achieved the social and political prominence that ao- corded with the familys great preten- sions to "gentility"--but they all had l the blood-gurgle in their throats. Judge Pyncheon was one of these. He lived in great country house out of
 town, had been in Congress. on the bench. Mayor and what not, and his fortune was large and growing. All the world was ready to give him a
 character for uprightness. but Hepzl- bah saw through him and feared him.
 When the day was over the forlorn woman sat in the oak parlor looking st a map on the wall and dreamed. Cannot a forlorn old maid dream dreams as well as any other personf 1 h~f rf,o Pf nf hfa Possessions" ito the eastward"-which meant in Maine. 1t was a grant of land as big as an English county or
 German principality. The family had
 spent money and broken their hearts
 for two centuries trying to establish
 their claims to 1t. The curse of old
 Mathew Maule, the Wizard, had begun
 it's first work on this possession, for
 when the colonel came to assert his
 rights to the territory 1t was found
 that one important document was miss
 ing. It had remained missing ever
 since Yet the Pyncheons dreamed and
 hoped and went to law about 1t now
 and then just the same.
 Next morning an omnibus came to a
 stAndstill under the ancient elm Hep-
 zibah's heart gave a great throb. Was
 she to meet him now2 But instead Of
 the expected brother, coming back like
 a ghost from his thirty years impris-
 onlnent, there tripped out of the omni-
 bus the cheeriest, rosiest, sunniest
 maiden In the world. She came, all
 youthful beauty and sunshine, straight
 up to the door of the gloomy and ac- cursed House of the Seven Gables and
 the gloom and mustiness and mold of the centuries seemed to take fright and flee before the vision.
 Bless me, it's Phoebe!" exclaimed Miss Repzfbah; t1nd how Flike a coun-
 try cousin to come down upon one without warning. We'll, she shall have q nights lodging, of course, and then she must go back home. There is alook of her father about her. too"
 This bright vision, descending from the omnibus like a goddess from the machine, was indeed a Pyncheon. Her father, a cousin of Hepzibah. after marrying a woman of no family, had died poor and obscure as became him, in a country village sufficiently re- moved from his aristocratic relation. His widow had taken another husband, and Phoebe announced to Hepzibah that she had come to make her home at the House of the Seven Gables.
 The old maid greeted the girl kindly. Her heart warmed to the bright young thing. But the next morning she said: Cousin Phoebe, really can't see my way clear to keeping you. here"
 Dear cousin" returned Phoebe. T cannot tell how 1t Is. but I really be- lieve we may suit each other better than you think 'SYou are a nice girl" returned Hep ziDah; T see that plainly, and it is no question of that which makes me hesi- tate. But this house of mine is but 6 melancholy place. l myself am old and dismal cannot make your life pleas ant. It Is wretched thought that you should fling away your life in a place 1 like this. And. furthermore, cannot | even give you bread to eat" '"oh, intend to earn my living" re- | piled the cheerful Phoebe, unabashed. | "And there is the garden to take | care of-that delightful old garden | and then I can help you in | many ways. was not brought up a Pyncheon, you know. I can do lots of things
 The lonely old woman in her heart Ionged to have this bit of brightness and life with her. but she had thought: Perhaps her presence will disturb | Clifford" and now she said: Phoebe, 1t is not for me to say who shall or 1 who shall not stay in Pyncheon House its master Is coming" It appeared that Phoebe had never heard the sad story of Clifford Pyncheon; 1t had been kept frou her and HepZibah had not the heart to tell it. She went away and got the old miniature by Malone. however, saying: This" is Clinord's picture. And. cousin Phoebe, since, after all I have said. your courage does not fail you, perhaps we need not part so soon. You are welcome, child, for the present to such home as your poor kinswoman can give you"
 Thank you, cousin" returned Pho ebe, simply; T am sbopkeeper today" And so she was, and for the succeed ing days.
 It was a marvel to Hepzibah how the girl managed 1t; she seemed to have a natural talent for businesss she added to the stock in the shop and increased it's variety; had the till full of coin at night and sold more in day with her bright smile than Old Maid Pyncheon with her frowu would have disposed of in a week. Then there was the garden behind the house, such an old, neglected garden--so choked with roses and hollyhocks run riot, and beyond 1t a little vegetable patch that showed some marks of care. In one corner were a few hens of an ancient breed, as old as the Pyncheons and, like the Pyncheons, pretty well run out. The hens seem ed to partake of the general character Of the old house and the old family highly respectable but cumbering the earth without a sufficient excuse.
 Phoebe must needs take the garden under her care at once. As she stood in the freshness of the morning be- side the little fountain in the centre of the tangled place and looked down into its bubbling waters for one mo-