Lincoln County advocate. (Canton, Dakota Territory, [S.D.]) 1876-1877, 1876-04-26

poor little work woman in the neighbOr-
ing room, washed-out, timid, wretched
little creature, with scarcely enough
stamina about her to rally after slight
pneumonia. Her little fec had been
ready for him after every visit-in fact,
obtrusively ready, for it was out of the
question, of course, to take the money.
"It was merely q neighborly service, F"
he had said, when, upon his fifth visit,
he found her up and at work again, and
upon his departure she had stammered
ont something about his bill. 81 am
only too glad, Miss-Miss-''
"Turpin, she had whispered.
ITO be OF service to you, and beg
you will call me whenever my presence
is desirable"
Miss Turpi in faltered ont her thanks.
A burning blush chased the pallor out
of her face, as warmly he pressed her
trembling hand in his and bade her
good by.
"Poor little devil" he said, as he
strobe away to the lecture-room. "It's
bad enough for great strong OK like
myself to battle with this grim old
grindstone of world; but for misera-
bic little waif like that-phew, it's raons-
trous!"
He thought Of her pityingly till he
crossed the threshold OF the college,
then gave himself up to the subject in
hand, which so engrossed his mind that
he forthwith forgot the existence of little
Miss Turpin. But she, upon her part,
repeated overa and over the words Of young
DR.. Blake, blushing again when she be-
came conscious of the fact that she really
had the temerity to dwell upon this
genial but commonplace courtesy.
Miss Turpin's work was delicate and
artistic, but not soul-absorbing, like the
doctors. She could tint her photo
graphs oil the better for this little epi-
sode in her life. The vines and tendrils
took tender shapes under her deft little
fingers a shy, sweet melancholy helped
to make the shadows at least more and
more perfect under the rose buds grew
the thorns but there seemed to lurk
even in their cruelty snbtle, mysterious
charm. 1t was enough for Miss Turpin
to dream. The physical and practical
reality of the DOCTOR nearness, perhaps,
had its weight, but not consciously SO,
to the little women. She never ventured
to get up cough or cramp for the sake
Of stamping more clearly his shape into
these vague but extravagant feats of
fancy. In truth, so timid and afraid Was
she Of pulsation of practical JOY, she
actually Stunned and shrank fronl its
approach.
But more and more imposing, grander
aud grander, grew this one figure of her
fancy, around which revolved the satel-
lites of health and wealth, popularity and
fame-all that could render life sweet or
desirable.
Perhaps it is detrimental to my hero
inc to say that she would have been quite
content to ilave lived upon the fruit Of
her own fancy for the remainder of her
natural life. Had circumstances COM
peeled her to change her abode. and had
she thus lost sight of DR.. Blake, the
dreams would have gone along just the
sane, the fact of his dying in a neigh
boring hospital of weakness and want,
/ ana the the que1,ch;ng Of sll her material II
a puper's grave, not interfering in the
least with Miss Turpin's airy fabric. 1t
woald have been impossible to convince
Miss Tu1pin that he could reach so dire
an extremity. had not the knowledge
been forced iii upon tor il q way that
she could not refuse.
She absolutely heard the gruff voice
of Mr.. Shadrach upon the morning III
question, and the low, musical, but bit
terly -mocking words of the doctor in re-
ply.
She sat down upon the rug, and clasped
both her hands. He was going away,
then? Until that moment she had not
realized the extent Of such disaster.
She could kave borne, perhaps, to have
been compelled to go away herself, be-
cause the inevitable for her had become,
long since, matter of course; but to
have the iron hand of memorable neces-
sity grasp this young man was. terrible.
He Of the flashing eyes, the lordly mien,
the exultant step-for thus had little
Miss Turpin been wont to classify the
somewhat alluring personal attractions
of Young Blake-he to become the prey
of adverse destiny
Miss Turpin's breakfast, that morning,
was failure. By dint of long practice,
and an exceedingly gracious gift in
housewifery, she had always managed to
get up extraordinary little meals for her
self. 1t was as if little sooty angel sal
up .,loft in the chimney and assisted the
culinary efforts of the lone little woman.
Her toast WIS of brown the most golden,
her coffee was of Mocha tho most deli.
cious, her bit of steak SO juicy and ap
petizing that sometimes poor Blake il
the neighboring room, with some chunks
of brown bread floating helplessly in
chalky fluid before him, finding this 50
worry odor under his nostrils, raised hi!
clenched hand at the stern wall between
them in envy and despair.
But even the little angel in the chin
ney became impatient with the behavior
!: of little Miss Turpin, that morning
The little woman, usually SO practica
and. capable, while straining her ear t.
listen to faltering, stumbling step j,
the next room, deliberately burned tn,
toast and boiled the coffee, and the sooty
J wings spread themselves, taking figh
J in disappointment and disgust.
: She held her breath as the familia
footstep passed iner door, and slowly, on,
by one, vent down tho worn eaten stairs
Oh! where was he going2 What woult
he dol She had read sometimes of 81
evening, when working hours were over
I the shaded Lamp upon the table at he