Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-04-29
CLICK"
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

oil er lame The ploba bilities are
that SHE had. Her mother was dea-
con BaldWin's sister, who had run
away and married dark eyed young
Portuguese sea captain, who was
lost eff the Florida reef within a
year OF tier marriage. And little
Calissa was brought home to the
Vermont bills 10y the curiously-cos-
TUNED foreign woman who had
clostd ber mothers eyes.
''Oh, dear mt ~ sighed Mrs. Bald
win, who had four daughters OF her
own, and not a great deal OF money
to bring them up on, "what is TO be-
come of the child ? She's weak and
fee bic, and perhaps Providence will
SEE fit to take her"
But Providence didn't. Click
grew and throve and blossomed out,
somehow, among the New England
sheep pastures, into strange, for
eign sort of beauty. Nobody wanted
her, it was very plain She was toll
Grated, and that was all Plenty to
eat, a little pallet btdstead in the
corner of the farmhouse garnet, a
calico dress now and then-she Ger
tainly did not cost them much. And
no one knew the yearning heart
hunger that she resolutely repressed
within herself.
AT the district school she picked
up, now and then, little learning;
at buskipg frolics, quilting bees
and apple parties, she got an odd
idea of social observance; and as for
the rest her soul grew and expanded
ard reached out like a wild convol-
vulus vine, guided only by the great
hand of nature.
And one day Click came to Mrs.
Barley's, the miller's wife, who had
''store carpet" in her best room,
and kept city boarders in the sum-
mer.
''Do you want any strawberries Z"
said she, pushing back the hood OF
her green gingham sun bonnet as
she leaned against the kitchen door.
'.Straw berries I" said Mrs. Bar,
ley. Didn't know there Was none
rlpe vet. Amt it dreadful early for
strawberries ?'
Yes" nodded Click, with con-
scious pride. But these grow on
tie south side of Lyndon Hill, where
the cedar trees keep off the wind.
Nobody knows of the patch but me.
I've been watching them this long
while, and last week s sunshine dead
ripened EN-"
Yes, III take 'em," said Mrs
Barley "But can't pay you much
for my boarders amt all come yet. p"
"How much % SAID Click, with a
speculative greed which belonged to
her ancestry, there's six quarts full
measure"
Three cents quart" said Mrs.
Barley.
Chick S face fell
mo more ?" asked she.
MOT penny" said Mrs. Barley
"Oh, dear ~ said Click. And
that will only make eighteen cents
And | wanted 10 get money To buy
a ticket to Mr.. Cheveuix's historical
lee ures."
How much would it take ?" said
Mrs. barley, kindly sympathetic.
"A dollar" said Click. 'Thert
are four lectures "
"Oh, dear, dear ~ said Mrs. Bar
ley, chuckling with her tongue,
"That's a deal of money !"
Yes, / know" sighed Click
"And the lectures begin to- morrow
night, and there won't be any more
Strawberries ripe for two DAYS "
Cant yon think of any other
way of earning money ~ SAID Mrs
Barley, good naturally.
Not unless | discovered a pot of
money OH the SEA shore where Crazy
Simeon is always digeing for Capt .
Kids treasures, said Click, with "a
little laugh.
Click, look here,' said Mrs. Bar
ley "Have you seen the hair man
yet 20
"The-what ?" said Click, open
ing her great black eyes, fringed with
curling silk.
His name is Lemuel Price," said