| Show an heirloom lly by martha mcculloch 1912 by TAte literary fross blessed be hobble skirts allson alison ejaculated surveying her slim blim litheness tit in the long mirror rose her bor sister laughed softly as aa she bho returned Il hotter billetter say blessed be flesh if grandal weighed near three hundred never get it a skirt out of his sunday best black broadcloth trousers dont you darol darel it if one breathes real loud load in this village folk arp aro sure to hear allson alison adjured turning n g to look at herself over her own shoulder and the goss gossips ilig would say sacrilege rather than thrift im sure grandara himself would ampro approve ve dead this ton years what harro harm can it do to hove have ills his leftover left over clothes help ua round a hard corner none tit in the world rose assented merrily adding with a touch of wistfulness it Is so BO liard hard our block passing dividends just at this special time we could do so BO much with that five hundred we got and othor other people doing all sorts of things this town is going to be real giddy allson alison answered sighing at the end of a giggle throe three weddings already announced that means at least a dozen parties of sorts luncheons not counted and tableaux for tile the missionary society and two germane germana it no more rose chanted allson alison took up tip the chant with and three strange very strange young men a coniing to the weddings and likely to stay on an awhile with their kin kill rosy nosy posy I 1 tell you its distinctly hard lines A new party parity frock apiece Is the most we dare hope for and even they spell a month without butter praise bo be you make that new melton last tall fall you would hardly have put it on with aunt anno so ill but whatever wo we would do if you thought of grandal gran dad I 1 surely dont know really I 1 believe though it sounds like magic ill get a swagger outfit from his suit ile he wore it only once poor dear rose sighed and he was alwa always particular as to his clothing I 1 wish we dared spend a little for touches of color though you can stand all 41 3 Z KIM Bleat Bl eased ted be ba hobble skirts black with your yellow hair and blue eyes I 1 hato hate to see you nun like 0 O 1 it I 1 only darel allson alison ex clamed alamed dare what rose asked allson alison answered with a breathless giggle sacrifice our best heirloom but aunt anne will never agree you mean the waistcoat 1 rose cried catching her breath allson alison nodded roso rose darted away up the stairs to the garret where the he waistcoat which had come down from a beau of colonial times lay linen wrapped in lavender in a wink she ehe was back with it unwrapping the they fell apart revealing a fabric of degree brocade whose satin ground once a royal scarlet powdered with rosebuds yellow white and pink had faded to a boft 0 ft delicate indian red time had fi likewise improved the rose rosa hues they seemed to melt one into another alison allsma gasped at tile the sight of tho the rich bl blendl endings it it ocelos wicked even to think of cutting it up she said but ol 01 it flat off my black it shall set it on off rose itose said stoutly aunt anne would never agree her conscience let her but tonce brice the thing Is done shell bo be glad 1 I found her crying yesterday over bur our bank account sho seems to feel febi it was wae her fault that things are as they why I 1 do believe theres enough tor or a narrow panel besides revere revera and buffa allson alison answered eagerly she had been measuring the waist coat while liar her sister spoke it was very long and had been built for or a man inan over six feet it was neither frayed nor spotted spoiled and had bad still its full complement of carved rock rack crystal buttons no bonderaunt wonder aunt anno anne cherished it it was all that had come down to liar her in the division of ancestral treasures from the tha most distinguished of her ireat great grandfathers pate ordered it that she came cama through the door from the living room just as allson alison hand made biado to begin snipping the fine hand sot bot stitches she had slipped a kt ki idono aiono over the unfinished frock she sh had contrived 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 waa the litter and disorder inevitable to close contriving rose stood gazing at her sister both were too intent to note the opening door suddenly at al hand fell sho she hold held the waistcoat away from her saying in a choked choke voice rose take it back 1 I 1 I somehow I 1 cant spoil it it fools feels as though it would be spiritual murder A hand fell upon aunt annes annea shoulder a soft hand heavy with rings and only faintly wrinkled it drew her back leaving the door a little ajar very shortly the owner of it was saying hushing aunt annes sobs the white to think you come to me your oldest friend anno anne dear im ashamed of you you know your girls feel almost no as though they were mine hut but your pride has had its reward not many girls under the conditions condl tlona would forego as nobly as our allson alison dont tell liar her and rose we overheard not yet at least it would hurt them to know we knew B but ut you are going to be sensible and lot me ad vance you those delayed dividends also you are to remember cabs are a wicked extravagance when one hag haa friends with cars and next to nobody to fill them at that aunt anne cried harder than ever but after a little agreed meekly to do as liar her friend bade the friend mrs norris lano lane a rich widow childless with two adored ano and adoring nephews was unobtrusively the great lady of charlotte town perhaps there was no direct se ae quence of events but people began to notice early in the season that lane norris and howard lane the tha great ladys nephews were mighty attentive to the agnew girls rose R ose I 1 and allson alison felt as it if they had found a fairy godmother all at once aunt anne had bad ceased worrying she had bad only smiled mysteriously and told them theirl things were not sa s bad ba ins as s they had threatened to 6 to te then at christmas she each of them with a dainty new gown to which mrs mra lane had bad added all the other things gloves gluyes fan slippers silk stockings and cobweb kerchief ker chlof allson alison was waa not ablo able to say thank you lor for the lump in hot ho throat even rose had bad to turn away her eyes and that night hand in hand liand they othey told aunt anne of thelt their plotting and what had bad withheld them from carrying it out she patted their bent heads saying as aa tears dropped upon allyons All Ali sons bright hair it would have been murder dear children murder of something in yourselves reverence for family tie and traditions I 1 am glad inde indeed ed yo yot made the blank frock much betted use vie th e cloth than let lot let moths ruin it if in the end but tho the waistcoat means something it Is a sort of patent of nobility only fine gentlemen wore such garments 1 I know rose broke in and we came near showing we deserve to belong to him then tha two ran away to make ready for a very late party aunt went too and as she came away she had the happiness of sealing with her approval a double betrothal |
