The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-10-09

and she'll hate puddings; she'll want
breakfast at daybreak and dinner at
noon-and oh, dear dear!"
And she did. All these things came
true. Miss Dehone naturally had the
best corner and the best chair in it; of
course she had the best room-there
| wasn't any other for her; and of course
I helped her to the best cuts--what else
could you do with an elderly stranger at
tablep and of course we were on our
| best behaviour and took care rs to what
we said in her presence. She was a dys-
| peptic and had to have little messes
| dawn, and look very thankful if any
hours afterward, and seem to be re-
proach to lazy young people; and she
| did look over the tops of her glasses at
Arnold's goings and comings in such a
way that it was quite plain that if she
| said nothing, yet, like the silent parrot,
| she kept up great thinking. But then,
as / said to Sarah once, she paid for it
all. AS yet we hardly felt any addi-
tional expense; and if things went on
comfortably, we could really think of
| buying the new carpet that we had de-
| SPARED of, and so rid ourselves of the
| disgusting task of covering up holes
and darns by means of artistically ar
ranged shadows of chairs and tables !;
and the next thing would be the new
dress for mamma-she hadn't had a
fresh black silk since papa's death, and
now silks were so cheap.
81 don't care if she does," said Sarah.
"Money can't pay for everything; money
won't pay for your health. And here
you are making yourself sick waiting on
her by inches; and if you don't, of course
must. And then never shall be able
to have an hour for myself for Arnold"
She stopped, for she hadn't meant to say
that. "There! don't care if it does
burn my face and CRIME my hands, she
cried; can't have you doing all the
nursing. There'll be nothing left of
you in a year, with carrying up trays for
breakfast, and making beef tea, and
whipping up eggs for refreshers, ard
stirring II custard now and a panada then,
and filling hot water bottles, and shaking
up cushions, and running up and down
stairs, and being perfect drudge in
general"
Nonsense" said 1, when 1 could
break in. You know l like to do it.
1t is always pleasant to me to"
Then if it's so pleasant" said Sarah,
"1'll have some of the pleasure. II the
little creatures going to stay-and l
suppose she isl shall take care of her
to do in waiting on mamma and seeing
to the housekeeping. Mammals enough
to set one by the head.
Mamma wasn't our own mother, by
the-way; she was papa's great mistake.
But then we all got along nicely TO-
gether, and were, on the whole, very
fond of each other, for all Sarah's re-
mark: but you know the best of friends
ilre sometimes eXasperating. AS mamma
came of an old and stately but impecuni-
Gus family, she held herself of little
more worth than we were-we who had
sprung from the soil, so to speak; and,
10 tell the truth, we did have to wait
upon her-how we did have to wait
upon her! But somehow we always
liked it till Miss Dehone came; and
then, suppose, having the two of them
made it too much of "A good thing. And
llnust say l was surprised to see Sarah
taking the matter up so, and it did put
me in mind of the Queen of Sheba wait
ing on the Witch of Endor, say-Sarah
she usually did look like an Eastern
princess in disguise, whether she was
holding a toasting fork over the blaze or
snutling Miss Dehone's wax candle for
her; and Miss Dehone always would
have wax candle. AS for En- and
Kate, they kept school, and were the
chief of our support, and could not, of
course, do anything else.
Well, ut the end of the second month
| went to balancing our accounts, and
seeing what would he left over for the
carpet and mammals silk; and, if you III
believe it. adding in all the board money,
our accounts only came out just even.
All the little messings had counted up,
and instead of our boarder's being a
profit, that little item in our housekeep-
ing was all the other way. "Well, "
said /, "what shall we doP Let her
find another homep It's a pity-and
she so we'll established"
cit would be a shame" said Sarah,
hesitatingly. A shame. No. l couldn't
could youP-turn her out"
mo profit and no pleasure, and a
world oftrouble," said 1.
81 don't know" said Sarah. "You
can't help growing fond of the little
thing, although she does ask such ques-
tions."
Questions! should think so. Who
was that And what did he come for?
What was his businessP Was he
Iodrdll lover Vi Eli ,! IoHc ulun UIlnk
much of his taste if he were Ems. Was
looked out for him, thenP Why were
none of us engagedP Did we mean to
die old maids like herP Did we think
that SO cheerful prospect, with nobody
to care farthingP Who was the DR..
Parnell that came round here so much
Was he after SarahP Handsome is that
handsome does. and Sarah wasn't to be
had for the asking, she would have him
to know.
docs Sarah like him, do you know ?'
she asked me one day.
Indeed, Miss Dehone, how can
sayP"
You can say very well if you will
81 don't want to hear anything about
but You think I'm a chattering
old woman, and so you won't speak
| Very well; | can find out usually all ]
want to in one way OF another, and nc
thanks to anybody. I'll ask him."
Ask him! For goodness sake, Miss
Debone-" began.
"Then there is something in i'll" she
said, triumphantly. - thought so
He's in love with Sarah. and she's in
love with him. Why aren't they en-,
gagedp Why don't they marryP Coco
gracious! it wasn't SO when l wa:
young. Love has turned his bow into
y money-bag. Well, hasn't he pro
fessionpn
"Oh, yes, you know he's a physician
But he practices in country village ter
miles from here, and drives over to SCI
us. And, dear me, it's the healthies
| villapein