Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-11-20
Little Miss Turpin's Fate.

morning, on the top floor of dingy old
lodging house in the metropolis, that led
to strange results. 1t was in the front
room, but made its way very readily
through the chinks and crannies in the
mortar to the neighboring apartment, Z
where little Miss Turpin was preparin 2
her frugal breakfast. The toasting fork
nearly fell from her hand, and her dimity
apron narrowly escaped being seduced
by the sumptuous flame from the CRATE,
when the harsh, gruff voice of her land
lord fell upon her ear.
want my money! said Mr.. Shad-
rach.
$50 do T." replied the young doctor.
"and more. He that wants money.
means and content, is without three good
friends"
Can have my money tonight"
81 think not. Z"
Tomorrow"
1T is extremely doubtful"
Then you murt get out of here.
want my room" -.
when do you want itP"
'tAs soon as possible"
VIII tomorrow doP"
Yes"
"Then leave me, friend; the room
shall be yours tomorrow morning"
The young medical student was man
of spirit. and would have vacated these
not very alluring premises at once, but
he had not where to lay his head, and
there seemed a vital necessity just then
for some such proceeding on his part.
He had discovered two days before that
the faltering and shabby source of his
pecuniary supplies had utterly failed.
and the knowledge that he was without
money or friends in strange city to-
gether with an inability to beg, borrow
or steal, had robbed him of sleep. 2 { 4
The only patient he had during his
nine months stay with MIR. Shadrach
was a poor little workwoman in the
neighboring room, a washed-out, timid,
wretehed little creature, with scarcely
enough stamina about her to rally after
a slight attack of pneumonia Her
little fee had been ready for him after
every visit--in fact, obtrusively ready.
for it was out of the question, of course,
to take money.
"It was merely neighborly service" /"
he said, when upon his fifth visit. he
found her up and at work again, and on
his departure she had stammered out
something about his bill 81 am only
too glad, Miss-Miss.
Turpin," she whispered.
ITO be of service to you. and beg YOU
will call me in whenever my presence is
desirable. - ss N,
Miss Turpin faltered out her thanks.
A burning flush chased the pallorout of
her face, as he warmly pressed her
trembling hand in his and babe her
goodbye.
Poor little girl!'' he said, as he strobe
away to the lecture room It's bad
enough for great strong OK like myself
to face and battle with this grim old
grindstone of a world, but for miser-
able little .waif like that-phew, its
monstrous."
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 over and over the words of
young DR.. Blake, blushing again when
she became conscious of the fact that
she really had the temerity to dwell upon
his 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 all 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 rosebuds grew
the thorns; but there seemed to lurk
even in their cruelty subtle, mysteri-
GUS charm. 1t was enough for Miss
Turpin to dream.
But more and more imposing, grander
and grander grew this one figure of her
fancy around which reyolved the, satel-
lites of health and wealth, popularity
and fame-aIl that could render life
sweet and desirable.
Perhaps tits detrimental to nv heroine
to say that she would have been quite
| content to have lived upon the fruits 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 DIR. Blake, the
| dreams would have gone along lust the
same, the fact of his dying in a neigh
boring hospital of weakness and want,
and the quenching of all her material in
a pauper's grave not interfering in the
least with Miss Turpin's airy fabric. II
would have been impossibleto convince
Miss Turpin that he could reach SO dire
an extremity, had not she knowledge
zen forced in. uDon her. in a. .vva U f31 a