The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-09-28
CARRIES REOOMoENSE.

Things will mend again, see if they
| don't when Phil gets better; see how
| much improved he is already by the
country air and freedom. If only we
| had little more money!-but that will
come in time, and when you are well
| off and prosperous again, all this time
| of worry and trouble will only seem like
| a bad dream. SO don't worry and fret
any more, dear, or spoil your eyes with
| crying"
| And Carrie Benson drew her sister
| in-law's head on her shoulder, and
| stroked the fair brown hair with cares
sing touch, as she murmured sympa-
| thisingly in her ear.
Only a year ago how different things
| had been with them. Then Carrie was
| an art pupil at the South Kensington
| Museum, and Philip, her brother, was
| head cashier to an old established bank
when he married Clara Meredith, and
for little while all had prospered. But
one sad day, Philip Benson was sent
home in carriage, with pale face and
| blood-stained lips.
"a broken blood-vessel," said the
| doctor, who was too much used to that
| sort of thing to attach much Importance
to it. Diseased lungs Constitution
all run down, no longer desk-work, but
| country air-exercise--new milk-fresh
eggs-al that sort of thingr'
So Carrie and Clara took grave coun-
! sci together over this sad necessity.
''Phiip was always fond of garden
ing" said the young wife. .Fistfully. "f
we could afford to rent nice little
country cottage somewhere"
''We'll buy one," said Carrie. ''Look
| here, Clara. l was reading only yester-
day the advertisement in the paper of
little place in the Isle of Thanet, close
by new watering place that has sprung
up there. Two hundred pounds down,
the rest on mortgage! Now, | have my
| grandmother's legacy untouched
That's two hundred and fifty pounds,
you know. We will pay down two hun
dred and keep the other fifty towards an
outfit. And we'll turn farmers"
sWhat business woman you are,
| Carrie said she. s.How did you find
out about mortgages and all that sort of
| thing?n
While Philips eyes glistened.
"If you are really willing to make
| this sacrifice for me, Carrie" said he,
II believe that it would be a new lease
| of life for me.''
''But how is the balance to be paid?"
| said Clara wistfully.
The farm must be made to pay for
| ITSELF" said Phil
''Of course it must,n said Carrie
''Smau fruits, poultry, and garden vege-
tables can't fail to be success close to
. new place full of visitors, and so near
| Margate and Ramsgate, too"
So they bought the farm and vent
| there to live.
| At the years end, however, the farm
| hadn't paid for itself. In fact, it had so
far disappointed all the principles OF
political economy as to run up neat
little schedule of debt.
And it was just about that time that
Carrie had surprised her poor, worn-out
| little sister-in-law in tears.
| ''How is one to help crying?" said
| Clara, tearfully. with the grocer's
| bill coming in, and the taxes and the
| horrid lawyers clerk making such to
| do about the interest-for it seems that
the mortgage has been transferred to
some new man who is buying a deal of
| property down here"
''Pshawr' said Carrie, giving her sis
teI-IH-ltN Il uoildDC KISS. ell EN- all
to wait. I've planr'
But plans won't pay the bills, Car
rie."
How do you know that they won't
in timer" saucily demanded Carrie.
care YOU aware that the field next to
our orchard is full of the most deli
cious, dewy, delightful crimson straw
berries as large as a plum-almost?"
NO" said Clara, sadly. And even
If 1t is, Carrie, one can't live on straw
berries
mo, but one can sell them," said tri-
umphant Carrie. ''And we can gather
them ourselves, and sell them to the
landlord of the new hotel''
Yes" said Clara, dejectedly, '.that
is an excellent plan for meeting current
expenses. But the interest-the awful
interest! You couldn't write to Mr.. Al
lyn, I suppose, and ask him to lend US
NO cried Carrie, with mantling
cheeks. ''Please-please, Clara. don't
ask such thing as that of me-"
but he is rich," urged Clara. "And,
after all, it would only be a loan; and
Phil was almost sure he liked you when
-"
''And that is the very reason that l
cannot ask him." said Carrie, with
downcast eyes. ''If he had really cared
for me, Clara. don't you think he would
have said so before now? Nonsense! A
bouquet, or so-a book-one or two |
evening calls-what do they signify? A |
man might extend those little courtesies |
to any woman, and never think twice of |
it
Mrs. Benson sighed softly. perhaps |
you are right" said she.
And Carrie picked moss basket full |
of the perfumed crimson fruit, and |
bravely carried it down to the Sea View |
Hotel the very next day.
Il wish to see the manager" she said, |
to a white-chokered servant.
''In the office, miss" said the man.
Carrie, who both by nature and neces-
sity was ''home-body," had never
seen the new hotel, and the modern
beauty of its marble. paved floor, its fres-
coed walls and exquisite hardwood fin
lsh, struck agreeably on her eye. But
she knew that her courage would fail if
she paused a single second; so, walking
oolaiy up 10 the plate-glass shielded
mahogany desk, she set down the basket.