The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1878-04-12
where will might have well been

shaped like Il pineapple, which
came of.
And behind the carved woodci
mantelpiece in his room-the ori
ginal house was hundred year,
old, they say, and very curious
there was a receptacle that nigh
have concealed fifty wills.
The old woman never suspected
me,
Besides, she was half the time
asleep, updding in her chair,
She had q delight in seeing m,
at work, aud set me tasks as harf
to me as those the malevolent fairy
put upon poor Graciosa were tC
her.
Where ! was sent ! went.
Who knew where the will might
be
But now the year | had given
myself was nearly over, and the
nalevolent fairy of my existence
had ordered me TO whitewash the
cowhouse, and / had agreed to do
it with a feeling upon me that en-
durance was almost at AN end, that
hope was almost gone, that ] must
leave the place if starved.
No wonder was thin, and had
lost my complexion.
The lime was mixed and the
brush was found. tI
"Put it on thick, Beulab," said
my task mistress "we don't want
any of the boards to show. Why,
where is your stick 7"
~ can't find one TO fit" said l.,
dlsconsolately, "Oh, can't reach,
| think .....
lyon can't,' said she. "The idea
of whitewashng with short brush.
Go and hunt stick. Why, |
know where there is onc-in your
own room. / saw it to-day"
That's dear grandpa's cane" ]
said.
81 don't care. Get it," said she.
at is only stick, cane or not"
81 wont use that in such a way,n
said |. "Grandfathrr's cane, that
he used to walk with every day
that use to ride on when I was a
baby. Dear old cane, that seems
II part Of him, | wouldn't use it so
for worlds" -.......
"Scntimental nonsense" said the
old woman, "The idea! When /
am dead they can do what they
like with my umbrella. Pm sure.
Get the stick" ,.r....4. .-..s
81 WON'T" said |. ...r...r.
"Then | will, and you'll use it,
said She. .'
Away she went to the garret,
and down she came with the thick
and heavy cane, with neither curve
nor carving on it-a sort of pale
gray wood polished like glass.
" Here's the stick, )" said she 'and
you'll see my word is law here"
"1ie that stick on the wlitewash |
crash and 90 to work." said she.
81 WON'T" said |.
" You won't ?"
"No.n
" You're a pretty big girl. Ben
ah More said she, "but it you
lon't Fll whip you."
81 dare you to touch me-" said /.
She lifted the stick.
rD not sure whether she wonld
Iavc struck me, or whether it was
'nly in menace; but l caught it.
"Give me my grandfatheI's
'aneW ] cried and pulled.
She pulled also.
In a moment more queer thing
The cane parted in the middle,
nd the old woman few one way
nd / another.
She lay on her back bemoaning
erself.
|, younger and lighter, picked
nyseif up at once.
Bat ] held on TO my half of my
cane, and shouted
idly for joy, for in an Instant |
aw that the cane was not broken,
ut that it was made in two halves,
nd that he one | held was hollow.
Something pr0truded from it. /
All saw was a bit of stiff, crack {
ny parchment, but | knew as well t
5 ever did anything, when | drew Y
out, that | had found grandfathel's a
i'll at last. Il
She knew it too. Y
She scrambled up as l flourished =
over my head, and flew at me. u
| am not snre that my life would u
ave been safe had she canght me. L
Terror, as well as joy, lent wings =
my footsteps. Il
l flew out of the garden, down p
e lane and up the road to the of y
,e of Mr.. Curdle. u
There, in my frock, with white
ash daubed over it, | appeared, s.
eathless and voiceless, grasping Il
my hand. dirty and hardened o
th coarse work, the proof that | o
rs heiress to "a fortune. "
When | went back to the home II
rad it was as its mistress, and q
yer saw old Miss HUMPHREYS u
ain. u
She had returned to her former y
Eelling place, leaving many ana y. :"
emas behind for me. =.
They never hurt me. ~
| found the other half of the =,
ar ola cane and rejoined it to its J.,
ltc, al al
| loved it before; naturally \,
red it more than ever then, and