Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1878-12-05
Maggie Ryan.

Bat just let me stay until morn
ing, ma'am. 1t IS cold, dreary and
uark along the road, and, indeed, |
have no place to so to but widow
Tarrow'S aud that's mile away"
50 spoke sad, worn looking
woman, standing on the threShhul1
OF well-to-do farmers house just
rs the last rays of sunlight were
fast fading away from the evening
sky,
The person she spoke TO, a large
woman, in a bright lowered dress
and white apron-the mistress of
the house turned away pettishlv.
You came at night, Maggie, it
seems to me, and you can e. at
night. You don't suit. l never
SAW such shlftless ways in my lire.
And Jane Smith is here and l have
only bed for the servant, and I
cannot expect a tidy girl liks Jane
to sleep with-wel, with strangers.
havepaid You for your three days,
ana goodness knows, you have wor-
ried'me cut Of my senses since you
have been here, and l cannot keep
you another night and the earlier
you 60, the sooner you'll get there
wherever IS is"
Well, that IS true, anyway, then,
ma'am, replied the woman. and
you are mistress in your own house,
but Goa knows taat it is not dog
I'd be driving oIt at night"
Then she tied her little pattance
il the corner OF POCKET handker-
chief and walked out OF the gate and
up the road, not looking back once.
Her heart was heavy as lead, and
she was angry st world that had
been q very hard one to her.
Three years since Pat went
away" she said TO herself, "and
never Herd from him, he's 6ead,
10 doubt; and it's the last kind
word I've heard, I wasl't shiflless
? and good fur-nothing to hun, Mag
gia," he'd say, I'D change you for
. nObody's wife" Och, he was the
man and asgood to me when
VAS faded AID worn out with hard
Twin and losing the children, as he
was to me when was purity girl,
with cheeks like roses, and he was
hoy courtin' me. Och, Iat, where
cid you 20 at al ? You died in a
ditch like deg, maybe for all
these hard-hearted gentlefolk, We
all might"
She TUNED and shook her fist back
a. the house she had just left, only a
bit of the roof visible over the rising
ground now.
my hearU was aching for the
cbilder and Pat" she said, but
you could have no patience if per
tatie was burnt, or a towel not that
smooth. You sent me out with
the night falling. Bad luck to ye
and 20 all your like"
Then she plodd,d On again but
the woman she had left Vas not rs
tad as she hau fdncied her. In her
thrift and tidiDess she could not
understand this untidy, careless be-
ing. She knew nothing of the mis-
cry at her heart, or the sorrow that
made her forget the pots and pals.
Sic was actually afraid of her and
anxious to get her out of the house.
She had felt it great mistake To
lire tramp from the Rad, as it
were, and she had paid her, and was
:oalcious Of 10 cruelty.
TIE daylight f ID apace ; the moon
risen long ago became visible-a
faint streak Of new moon that set it
4 little wbiie-only the stars were
1cft-and Maggie wandering on the
road with her bundle under her
a7m-a bundle Of rags and ODDS and
ends tumbled together in an old
linnel petticolt-began TO lose her
knowledge Of it. Here and there
she saw lights III q window, hut
they were no promise of hospitality
to her. II she got TO widow Var
rows, that parsonage, who took the
laborerg to board, would let her
lodge while she could pay, but where
vas the Widows cottage-ro the
right or ID the left She could not
tell III the darkness whether she had
taken the proper turning. Hard by
was rushing SQUAD, as of water.
Danger there, perhaps. The rail-
road was somewhere at hand, and
though Maggie felt that the world
was poor place, she did net fee,
ready to meet death get.
'I'll just drop in the grass some
where" said the poor woman.
And God come between me and
harm. If | could find bit of hay
low, it would be a comfort.''
She stretched forward, peering
through the darkness, and her foot
struck some loose branches that lay
.tvon the ground with q sharn orock