Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-12-23

some one to whom he coul2 speak con-
fidentially, and when the ice was once
broken he took me fully into his bust
ness confidence. could often suggest
a way out of difficulty that had not
occurred to him, and even when ! was
not of actual use to him it was re-
lief to pour out his troubles to some
one who was n full sympathy with
him"
"But you have worked very hard,
Charlie. l never saw you SO tired as
you often have been this year, and
your face is more careworn than it has
ever been.
"Well. it is some comfort to know
that business prospects are growing
brighter. By closest economy Mr.
Mifllin has managed to meet the obi
cations he was afraid would ruin him,
and there is a good lookout for the
coming year"
"Wlll he give you whole loaf yet,
Charlie?"
"Not yet, think. Never mind, We
will not despond yeti
"Despond / guess not. Iaanso-
ing to have some Of those crumbs you
were speaking of next year. I nave
learned some valuable lessons in saw
ing"
The second year was certainly not
an easy one to Mabel. a wee baby, in
on to the three-year-old twins,
he. the mothers LANDS busy, while
there was no decrease in the household
work. Many articles of clothing and
housekeeping, too, that lasted wen one
year, were past service in the second,
and it was not so easy to replace then.
Often Mabel feared that the saving
for "rainy day" must be broken in
upon, but she kept all such fears shut
up in her own heart, and always had a
bright word of cheer for tired Charlie
when he came home.
| She never told him that the late
breakfast that she had plarned to let
the habits sleep while he ate his early
one, comprised none of the little tempt
ing dishes Of his own meal, but was
literally bread and milk six mornings
out of the seven. She never let him
know that the reason she suggested his
lunch down town, to save the loug walk
home, was really to save the price of
that meal toward the dinner, the dainty
little parcel he carried never costing
the price OF regular meal for them
all.
She did not tell him that she was
cutting up her old dresses to clothe the
twin girls, and sewing busily every
leisure moment to keep all the little
ones tidy. Va
/. And yet there came day in June,
when six months of the second year
were almost gone, when shb spent The
last dollar of the weeks money while
the week was half gone. Charlie had
given her, long before, some signed
checks to meet such an emergency, but
it was her pride to think that not one
of them had been presented at the
bank
She took one from the desk where
they had lain so long and spread it out
before her, calculating, with Fuckers
on her pretty face, how small sum she
could stretch over the necessary ex-
penses.
81 hate to begin" she said half aloud;
eff once we break in upon that money
it will meltAway like snow before Che
There vas no alternative but debt,
and Mabel knew that Charlie would
never be willing to owe any man a
cent while he had cent with which to
pay him. So, with great sigh, she
dipped the pen in the ink to fill out the
blank check. Before it touched the
paper, however, she paused, listening.
There was step in the hall that was
not that of the nurse or her charges, a
voice ringing out full and clear, calling:
"Mabel Where are you, May?"
"Here in my room," she answered,
"Oh, Charlie, what is it?"
For the face at the door was so
radiant that all care seemed to have
slipped from it forever"
Good news, May And yet-per-
haps 1 should feel sorrow, too, only |
did not know him."
"What are you talking about?'
"Did you read this mornings paper2'
yes"
Ibid you notice the death Of Amos
Gardiner"
"No Is that the Mr.. Gardner who
used to be Mr.. Miffiin's partner before