The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-03-23
BeTtha'S
CandleStiCk
H
Bu MARY PARRISH
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just comfortably on Her four nleces
made occasional visits, and were some
times invited together to teas or din
ners. Two of them, Bertha Townsend,
and Sybil Wells, were orphans, and the
only daughters of brother and sister
Of Mrs. Townsend. The other two,
Mary and Adele Fancher were chill
dren of sister living In the same
town.
In the scale of worldly possessions,
Bertha had rather the least Of any Of
them. At the age of nineteen she was
still working In the millinery 'ParlOrs
of Nine. Louise, or rather In the back
room, trimming the latest importa-
tiOns' where she had been for three
years. Sybil Wells, a year or two old
er, was teaching In the academy, and
the other two girls were away at
fashionable school.
Bertha seemed to be the favOrite Of
her aunt Townsend, and people won
dered why she did not take her into
her home instead of allowing the girl
TO live in boarding house. But once
when neighbOr suggested 1t, she gave
such an emphatic exposition Of her
reasons that, the neighbor being some
thing Of a gossip, no one had again at
tempted to mention the subject.
Was she to have her mode Of life
all upset, her times for meditation,
broken up, and chaos let loose in her
home? Not while she lived and was
free agent. So people laughed,
frowned, shifted. or agreed that she
had right TO efo as she pleased ac-
cording to their several natures.
Meanwhile Bertha was happy in her
boarding house, which gave her more
freedom to see and entertain her small
circle of friends than her aunt's home
would have been likely to afford. She
had a joyous temperament, and a fine
sense of humOr and the talent for
telling a good story, which made her a
welcome guest where jealousy did not
abide. Her aunt Fancher whose su-
perior social position precluded any
thing like jealousy, and who regarded
Bertha as the poor relation" invited
her on the legal holidays, when fami-
lies are expected to dine together,
but did not always think of her on 9th
er festive occasions.
It was at a Christmas dinner when
the girls were home for the holidays,
that Bertha met Murray Powers. He
had been travelling in Europe with his
mother after his college graduation
some two years before. His strong,
wholesome face, and bright talk, to-
gether with a certain tineneSs Of man
ner, all too rare with young American
manhood, attracted Bertha as she had
never been before, and her sympathetic
responses struck an answering chord
in the young mans nature. When af-
ter dinner they were found together,
In a corner in a lively conversation,
Mrs. Fancher very promptly interrupt
ed, and saw to it the Offense was not
repeated. For was not Murray Pow
ers one of the most desirable catches
in the whole town, and why should he
be wasted on a poor relation when
there were marriageable daughters in
the field?
A man of character may be manipu-
lated and managed by designing man.
mas and their daughters for a while,
but is not to be DETECTED from his
course when he has determined on a
thing, so Powers asked Bertha If he
might call, and receiving permission
promptly did so. Still cabal of moth
ers is something to be reckOned with;
and Mrs. Powers getting wind that her
son had called on milliner contrived
to have him sent to Canada on bust
ness.
Mrs. Townsend hearing of the mat
ter chuckled and invited her niece to
dinner with her alone. Bertha was
rather noncommittal but the old lady
was shrewd enough to gather that the
girl really cared for Murray Powers.
$50 Mamma Powers thinks a mill
liner would be blot on the 'scutch-
con-" she laughed. II suppose If /
were to suddenly die, and leave you
all my money, you would be eligible" "
Don't you think of dying" cried
Bertha. 81 won't have it! l want you
right here! Aren't you the only one
on earth who cares for me2 AS for a
man who has to be bought, wouldn't
have him on any terms. If trim hats
the rest of my life. hate snobs,
and I wouldn't be happy among them"
Mrs. Townsend agreed with her
niece, and even gave her an affection
ate little pat.
Shortly after this the old lady died
suddenly, and to the surprise of ev-
eryone left to Bertha only an old brass
candlestick. True it was one she had
priced very highly, being several hun
dred years old, and an heirloom in the
family. ''It is the most precious thing
can give my dear niece Bertha Town
send" the will read, Il hope she will
keep it polished, and in good repair.
1t has several times become loose from
the foundation. Do not let it fall to
pieces"
Forty thousand dollars was left, |
equally divided between the three
nieces, and the house to a charity.
Bertha took home the antique can
dlestick believing the aunt whom she
still thought had really loved her, had
had some motive she had felt to be
right in Withholding from her the
money. But indignation was rife |
among her friends, and one of them
took it upon herself to visit each one
of the heirs, and ask them to make an
equal division of the money, including
Bertha, the one who most needed 1t.
They had a meeting, but decided 1t