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FllANK M O It T I MM It ,
Editor and Proprietor
AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER.
i Terms: IN ADVANCIi
J One Dollar per Year,
Vol. IV.
jpt IjUaomfitlb gjimrs.
Js Published Weekly,
At New lUoomflcld, renn'a.
MY
'FRANK MORTIMER.
The Missing Bonds.
IT WAS a genuine, old fashioned, Now
England kitchen, wide, and cool, and
airy, with a great woodon clock behind the
door, its worn faco embowered in a hazy
mist of asparagus boughs, and a floor as
whito as if it wcro strewn with lilies a
room where tho Bunsliiuo came, interweav
ing itself through tho morning-glory vines
that hung thoir heart shaped loaves and
blue, transparent cups athwart the deep-set
windows. And Miss Aguow herself, seated
iu tho splint-bottomed rocking-chair, where
the hay scented breeze camo in from field
and maedow, was no unfitting representative
of tho neat, methodical New England house
keeper of olden time, in her brown calico
dress and stiffly brushed " front curls."
Her very occupation savored of tho house
wifely element ; she was preparing sunny
checked pears for preserving, and as, one
by one, tho juicy "quarters" dropped with
a clink into tho shining tin pan by her sido
Miss Agnew beamed contentedly down on
her work, proudly conscious that she was
fulfilling tho wholo duty of woman. .
Close besido her sat a young girl of seven
teen, with limpid, wine-brown eyes, and
cheeks as bright as tho piles of pink clouds
even now closing in around tho fiery gates
of tho September sunset. Apparently she
was busied iu removing the cores of. the
fruit, but tho, swift, deft motion , of her
hands was' merely mechanical; iu reality
sho was listening, with a soft, shy smile
to tho gay, rambling chat of a tall young
man who leaned against the open door-way
deliberately solecting tho rosiest and fairest
pears for his own private delectation.
." So your worldly wealth troubles you.
docs it, Aunt Hetty ?" ho demanded, after
a minute or two of silence.
" Trouble is.no word for it '." sighed Aunt
Iletty, energetically darting tho point of
her knife 1 into a plump, scarlet-flecked
"Duehcsse'd" Angoulome." "It just
drives me distracted, James Mout-clair!"
"I wouldn't own United States bonds,"
remarked James, mischievously. " Would
you, littlo Mabel?"
Mabel's checks flushed pinker than ever,
at this direct address ; the long lashes drop
ped over her hazel eyes.
" I don't know, James," she answered,
softly, " I should like to be rich, liko Miss
Agnew."
" Well, you needn't, child," said Miss
Agnew, shortly. " The Biblo talks about
tho "deceitfulness of riches," and I'm sure
decoitfulnoss isn't the only drawback. I do
declare, I'm sometimes tempted to put it
all in tho lire 1"
" You had a great deal better put it into
my pockets, Aunt Iletty."
"You see," went on Miss Agnow, with
out heeding her nephew's iareverent inter
ruption, " I took 'em down to tho bank to
deposit I thought thcro would bo an . end
of all care for me and, don't you believe
they wouldn't givo me the sign of a receipt !
Of course I wasu't going to leave my
bonds there for the benefit of the first do
faulting tl;rk that chose to cut and run. So
I brought 'em home, and put 'em in a box
under the garret floor, between the Cross
beams.' And then I thought of the. rats
just suppose they should take my bonds for
supper ! Gracious 1 you may guess I jump
ed out of my bed pretty quick, midnight
though it was, when the idea popped into
my head.' ' Then I sewed 'era into an old
stocking, and put 'em in my linen-chest,
and I couldn't rest night nor day, for fear
of fire.
"Upon my word, Aunt Hetty," said
James Montclair, laughing, "thoso bonds
will be tho death of youjyut 1"
"Then," pursued Aunt Hetty, "I put
'cm under my pillow every night, and I
just dreamed dreamed o' burglars and
robbers, and men with black crape masks
over their faces, and woko up, all in a cold
sweat, forty times in tho courso of the
night" ("That would mako four times an
hour, regularly," said James, iu a notlo
voice to Mabel) "sartin sure that tho muz
zle of a pistol was close to my head," went
on Miss Agnew. " Well, that wouldn't do
of course."
"I should think not, Aunt Hetty, "grave
ly commented Mr. Montclair.
"Well, what should I do next, but put
'cm in tho tail pocket of Abijah's old coat
that was hangin' back o' the store room
door, and, says I to myself, "They're safo
Ww ; no burglar will over think of that old
dud.' And, don't you believe, that very
self-same evenin' I read a long account, iu
tho paper, of how a man hid away money
in his wife's old flannel skirt, -aid how sho
went without knowiu' a tl.ing about it, and
sold the flannel in a pilo o' paper rags to a
ragman, and who was drivin' through town
with a wagon and bells, and that was just
tho last they ever heard of their money.
So there was an end of tho old coat busi
ness." "Well, Aunt Hefty, and what noxt?"
asked her amused nephew.
" What next ? I've got 'em in an old
coffeo-pot now, with a broken spout, hid
away in tho onlikclicst spot I could any
ways think of." '
" You won't tell us whore ?"
"No, I won't," nodded Miss Agnow.
" I don't tell nobody my secrets. But I
don't feel a bit easy about 'em, they won't
stay thcro long, I guess. There, Mabel,
we'vo got about enough now just you put
'cm in tho bulcry for to-night. To-morrow
Deacon Salisbury's sister's goin' to lend mo
her porcelain proservin' kettlo, and if we
don't have nice pears next winter, I'm out
in my calculations, that's all.' Nono o' your
canned trash for mo pound for pound, and
a good boil up with plenty of skimmin', is
my rule."
As the fluttering blue chambry" dress
vanished through the portols of tho buttery
door, James Montclair looked admiringly
after its slendor littlo wearer.
" Aunt Hetty !" said ho, . abruptly, "do
you know that Mabel Martin is growing
very pretty ?"
'James 1" ejaculates Miss Agnow.
" Well ? why that horrified tone of
voice?" demanded her nephew, half defiant
ly. "James, I thought for certain you and
Mary Cornell was takin' a fancy to each
other 1"
"My dear Aunt Hetty, do you give me
credit for no tasto at all ?"
"To bo suro, Mary Cornell isn't pretty,"
said Aunt Iletty ; " but a porson soon gets
accustomed to a sallow complexion, and
eyes that don't look quite straight ; and her
hair ain't a real, fiery red, you kuow, but
auburn; and' then sho'll have all Squire
Cornell's land 1"
" Sho'8 welcome to it, for all of mo," ob
served the young man, indifferently.
"And then, Jamos "
"Yes, Aunt Hetty."
" Mabol Martin's a nice, handy littlo
thing enough, aud I don't deny but that
she's what the world calls pretty ; but hor
folks are dreadful shiftless, and old Martin
drinks terribly, and theydo say that the
eldest boy ain't over and above hones l!"
"Granted, Aunt Iletty," said Montclair,!
with a slight contraction of his dark brows ;
"but is Mabol in any way to blame for
that?"
"No ; but one can't help sottlu' store by
family, James, and "
"I really don't s'poso we ought to blame
her for the bad name her folks have got 1"
she thought washing oft the pear stains that
oluug to her fingers in a bowl of tart-swat-
lingviuogar. "But, after all's come and
IVov Uloouifioia, I'm., December G.
gone, Obadiah Martin's daughter isn't just
tho wifo for our James, with his book learn
ing, and his collogo education, and tho mon
ey his father '11 leave him 1"
Tho old clock behind tho kitchen-door
had just struck ten, a solitary cricket chirp
ed shrilly under the hearthstone, and tho
moonlight lay liko a shivered rain of pearl
on tho kitchen-floor.
' Come, child, it is timo to lock up and
go to bed," said Miss Agnow, rousing Mabel
Martin from arevorio, into which sho hau
unconsciously fallen, with her head against
tho cool morning-glory leaves. And Mabel
obeyed, glad that the moonlight was scarce
ly bright enough to disclose tho deep crim
son of her checks, and tho smilo that hover
ed around hor'lips.
"Mabel!"
She was sitting in the -semi-luminous
gloom by her casement windows, half an
hour aftorward, when tho voico roso up to
her ears from tho garden below.
" Is it you, James?"
" Yes. Como down a minute tho
moonlight is so delicious hero under tho
trees ! It's a shamo not to Qiijoy it 1"
Sho was about . to obey his summons,
when tho whisper once more sounded close
beneath tho window : .
"Not yet, Mabel. Wait a few minutes.
Aunt Hetty is going hor usual round among
tho lilac bushes and quince-trees, in search
of burglars, I suppose ; and she would over
whelm us with all sorts of unearthly stories
about tho evil effects of night-air, and dew
and moonlight. Wait 1"
Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed away,
and Mabel stood by iho window still listen
ing, with her littlo scarf around hers bould
ers, and tho roses yet glowing softly in her
checks.
Then there was a rustic in y tho dewy
honey-suckles beneath, and James Mont
clair called out, in a low touo :
'.' The coast is clear at last, little Mablo.
Como down." .
Tho moonlight shono full oil his face, as
sho joined him in tho garden-path, under
tho spreading bows of tho old trees.
"James," she exclaimed, "whataro you
laughing at?"
"Was I laughing, .little wild-flower?
Nonsense 1 it's all your imagination !"
"But, James, youaro shaking all over 1"
"Ague and fever, perhaps. It's tho
damp night-air, light of my soul ? Como,
sit down bore on the old gray stone, and
tell mo onco more the sweetest story that
you love me, Mabel !" Tho fair head droop
ed, the hand trembled on his arm.
" I am so unworthy of you, James 1"
" Is the star unworthy of the dim human
lamp upon which its clear light fall ? Is tho
sunshino unworthy of the earth which pines
for its sweet influences? Mabel you must
not talk so 1 Now, listen to me, Pet and I
will eonvinco you that you are wrong from
beginning to end, in all this morbid humili
ty 1"
It was nearly midnight, when James
Montclair bade Mabol adieu at the gardon
gato, and strode across tho fields to the
village, half a mile or so distant. And
Mabel, returning up the box-borderod path
softly turned the handlo of the door.
It was locked t Miss Agnow had evident
ly made the tour of the house after Mabol's
exit, and, unconscious of hor absence, had
locked and bolted tho premises as securely
as bolt, chain and bar could do the business.
Little Mabel's heart stood still. Her
checks paled as she stood there. What
was sho to do? What would Miss Agnow
say to her, if she know she had . been out
" swoothearting" in the moonlight, contrary
to all rules and regulations duly enacted and
enforced in the spi us tern's little kingdom?
Mabel was no Joan of Arc, no . maid of
Saragossa she dared not face Miss Agnew,
as long as there was any other loophole of
escape open to her. , . .. , .-.
1 "I'll just run home to father's,',' she
thought, "It's not so far, and I can get
back in the morning before Miss Agnew
misses me.,' . . ,'.,..'' i .' ' ,
But, alas I "Laftfnmt propou, tt Ditu
dispose," and it was nearly seven next
moruing when Mablo Martin, with a scarf
tied over her head, camo into tho kitchen,
whore, Miss Agnew was frying ham and
eggs for breakfast.
" Child 1 where were you last night?"
severely demanded tho elderly maiden,
brandishing her gridiron as a Knight of
old might have poised his lance. "What
is tho meaning of this unaccustomed
absenco?"
Mabel hung down her head.
"I I went homo last night !"
" Went homo ! Four miles all by your
solf, after ten o'clock at night?" severely
echoed Miss Mchetabcl.
"It wasn't so very far, Miss Agnew !"
" And how did it happen ? I insist upon
knowing all about it, Mabel Mar'.in 1"
sternly went on the catcchist.
Mabel grew scarlet and whito in a
breath.
"I went down into the garden, after I
had gono to my room."
"What for?"
" The moonlight was soft and, "
" Well 1"
- mien i camo oacii, tiio uoor was
fastened, and "
"Why didn't you knock for me to como
down stairs and let. you in?" '. '
"I I didn't wish to disturb you, so I
went homo to my father's 1"
Alas, poor Mabel ! sho might have known
that from ono mustard-seed would rise the I
fatal tier of falsehood ; but she had not
paused to think that it would have been
better to tell Miss Agnow all about James
and herself, and tho innocent lovo-glcams
that were beginning to brighten her life.
Miss Agnew listened with set lips, and a
brow which betokened no very favorable
state of mind.
"Very good," sho said coldly, as Mabel's
hesitating voico died into silence. " You
may go to your work." .
And as soon as Mabel was fairly esconccd
iu the buttery skimming pans of lathor
wrinkled cream, with hands scarcely as
steady as usual, Miss Agnow eclipsed her
head in a huge green sun bonnet, stiffened
with paste-board, and rushed down tho
garden path to a hugo pear-tree, whose
gnarled trunk concealed a deep hollow,
curving obliquely downward to its roots.
Into this hollow sho thrust her arm groping
eagerly in tho soft black mold and slippery
mess that lined this casket of nature's own
fashioning.
" I thought it was so ! I foared it was
so 1" she muttered to herself," palo and agi
tated. "I would rather havo put thciri
into tho fire with my own hands, than be
compelled to beliovo that Mable Martin
was a thief!"
For the Government bonds that Miss
Agnew had hidden away the night before,
were gono !
"Are you sure there's is no mistako, Miss
Agnew?"
Justice Cornell, a soft-hearted old man,
looked kindly down upon tho girl, who was
kneeling on the floor with hor face buried
iu tho w iudo w curtains, her low voico break
ing the ominous silonco with piteous itera
tions of sobbing sound.
" I am innocent 1 indeed, I am innocent 1"
"How can there beany mistake, Mr.
Cornell?" demanded tho inexorablo spiu-
ster. "I put the papors there after ton
o'clock at night. By her own confession
she was in tho garden after that time, and,
of courso, she must have seen mo conceal
them."
" A queer place to put Government bonds
iu," said the justice wrinkling his eye
brows. ' - '
1 " Bothor the bonds I I wish that they
were in the Red Boa, so I do 1" ejaculated
Miss Agnew so sharply and suddenly that
the fat justice involuntarily started back.
" If you'd had. half the trouble with them
as I have, you wouldn't wonder at my
wanting to hide 'em. However, that's
neither here nor there. She's absent all
night long, and comes back next day with
IV o. 49.
a lamo excuse that won't bear tho light of
day, and my money is minus. What do
you mako of that, sir, Justice Cornell?"
Tho old man shook Ids gray head sadly.
" You may as well make out a warrant
f jr. her arrest, Mr. Justice," said Miss
Agnew, resolutely, " also a paper to enablo
us to search her father's houso thorongh
ly." " I hate to do it tho worst wav." said tho
kind old man; "but if I must I must,
ana why, hallo 1 she's fainted away 1"
bhe had, indeed fallintr on tho floor as
palo and motionless as if death itself had
kindly como to her relief to cut tho
Gordian knot of her perplexities.
"I declare 1" said tho justice, whiskinar
away sundry suspicious drops with tho
corner of his hugo yellow silk pocket hand
kerchief, " I feel just as I did tho day I
butchered tho child roll's not lmnlt I Tt'a
cruel thing tu do, Miss Iletty, justice or no
"Til Send (IVfir trt mv hrnflmrr Mrmf
clair's for James," said Miss Agnew. "I
didn't mmil lift ulmnl1 lw rnivnil un in lir
.-w ItllAU Kl t ' H 1V
afl'air ; but he's a lawyer, and maybo I'd
better consult him. Patrick.'-' to tho stout
charioteer, who had driven her over to Jus
tice Cornell's "go for Mr. James, iiuraedi-
xuiy i ivim ratncK, oueyeu.
" I'll TO bail fur Mivs M-ilnl nnvlmnr
ho muttered to himself, as ho urged old
Dobbin to his highest rate of speed. " I'd
as SOOn KUKIlect. n. fcnillt. in crlorv nf lininrr tt
thafo, tho Blessed Virgin bo good to mo !"
Half an hour could scarcely havo clapsod
when lie rixt.nrnivl fliiulmrl n1 dnuh. ...itl.
old Dobbin's mouse-colored coat reeking
with sweat.
" VVllUre is Mr. .Tumps?" P.lrrjirlvilnmnnrl-
led his mistress.
" Suro Mr. James got a telegraph at day-'
break to go on to Boston, where his brother's
to sail for Europe in a hurry, unexpected ;
and ho left this letter for yez, to be de
livered immediate, and tho servants,' bad
iuck to 'em cutirely, never thought about
it ; and here it is." . V
Miss Agnew broko the seal of tho large,
official-looking envelope, and from it fell
six rustic Government bonds,, with a littlo
white note folded around them.
"Dear Aust Hetty (it renAY T
, "2' "
nothinff less than onn of t.lin lnp.furii.sT nun
to get for my mail pranks, half a dozen
years ago ; but when I saw you stealing
through tho garden-walks, and hiding your
precious treasures away uko a maguined
magpie, I couldn't resist tho temptation of
playing burglar, ' positively for one night
only,' as the playbills say, and abstracting
your bonds just to enjoy your perplexity
the next da V. I exneeted fn hrinrr tlmm
back myself this forenoon, but circum-
stances uecreo otnerwise, ana liore they
are. I only wish I could have seen your
horrified nice when you missed them.
Love to little Mabol, and tell her when I
come back it will be to openly proclaim our
engagement to the world. Don't scold the
child ; it isn't her fault that I fell in lovo
with her. No timo to writo more. so. pood-'
by for a week. J. M.
Miss Airnew burst into tears. Tim ilmm
that had not moistened her withered cheeks
tor years shone brightly on them now.
She threw her arms around Mabel.
" My poor child, read this note 1" - '
And Mabel read it. wliiln .T
filowly gathered up the bonds that lav on
me iiuor, uueny unuoeaea Dy .miss jvieneta
bel Agnew.
"It is all right : it is?" said the r1,l man
chuckling, "Well, I thought all along
there must be some mistake. Here are
your bonds, Miss Agnew, and I guess we
won't say anything more about the search-
warrant.
It was some time beforn Malml Marfin
crathered couraco to tell Miss A
the moonlight stroll. James had told her
nothing ot tue abstracted bonds, and when
the weight of the unexpected accusation '
came upon her, the grief and Bhame wore
almost to hard for endurance. But Mis9
Agnew kissed away the sound of the half
uttercd words. ' . .
'It's all ritrhfc and natural, nliil.l ' .-
said ; "and 1 believe you'll make our James
a good wife."
I Which was a crcat ennnnuainn fin-
Agnow, considering her preconceived opin-
The January sunsets were reddening tho
western skv when Jamiia nnrl Mal.nl
married ; aud up to that time Miss Agnow's
i iii i . . "
vjuvuinuiuui uouun uau louiui no rest Tor
the soles of thoir parchment feet.
"Take 'em, James,, for a wedding1
present," said the old lady, on the morning
of the eventful day thrusting the envelope
into the nephew's hand. "There t now I.
ican breathe freely." .
J , And that was, the way in which Miss
Agnew disposed of her troublesome moneys
at last.