Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-10-01
THE LONGEST WAY ROUND.
II NNF HAYDON had not visited Fail


seemed more faded than she remembered
it, Aunt Deborah Crane in the doorway
looded as familiar as if they had parted
yesterday.
The old lady was dressed as she must
surely have dressed from the cradle-in
a chocolate calico gown girt by a sheer
white apron. Her gray hair was held
smooth and high by shell comb, and a
cameo brooch was fastened at her throat.
Her somewhat severe old face lighted
with welcome as Anne approached.
Not until supper time did Aunt Deborah
mention her reason for having sent for
Anne. The low -ceiled dining room was
bright with the mellow light from lamp,
and between the andirons in the fireplace
cedar fire cracked, spicy and red-a
fire that threw huge shadows in spite OF
the lamp, and helped to burnish like pre-
cious metal the vaseful OF goldenrod on
the tea table. RoseIe, the little orphan
"help, "a thin, dark child entirely out
of keeping with her flowery name,-had
eaten an early meal and gone to bed (;
Aunt Deborah and Anne had things to
themselves in the silent house.
The old lady helped the girl to but
tered batter cakes; then she poured ira
grant tea into the old blue Crane cups,
set down the steaming pot, and looked
steadily at her over her big spectacles.
"Well, Anne," she said, "now that
you've answered my summons like agood
girl, lust how long can you stay ?"
Anne reflected. There was no use IN
racking her brain to find out what Aunt
Deborah wanted; the old lady would
make that known in her own good sea-
son. But how long could she stay at
Fairfields A week, at most, was all
that Anne could spare. For the summons
had come at the end of busy summer
now fast verging into an even more busy
winter. Since she had left college in
June, Anne's itinerary had been like a
butterfly's. After scant fortnight al
home, she had been off, visiting here and
there with different schoolmateS, fitting
and frolicking-aS she had done IN sum-
mer vacation for many years. And when
she returned from Fairfields, there would
be scarcely enough time to prepare for
wonderful event-a trip abroad with veal
thy Aunt Letitia Reid.
When Aunt Letitia had written, a few
weeks before, saying that she wanted
companion, and that winter in the Old
World would give Anne'S education the
finishing touches il needed, Anne had mol
hesitated. Her letter accepting the in
vitation had gone back in the following
mail.
"This is nothing short of kidnapping, "
Mr.. Haydon had said, ruefully. "Youve
been away from us four years already"
But her mother had only smiled.
Anne told Aunt Deborah ofthis coming
event reluctantly, for she was certain thai
the old lady, who was stay-at-home o.
the most pronounced type, would brlstle
with indignation. To the giTl's surprise
however, Aunt Deborah received tFe
news with alert interest.
"Across the ocean p the old lady had
exclaimed. "Well, child, itmaY do great
things for you"
lust now, however, as she waited for
the answer 10 her question, Aunt Deb
orah's blue eyes regarded Anne keenly.
"a week ?" she said. "Well, maybe
a week will do. Anne, you are to &c
with me on sort OF trip am planning.
I've laid off to leave Fairfield tomorrow
for while"
Anne could not have been more greatly
astonished no one had ever heard OF
thought OF Aunt Deborah Cranes taking
anything that could be called "Sort oI
trip" or could imagine her elsewhere
than at Fairfields.
The old lady smiled grimly at Anne's
blank face. "It's this way" she said
"Annabel Ames was down here last week
for a couple of days, and she talked a
lot, and kind of changed my mind about
some things"
Anne remembered Annabel AmeS dis
tinctly-she was Aunt Deborah's niece,
flighty widow, and who had scarcely
two ideas in her frizzly head beyond dress
and roaming round.
"She talked and talked" Aunt Debor-
ah continued, "about how folks who stay
forever in one spot get into rut, and
how pastures new'-that's Annabel'S
saying-would be an education and cul-
ture for me-that's her talk, too-if I'd
just get up and 20 awhile. don't know
as anyone ought 10 listen TO a flibberti-
gibbet like Annabel, but sometimes even
babe talks wisdom, and since she left,
I've been studying and thinking"
Aunt Deborah looked restlessly round
the room. For the flrSt time IN all her
sedate life, flicker OF discomfort was in
her eyes. "Well, long and short Of If is.
I'm going on trip, and want you to 90
with me-"
"Where, Aunt Deborah ?" said Anne,
with sinking heart.
81 don't know how to tell you exactly
where. but can tell you how. No mod
ern travelling for me- My old bones are
too brittle for blowing up in steamboats,
and dashing over precipices in cars. So
Pm depending on you, child. Wen jog
along as fast or as slow as we choose
you and me and RoseIIe in the big buggy
behind Colonel. Maybe, as Annabel
says, have been burying myself alive.
Land knows, do begin to feel fretted
mornings when | look at the pots and
pans all hanging where they've hung tor
tWOScore wears 4"