The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-02-26


,:.,,.l I! - =, y, 81, 3 .du,,lv
extended through ~ the departments Of
the boarding house and sales-room; till
now Ne find her, at tho ago Of 20, after |
e;eht years, Of: iuceesant toll, with no
prospect 81 any change, % long ~ life
and health should remain. From very
early in the morning TIL very. late at
night, through seven long days inevery
week, with only IN hour or two respite
on Sunday, she was here, there, where.
ever her services were demanded, not
conscious that she WAS doing more actual
physical labor than two like her should
perform, besides shutting out from her
young life the joys Of coppanionship and
ignoring oil those social privileges which
are so dear to young life. i: ~ $50. -
Lu was not especially pretty. At first
glance she seemed sober small, compact
figure, oval features and great brown
ewes, so full Of honest truth, were Ger.
tsinly the elements Of beauty-but her
4inccssant toll had wrought its lines upon
hands and face; insufficient sleep, contin.
ued care and the. absence of social joy
tinged and shaded her whole life with =
hue of Sadness Sometimes she smiled,
but it was only for Z mement, and furtive.
", a. though she feared to allow even
this expression Of human feeling-no ono
ever heard her laugh. Those who knew
the most of her life said it was too bad to
keep her there, year after year, in that
manner, but Lu never said so-never
thought so, in fact. She had known no
happier ife-she never expected to.
So it was that her heart was all kind
ness, and even for foolish Ned Snyder,
with his unbearable ways, she had but
such words as We have recorded; none
more severe. In the depths Of her heart
there was lying great store of love and
tenderness, latent now, but waiting for
some other loving heart to develop, and
thus to change the whole weary blank OF
her lifs-course, by tho sunlight Of happy
affection.
Ned Snyder was Familiarity known rs
*Ethe fool" In some respects tho epithet
was quite appropriate, for while he had
sufficient intellig ence to be Of much SER
vice in the bakery and even mental bal
ance rs to puzzle the most astute philos-
opher as to his degree of mental sound.
ness and accountability. Ned, too, had
been adopted by Mr.. Towner, just rs he
would have taken arhorse for its keeping.
It would be handy to have such q boy
about the establishment, there was
always something for him to do, and
there were always fragments enough left
after the thirty or forty boarders had
finished their meals, to give the fool a
royal repast. At first, life had not many
pleasures for Ned; but as his sphere Of
usefulness began to develop, and he some.
times talked about ''packing up his buds
and going to sea-for Ned had = way Of
talking whatever came into his mind-he
began to receive better clothes, and occas-
ionally little presents, and spare half
days, till his lot really in comparison be-
came quite enviable.
Lu had always been kind to him, out Of
the kindness Of her heart, and many "a
vor had she taken pains to bestow upon
him, because she pitied his forlorn con-
dition. Generally at the table she could
manage to procure for him . nicer piece
Of meat, or some little delicacy which
had never been intended for him, and
this she delighted to do, even though he
soon came to look upon such favors as q
matter of course. and to scold and growl
if they were not bestowed.
Yet, after oil, Ned did not mean to b<
ungrateful, and As he could think of nc
other way Of repaying Lu' s kindness, h
had grown up into conviction that he
must marry her 1T some time in the un
known future. Dreadful as such {
thought must have been to her, could sht
have brought herself for single moment
to its realization, and annoying as was
Ned's constant reference to the purpose
Of his heart, it had become his mental
meat and drink-the inspiration of hi
life. No more he talked Of the sea nj
more of shouldering his 'sTurk." Ever
his nature bowed to the sway of love, and
in the presence Of Lu only was he happy
or contented.
Naturally enough the belief soon gain
ed ground that Ned did not speak unad
visedly, and that some arrangements had
been made by which Lu was actually tt
become his wife. Naturally enough, thu
girls uncle and aunt came in for more Of
blame than they deserved.
"lt's just like them,'' said one boarde,
to another. standing 1T little distance
and looking upon Lu, busy behind the
county, while Ned, near by, Was feastine
his weird eyes upon her: "Lu's indispen'
| sable to them, and Ned is = treasure, in
his way. Get the two married and they
arc bound to stay as long as they car
render any SERVICE.
II hope you are wrong" the other re-
turned, ':for l don't like to think any
body can be that mean. It would be Z
downright shame to marry such a good
faithful, kindhearted thing as Lu to that
born idiot! I'd kick the man who'd dc
such thing, if there were no other way
to punish him."
1t was Homer Hardness who said this
and shortly afterward he passed through
the salesroom, which was deserted save
by Ned. Mr.. HARNESS was = young bus
mess man Of the city, very comfortably
situated in life, and having for several
years taken his meals there, he WAS on
quite friendly terms with the feeble.mind
ed youth.
''Ned," he asked, hending over the
counter, half confidentially, "you are
going to invite me to tho wedding, l sup
pose -
What me and Lu!'
'tYes.''
eyes, going to invite oil the boarders, .
the fool said, in very business like man
ner.
"Then will it probably take place.