Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-02-08
Mr.. Camp lifted his eyebrows.

let US quarrel aDoutatWo chaarS. Did
you see any thing else worth BUYING
"Oh, such lots of things, Harry-the
house was just elegant. But I didn't
buy any thing else there but couple of
vases for the sitting-room mantle. They
were SO cheap and pretty I couldn't
help it. Then / went down to Madame
L. Heureux's to see about my new bon
net, and coming home I saw some
blankets in Bruce's window, marked
down to almost nothing, SO I went into
look at them, and they were really very
but 1 thought they would do nicely for
Margaret's bed, so / bought a pair of
them, and Margaret is going to put
them on her bed tomorrow morning.
She rather turned up her nose at them,
because they were not white, Isuppose ;
but I told her there we're plenty of poor
people who would be glad to get color
ed blankets, and l thought they'd do
for her."
"I don't blame Margaret" said MIR.
Camp, with a little annoyance in his
tone I" gray blankets always look dirty
to me, and l don't know why an old
servant like Margaret shouldn't have
white ones, if she prefers them, as long,
if I'm not mistaken, there's almost suf-
ficient for a regiment in the house al
ready. L shouldn't have thought that
you'd have bought any more blankets,
Laura, and at Bruce's, too-a dirty,
secondhand shop. You don't know
where his goods may come FROM, nor
what sort of people may have usedthem
before YOU"
ooh, I'll risk all that" was Mrs.
Camps careless answer, I" and as for
the blankets, 1 didn't really need them,
but they were so cheap, and they were
just as good for Mafgaret's use as my
white ones, and l a ave them for
some special occasion. Blankets won't
spoil, and you know, if you keep a
thing sever years you'll find use for
it,
81 had ought to know it by this
time" was the laughing response; ''for
you've told me often enough. The
only trouble is, if you keep on filling up
the house, we shan't have any o at
all to keep things over night, even, let
alone for any longer period"
Mr.. Camp sauntered off down town
again.
For a fortnight or so every thing
moved on quietly in the Camp house
hold.
There happened to be no auctions in
the neighborhood, and Mrs. Camp was
too busy sewing to have any time to
run round to secondhand shops, so
that for a little while the demon of bar
gains seemed to have lost its sway over
the mistress of the house.
Then one evening Mrs. Camp met her
husband at the door with an alarmed
face.
Margaret is verv ill, Harry, and I've
been waiting for you SC impatiently to
90 for the doctor. l I'm afraid she is
going to to have a fever"
"l'n go right off now, Laura" was
Mr.. Camps quick response. "You'd
better keep the children away from her
till we know what is the matter"
81 have-all but Ada-wAo is sitting
with her now. III call her down,
though, if you think it best"
81 think I would" replied her hus-
band. sit isn't wise to run any risks
with the little ones"
But Ada, a pretty, lady-like girl of
eleven or twelve, begged so hard to
stay with her old nurse that her mother,
telling herself that the harm, if harm
there was, had already been done, had
no heart to refuse.
Margaret had lived with them solong
that she seemed almost more like an
old and trusted friend than a servant.
So the doctor came and found them
both there by the bedside-the mother
and daughter.
The old family physicians face look.
ed grave with his first glance at Mar
garet's flushed countenance, and he
sent father and child into the next room
while he made an examination of his
patient. When it was ended his face
was graver still. He beckoned Mrs.
Camp also into the adjoining room.
Mr.. Camp was there alone.
"Where is AdaP" was the doctors
first question.
"Gone down to give the little ones
their supper, / believe" vas Mr..
Camps careless answer. "But how is
Mar"
The doctor sprang forward to the
door before he could finish his sentence.
"Ada, Ada, come here at once!
Were you mad that you let that girl &c
down to the children, carrying con-
tagion in the very atmosphere about
herP"
"Contagionp" gasped husband and
wife in n breath. ~"Surely, doc
tor"
But the doctor was questioning Ada.
who had come running up stairs hall
frightened at the physicians per.
emptory recall.
"How far down stairs had you got?'
he said.
"Only down the first flight, SIR
was the quiet answer.
"Had seen none of the c%hildrenp"
"No, sir"
"That is we'll, my dear. Now &C
and sit by the window. I want to tall
with your father and mother a mo
ment."
Somewhat puzzled. the child did as