The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-11-03
Aunt MarSaret'S
Story.
ey Miss Priscilla Campbell.

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Janet always thought her Aunt Mar
garet a cold, heartless woman; but
the day she showed her the betrothal
ring on her finger and told her that
she was the happiest girl in the world
the barrier of reserve which had sep
arated them broke down and her aunt
tenderly put her arms about her and
whispered how she hoped that sorrow
would never come into her life the
same as it had into her own and that
her happiness would always last.
Would you like to hear the story
of my life?" she asked, gently.
Il should like to hear it, auntie,"
replied the girl, but not if the tell
ing will make you more unhappy"
1T will not make me more unhappy
to tell it" was the answer. 1T will per.
haps ease my heartache a little to
confide in some one who will under
stand. 1t was when | was your age,
scarcely 20, that love came into my
life. | shall never cease to remember
the day l went to my mother and
showed her the ring on my finger, the
same as you, dear, have just shown
me the seal of your betrothal For
three months there was not a hap
pier girl in the world than |, and then
my happiness turned into sorrow and
I became the cold proud woman that
you have hitherto known, Janet.
was singing around our home one
morning, wondering when my dear
laddie would return from the foreign
city to which his business had neces-
STATED his going. had been very lone
ly without him, but I was forcing my
self to be brave and to think of the
happy future for us both.
"A cry from my mother brought
me to her side. The look on her face
drove the song from my lips.
"What has happened, mammar l
asked. Ny first thought was Of my lad
die.
You can never bear to hear 1t,
Margaret she replied. Don't read 1t
now, dear. Wait moment But l,
knowing we'll enough that something
terrible had happened and wanting
to learn the worst at once, took the
foreign paper that she had been read
ing from her hands.
1T did not take me long to find what
caused her agitation. Glaring head
lines concerning fashionable we'd
ding in Rome danced before my vision.
! had never heard the brides name be-
fore, but the name of the bridegroom
was Ellis richards.
Mamma l cried, this is terrible!
1t cannot be true
'I saw her face turned towards me
with the deepest love and pity in it,
as II through a mist. made an effort
to get to her, to feel her loving arms
about me in the moment Of my great
sorrow, but l staggered and fell, and
before she could reach me l had lost
all consciousness. For weeks / knew
nothing of what was going on around
me.
When / awoke one afternoon In my
right mind my dear mother was bend
ing over me- had never seen such a
look of Joy before in any face as l
beheld in hers when she knew that
was spared to her.
II took up my life again. and for my
mothers sake made the best OF my
sorrow, but was never the girl was
befo &c the blow fell.
'Y had hardly recovered when moth
er received letter from your father,
asking her to come to live with him.
We came at once; and since mother
died and / have had the care Of you
and watched you as you grew older
develop love for Robert Lane, my
heart has lost most Of its bitterness
and sorrow, and now my prayer is
that you may have sunshine and Joy,
as have had shadows and sadness"
THAT is sad story" said Janet,
smoothing her aunt's hair lovingly,
but who knows but 1t may end hap
PLY even yet?'
She said the words to comfort her
Aunt Margaret and did not dream
that her prediction would be fulfilled
before two months.
They were sitting in the library one
afternoon, each occupied with book,
when the maid entered and, going
over to Janet's Aunt Margaret, told
her that a gentleman was waiting in
the drawing room to see her.