The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-10-04
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AN ANGEL UNAWARES.

ats old Miss Peck again." said Fan
ny Meade with grimace, as she leaned
perilously over the edge of the stairs to
survey the hallway and front door be-
low
"Old Miss Peckr echoed Lizzy, the
fair, plump blonde of the family. "And
there pve been and put on my dotted
Swiss apron with the pink bows, think
ing that it was Captain FilletN"
"And Lucy's letting her in, and buy
ing tape and buttons of her. as true as
you live." calculated Fanny, in very
audible whisper,
And then the two elder sisters retired
to their room and had their laugh out,
while Lucy-innocent, round checked
Lucy, whose heart was open to every
appeal of want or suffering, took the
wretched old woman into the kitchen,
dried her wet shawl by the fire, brought
footstool so that she could warm her
poor feet, and even made a cup of hot
fragrant coffee for her to drink.
"Buttonsg said Lucy. "A penny a
card. Well, I'll take two sizes!'
'Pshaw" said Fanny, who had by
this time brought her scented crimps in
to the room. "You can get any amount
of buttons at Lynn's store for less She's
cheating you, Lucy"
"But not such buttons as these, young
lady," said old Miss Peck, getting up
from her chair to curtsy. "These but
tons are fine-linished, and warranted not
to cut tho throadtn
Lizzy who was leaning against the
window, enjoying the old creatures &C.
centricities, next attracted Miss Peck's
attention"
"And couldn't | sell you anything,
my bonny beauty" said she in a coax
inc tone. Ribbons the color of your
eyes? Or bottle of rose-ol to bring out
the FURNISH of your harp"
mo" said Lizzy pettishly, II don't
want any of your wares, Don't tease So
for goodness sake.
eve got some life-pills here" said
the old woman, lowering her voice to a
mysterious whisper ''WhiIe you take
'em regularly, you'll never die! There
catnip in 'em, my deary, and witch
hazel, and herbs and roots as nobody
knows of but met They'll keep the roses
in your cheeks and the spring in you,
heels, my lfe-pills will, if only you'll
give 'em fair trialr
"Why don't you try them yourselfP''
said Liazy saucily. "There isn't much
roses or spring about you"
81 found out the spell deal too late
in life, deary," said Miss Peck, hunt.
ing among the treasures of her basket.
"OnIy shilling a box, dear-and fifty
in boX.n
II declare, Lucy, it's too bad" sale
Fanny Meade angrily, "to let thi,
sleaming, muddy old creature into the
clean kitchen, and then let her torment
people so as TO buy her trash! Why, Miss
Peck's Life Pills are the laughing stoel
of the neighborhood,"
The old woman caught her tattereC
cotton umbrella in one hand and heI
basket of wares in the other.
"Tll 60" said she. Don't send fo
the constable. Yes, yes, I'll 90"
And Lucy could hardly pursuade he
to remain long enough to receive the
compensation for the rolls of tape anC
cards of buttons which she had alread,
sold
"rhere," said Lucy pityingly, as sh,
saw the half-emptied cup of coffee still
standing on the table, "the poor thing
didn't even finish her coffee. How
could you speak so sharply to her, Fan
nyP"
"She's perfect nuisance" said Fan
ny. It's high time that some one laugh
her her place. We can't have on
kitchen turned into a refuge for all tn,
tramps Of the neighborhood."
Lizay and Fanny Meade retired earl,
that night. They always retired early
when it rained and there waslno chanc,
of any beaux TO enlven the tedium o
the tagging hours. And Lucy. the fam
lily Cinderella, was left to lock the doors
bar the shutters, and see to the genera
safety Of the house before she went t.
her own apartment which opened on
OF the dining-room.
Lucy was Mr.. Meade's daughter by ,
former wiio-a quiet, pale-faced sobol
little thing, as unlike Lizzy and Fanny
as u grey moth is unlike two brillian
purple butterflies, Lucy didn't mind
hardShips; and Lizzy and Fanny mad,
the house ring with their lamentations
II they SO much as pricked their pretty
pink fingers,
And so--for Mr.. Meade was a silent,
stolid, elderly gentleman, who devoted
himself TO the not particularly profitable
business OF the law, and took no notice
Of the manner IN which the household
wheels revolved--the work was prett,