The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1907-09-28

shabby"
/ had been in my new home about
a month, when one morning the min
lister looked up from a letter he was
reading, and said:
"Nita, you have heard me speak Of
my rich Aunt Margrave in New York?
Well, this letter is from her. She
writes hat she intends paying me a
visit for the extraordinary purpose of
choosing one of my girls to accom-
pany her on a six months tour Of Eu-
rope"
He handed the letter to his wife,
who read it eagerly.
l glanced at Amy and then at Pearl.
The former looked interested, but the
latter had grown radiant.
"Oh, mamma" she exclaimed, how
charming. For of ourse she will
choose me-
That remains to be seem said the
father, rather gravely.
Two days later Aunt Jane arrived,
She was a little, slender woman, just
about reaching to Amy's shoulder.
She had sharp features, little twink
ling, keen blue eyes, and hair the
color of the minister's screwed in a
small knot on the back of her head.
In a few days Aunt Jane had made
herself perfectly at home.
/ watched Aunt Jane and the two
girls closely, but it was impossible to
tell in whose favor she was most i'm
pressed. Pearl spared no pains to in
g~ratiate herself in her aunt's good
graces. She waited on her, hung
around her caressingly, in a word, ex-
erted herself as only a thoroughly
selfish person can when it is a ques-
tion of her own gain or pleasure. Amy,
with a natural delicacy, seemed to
shrink from overdue attention, which
made her a little constrained with
Aunt Jane and rather inclined to
avoid her. The latter, however, did
not appear to notice it, while she ac-
cepted all Pearls attentions and
seemed rather to like them. thought
that perhaps Amy was letting her
chances slip, but l could only ad-
mire her the more for her course of
actiOn.
One afternoon she and l were to-
gether in the schoolroom; it was
about two weeks after Aunt James ar
rival. Amy had been sitting for
some time deep in thought, and there
was such a sad look in her eyes that
at length | said to her:
Amy, of what are you %thinking?'
She started as though l had reused
her from a dream.
81 was wishing with all my hear
and soul" she replied, with intense
earnestness, that l had a lot o
money"
why, Amy" l exclaimed, 81 didn'
know you cared so much abou
money"
81 didn't until the other day, Mis-
Gray" she replied, simply. 81 wa
reading a New York paper belonging
to Aunt Jane, and l saw a long motto,
of a celebrated oculist in Paris VIII,
l had recently restored so many pei
: sons sight. Oh, Miss Gray" and a
| most unconsciously the tears bega.
| to steal down her cheeks. 81 can
, express to you the longing that too
; possession of me to carry my littl
; darling right off to him, and eve
since l have been wishing, or, so fel
r vently, for money, and-and l SUI
( pose / am very foolish"
81 do not think that you are, dear,
1 replied, gently, with the tears yer
near my own eyes,
= your feelings are only natura
2 when you love little BERTHE so much,
, Happening to look at that moment
: l saw Aunt Jane standing in the dool
AS l looked up she came forward, an
J, l wondered if she had overheard gu
t conversation.
81 left a book in here last night,
l. she said in her usual abrupt, brusqu
t way, "Ah, there it is, Miss Gray, a
t your elbow"
. Amy had jumped up and a
the window to hide her tears. l sa'
Aunt Jane glance at her, but she sal
a nothing, only took up her book an
|, went out.
Two whole weeks passed, and
whole month had gone by since Aur
James arrival.
e One evening, a warm, beautiful Aul
d ust evening, we were all assemble
e on the porch after tea. Aunt Jan
was esconsed in the most comfortabl
rocking chair, with Mr.. and Mrs. Ma
grave on either side of her, and Pear
a picture of dark loneliness, ostel
" ~tatiously seated on a low hassock
her feet. Amy, little BERTHE and m.
" self were seated on the steps of ii
porch, and Teddy lay at full lengt
e on the grass at our feet. Suddenl
e Aunt Jane looked around at us all an
q said:
well, my good people, you all kno
for what purpose | came here. 1t wl
to choose from my nephew's girls
companion for my European trip.
had not been in this house a wee
when my choice was made. And
=, che arooa and going m IN Amv Ioi