The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-05-10

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My pay won't amount to much this
month, and the next installment to Mr..
Stone falls due on the 18th, you know
Besides, the coal is nearly gone"
"Oh, dear Those payments to Mr..
Stone What do you suppose ever be-
c9me of that money, Nettie p
" We have asked ourselves that ques'
ton for the last two years, Flo, and we
don't come any nearer to the solution
Of the riddle-whAtever we accom-.
plish toward the solution of the debt"
"Is it a debt, wonder" said Flo,-
I" q legal one, meanP 1 know it is q
moral one, and l shall not give up try
ing to pay it, as long as 1 can fill q
brush, or-mop a llitchen-hoor, if 1t
comes to that. Our literary ventures
don't amount to anything. l should
rather write stories and paint pic
lures than make brushes, I'm sure, and
you would rather give dramatic read
ings than be tied down to a factory
bell-but we are evidently not beaded
for the temple of fame, and may as well
give up."
"Fame |" reioined Nettie, "who cares
for the empty bubble It's the money
we want. l wish we had back all we
have spent in postage stamps on the
miserable scribblings."
81 suppose it's true las some editors
tell us, In their polite little notes. that
writers seldom accomplish anything OF
real literary merit till they are at least
thirty. We don't belong to the FORUM
ate group OF phenomenal geniuses"-
and Flo twitched away her finished
brush from the wise, with a quick,
practiced movement, and began to
spread the table for their simple sup.
per in the back part of the store. In
cold weather they lived in this room as
much as possible to save fuel.
Nettie toasted her feet luxuriously,
and looked rather sdmiringly at her
pretty hands lying idly in her lap. Her
work at the factory was by no means
detrimental to their shapeliness.
"If Mr.. Stone had only been at home
the night father brought the money for
him from Ashfeld, it would have been
oil right. Or if father hadn't had the
'stroke' before morning" Her lips
uuivered, and her eyes filed, at the
memory.
"Nettie," said Flo, solemnly, as she
cut the rye loaf, eve are sure that Mr..
Sackett is an honest mau, and he never
would have said that he sent the money
by father if it hadn't been true"
"Why do you emphasize Mr.. Sackett
so stronelyP Don't you suppose Mr..
| Stone is honest too ?"
"I don't know anything about it,
said Flo. "People can't always helI
their suspicious. Perhaps he was al
home that night"
Nettie laughed incredulously.
"Nonsensel Don't you suppose peo
pie would have found him out before
this if he was a rascal? l don't thinl
myself he's very amiable. Father very
likely put the money in such safe
place till morning that nobody will eve
find it unless the old homestead should
be pulled down or struck by lightning
and then it will probably be discovered
in some mysterious Granny of the foo
or walls. Secrets come to light il
strange ways, sometimes"
81 know one thing" said Flo, reso
lutely, ''you and I are going to pa,
back that money, Nettie Tor the re
mainder, seeing that Mr.. Stone tool
the very house from over our heads)
if we have to live on dry bread and oat
meal for twenty years.
(Ah, how easy is prospective heroisr
at sixteen D
"We shall be almost old women b
that time, and cross and ugly, like a
not" said Nettie, taking a discontente
bite from her BUTTERFLIES bread. Despit
her buoyant demeanor on the street
she was more subject to ups and down
than Flo.
"We needn't be cross and ugly,
answered Flo, carefully measuring ou
her share of milk from the tiny pitcher
"I hope the lamp won't smoke agail
to night. How nice it would be to hav
a new burner ~
A short, bobbing figure, in an i'm
mense rubber cloak, with an umbrell
in one hand and yellow quart bowl j
the other, pressed a beaming fac
against the glass upper half of the dool
"Miss Mellavine - said Flo jOyfully
and sprang up to admit her.
Their next-door neighbor, Miss Mar
Lsvinia Murray (who had given hersel
the name of +" Mellavine" when littl
ehild) was what Flo and Nettie calle
"a walking sunshine factory" Man
time had her kindly deeds helped
tide them over threatened collapse j
the commissary department, and h'
gifts were as delicately bestowed q
they were timely. a simple, unlearne
woman, with heart of gold.
"You dear things I do hope 20
haven't finished your tea, for said
myself this boiled dinner is so savol
this afternoon (you know, my habit
r two meals a day in winter, my dears
i those girls must have a taste. Don
get chair-I mustn't sit down."
; She did, however, and smiled Z
/ them, benevolently, while pretendin
! not to see just how acceptable was h,
/ neighborly Offering.
81 SGvoh a dow IN ha oura TtSa