Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-15

and cuffs" Alison answered eagerly
she had been measuring the waist.
coat while her sister spoke.
1t was very long, and had been
built for a man over six feet. It
was neither frayed nor spotted and
had still It's full complement Of carved
rock-crystal buttons. No wonder Aunt
Anne cherished tit vas all that,
had come down to her, In the divis.
ion Of ancestral treasures, from the
most distinguished of her great.
grandfathers.
Fate ordered 1t that she came
through the door from the living
room just as Alison, scissors In hand,
made to begin shipping the fine hand
set stitches. She had slipped a XII.
mono over the unfinished frock she
lad co~ntrived--the short coat, which
would be new and jaunty by and by,
hung raw and limp over the back
Of a chair at her side. All about was
the litter and disorder inevitable to
close contriving. Rose stood gazing
at her sister-both were too intent to
note the opening door. Suddenly AL.
ison's hand fell-she held the waist
coat away from her, saying In a
choked voice: "Rose-take it-back.
I-I-somehow l can't spoil tit
feels as though 1t would be spiritual
murder"
A hand fell upon Aunt Anne's
shoulder soft hand, heavy with
rings and only family wrinkled. 1t
drew her back, leaving the door a
little ajar. Very shortly the owner
Of 1t was saying, hushing Aunt
Anne's sobs the while:
ITO think you wouldn't come to me-,
your Oldest friend. Anne dear, I'm
ashamed Of you-you know your girls
feel almost as though they were mine.
But your pride has had It's reward.
Not many girls under the conditions
would forego as nobly as our Alison.
Don't tell her and Rose we overheard
not yet. at least. 1t would hurt
them to know we knew. But you are
going to be sensible, and let me ad-
vance you those delayed dividends.
Also, you are to remember, cabs are
a wicked extravaganza when one has
friends with cars, and next to nobody
to fill them"
At that Aunt Anne cried harder
than ever, but after n little agreed
meekly to do as her friend babe. The
friend. Mrs. Norris Lane, a rich
widow, childless, with two adored and
adoring nepAews, vas unobtrusively,
the great lady of Charlotte town.
Perhaps there was no direct Sc
quence Of events-but people began
to notice early In the seaso that
Lane Norris and Howard Lane. the
great lady's nephews. were mighty
attentive to the Agnew girls. Rose
and Alison felt as If they had found
a fairy godmother-all at once.
Aunt Anne had ceased worrying
she had only smiled mysteriously.
and told them things were not 30
bad as they had threatened to be.
Then at Christmas she surprised
each Of them with a dainty new
gown-to which Mrs. Lane had added
all the other things-gloves, fan,
slippers. silk stockings, and cobweb
kerchief. Alison was not able to say
thank you, for the lump In her
throat. Even Rose had to turn away
her eyes. And that night, hand in
hand. they told Aunt Anne Of their
plottlng-and what had withheld
them from carrying 1t out. She
patted their bent heads, saying as
tears dropped upon A~lison's bright
hair:
1T would have been murder, dear
children-murder Of something in
yourselves-reverence for family ties
and traditions. ! am glad indeed you
made the blank frock - much better
use the cloth than let let moths ruin II
In the end. But the waistcoat means
something-it is a sort Of patent OF
nobility. Only fine gentlemen wore
such garments"
Il know!" Rose broke in. And
we came nea showing We didn't de
serve to belong to him" Then the
two raj away to make ready for
very late party. Aunt went, too. Ant
as she came away she had the happi
ness of sealing with her approval
double betrothal.