The Osceola times., 1880-07-03

she said. "Comc here and let me see
YOU"
The child stepped tn her timidly.
'She is Suffering for care" he said,
thankful, however, he had given
orders 10 have her hce vashsd. "Docs
she look altogether hopcle.s?"
mot all, the lady returned, In her
practical, pleasant say, as she pa'ted Dc
curly head. 81 think she is a nice little
girl"
by what name shall sll your" lie
asked, as she ross 10 20.
Mrs. Iddings. And yours is Addi-
son, Z" she ssid. II got my information
from the doorpIate," she sdded
Mrs. Iddings," he mused, when -hc
had left; widow, suppose, but with
that face, not a designing one"
The next week the reign VI Mrs. Id
dinse ~ housckcrper commenced. The
slipshod girl vas dismissed, and from
some quarter unknown b. Nr. Addison,
. neat, active girl was procured. Then
the whole house underVest = thoroHyh b
renovation. Such cleaning OF paint, and
seeeping, and dustinE, and polishing.
hrs. lddings took the lead; she was sot
afraid Of work evidently. aud her hslp
seconded ably. Mabel Was 6ksn in
hand, and came out prim, under the
hands Of Mrs. Iddings, . pretty, clsanly
child, ~ sweet in eice and tsstft,l iu
dress ~ she WAS in temper, and whom
her father delighted ~ kiss and fOndle,
And then the cooking. Surely never
had hs eaten such appetising dishes ~
his new housekeeper sst before him
lie convalesced rapidly, and in . shor,
time he was able 10 be down tous once
more. "She's jewel Of . woman" he
told his friends. with extreme satisihc.
ton, always relating the circumstance
that sent her there. ''Thst vas Z
blessed wind that waited that bit Of lace
to me-"
you'll he falling in love With her.
suggested Frank Peabody, q bachelor OF
forty "Not ct all Nothing sentimental
about her; at least nothing ! cen dis
cover, but fine, sensible, practical
woman"
And when she had got the domestic
machinery running smoothly, Mrs
1ddings sat down and wrote this note:
"DEAp MARIoH-Come and see me al
No. 63-- street. Come prepared t.
stay a week. Surprised at my change
Well, come, and We will talk it over
am housekecper for q widower, and il
came abont IN the funniest way. can't
write you about it, but come as soon AZ
you can"
And the next evening, few minutes
after his return from his business, Mr.
Addison, passing through the hall, an,
swered the door-bell, which rang Just
then. A lady stood there when hs
opened the door, and she asked for Mrs
Iddings. rhe sound OF the voice struck
some answering chord in his heart, but
the lady wore q vail and it was growing
dusk, 70 that he could not distinguish
her features.
please step in here and / will cal
her" he said, opening the door Of tn,
parlor. She walked in. He stopped {,
light the gas. As 1t flashed out brightly
the two look into each others faces
"Narion" Burke! did not know | "a,
coming TO your house." she iaiiercd
She looked gravcr than of old, but t,
his eyes she was still the same swee
Marion.
"And | did not know you wer,
Wltn1n Thousand lnllts Oh me, ~
exclaimed "but ! ment to search 70
you soon"
The two were forgetting the cxistsnc,
of Mrs. Iddngs, but she, passing through
the hall, heard her friends voice, an,
was much surprised to find that N
Addison and her were old acQua'nt
snccs. She and Marion had bee,
iriends for a year, bat the latter hs'
never let her into the sad secret Of he
life. She had remained unmarried oil
these years, and had drifted to the cit,
where he was, but had not known of hi
whereabouts or of his vlfe's death
Mrs. lddings Was duly scQusinted Sitl
her story, and was much pleased tina
she had been the means Of ri ngins to
gcther the long separated overs. q
course, in due tiNe they married, Az,
Burke was seized with q desire 70
matchmaking, and introduced Frsnl
Peabody to Mrs. Iddings, bringing hin
home to her one evening before she lon
And the upshot was that she agreed /
become his housckeepcr for lie. An,
Burke is happy now, and thinks tina
the breeze that blew the bit OF lace +
him must have come straight from TIA
gate of heaven.