The bee., 1882-06-24
THE WOLF AT THE DOOR.

1t had never seemed SO dreary to Rhoda
before, as it did this afternoon, when
che climbed the rickety old stairs, and
heard the Flaherty children whooping
like so many Comanches in the hall
above, while the O'Leary girls were
singing doleful ditty in the next
room, in the shriHest OF shrill voices.
"Dear me-" sighed Rhoda, a3 she
stopped on the landing, "I'm just tired
out and discouraged" and then she
broke down, and cried all to herself.
And she had good reason to be dis
couraged. She had tramped all over
town, it seemed to her, in search OF
work and found none. "Dozens OF
women. out of work." they told her
everywhere "not half enough to do to
meet the wants of half the applicants. :"
What was she to do? That question
frightened her, because she could not
answer it. 1t has frightened many
older, stouter hearts than Rhoda's. 1t
is one of the always recurring problems
that some one is always trying to solve.
She heard Lucy coming to the door,
and dried her eyes hastily.
ooh, Rhoda!" cried Lucy, opening
the door and discovering her I'm so
glad you've come Mr.. BrownloW's been
here.
Rhoda's heart gave great jump, and
then seemed to stand still. MIR. Brown
low owned the old tenement-house, and
the rent was due.
What did he want ?" asked Rhoda
in frightened tone. If it was rent he
was after, where was it coming from ?
She had come near forgetting that, in
trying to solve the perplexing problem
of where bread was to come from.
"He didn't say" answered Lucy.
"He said he wanted to see you"
"And he said he'd come again this
evening"" called out little Rob, who
could hear the conversation at the door.
"And he asked me how I'd like to have
a nice house to live in, and have my foot
made we'll, so I could walk like other
boys, and go to school"
Rhoda sighed to think of these things,
which were 80 far out of her reach.
Everything seemed far off in these days,
some way.
"I can't imagine what Mr.. Brownlow
is coming for," she repeated dozen
times before he came.
ST don't like him one Bit" protested
Lucy decidedly; 81 hate him.
"You shouldn't late anybody"
chided Rhoda, just as a knock came at
the door; and, trembling all over with
dread of she knew not what, she went
and let Mr.. Brownlow in. He was
great, coarse-looking man, but there
was sort of rough kindness in his face
after all. He ment we'll, but that didn't
hinder his having kind of repulsive-
ness for Rhoda.
She gave him the best chair, and he
sat down. She wondered if he would
ever do his errand and go away? He
sat down as if he had come to stay for a
>oDg time.
He talked with crippled Rob for an
hour before he got round to business
But Rhoda, though she didn't look at
him once, knew that he was watching
her all the time.
When he had mustered up sufficient
couragc % do his errand he did it very
sudden if not automatically.
"I'm !, single man. Miss Alstye," said
i
helped him about saying what he had to.
GIVE seen good deal of you, off anon,
an I've concluded you'd make me good
wife. I'll take care of these children,
an give 'em good briugin'-up, an give
you good home, if you say so.
Rhoda was never so frightened in her
life.
She couldn't speak for minute. He
seemed to think her speechless because
of the magnitude and magnifcence of
the offer.
It's sudden, of course" he contin-
ued; "but there amt no sense in
beatin' round the bush. I don't want
none O. them fine, hashy girls that can't
work an help take care O. things. /
know you can, an your smart an re
spectacle, an I'll do jest as I said, if
you'll marry me. Most girls in your
circumstances would jump at the chance.
You're sensible, take it, an when
you've thought it over you'll see 'twon't
do to let such a chance slip. don't
want you to give me on answer now. I'll
wait week for you to think about it.
Then he went away, leaving poor
Rhoda so bewildered that she hardly
knew it she knew anything. Marry
him. She couldn't think of it And
yet she couldn't help thinking of it. If
she ct nsented, she and the children
wonld have q home. They would have
plenty to eat and wear. Robbie could,
like enough, be cured of his deformity,
and obtain an education. If they lived
on in the present way, there was
prospect of starvation ahead !; never
anything, at the best, beyond decent
living. But the thought of living her
years out with that man She felt sure
that il she married him she would live
to be hundred years old, and the sight
of him would be more repulsive to her
every day of her life. She shuddered
at the thonght.
If Tom would only comel Tom was
Rhoda's cousin, who had sailed three
years ago. and never been heard from
since. The ship had never been re-
ported as wrecked. and she believed he
was alive and would come back some
day. If he would only come nowl
She went out the next morning to
look for work again. IL she could keep
the wolf from the door by working her
fingers TO the bone, she would never
marry Mr.. Brownlow. She hunted up
and down the street all day among the
shops, and found nothing to do. Some
one had always been ahead of her, and
got the work she might have had if hhe
had come sooner. She crept home at
night weary. discouraged, and sick at
heart.
The next day it was the same. and
the next. No work no work In day