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

trim her grey felt hat, for LizZy and
Fanny's fall hats had cost so much that
Lucy decided that new cherry ribbon
was all she could afford for herself and
it was nearly eleven when u soft tap, tap,
tap, was heard at the door.
She opened it in some surprise, and
there stood old Miss Peck, drenched
with rain and trembling with cold, her
basket pressed close to her side, and her
battered umbrella weeping turbd tears
on the door-stonc.
Couldn't you take me in, my deary,
Just for this one nightp" said the old
woman, "because I've nowhere to stay,
and the storm is terrible. | meant to
90 on to Deacon Daley sister
Charity is a very good friend of mine
but it is too far, and my own bones are
all racked with rheumatic! Couldn't you
take me IMP I'd sleep on the rug before
the kitchen fire, just for the sake Of q
shelter over my headn'
Lucy hcsitated a second. If Fanny
or Lizay knew that she had harborod
such guest, Miss Peck's chances
would be very slight indeed But then
she was so wet-so chilled-so miser-
able.
Come in said Lucy kindly. "Set
your basketon the floor. You shall sleep
with me, Miss Peck"
And so she shared her own little bed
with Miss Peck, that tempestuous No
vember night, and when the stormy sun
rise broke she rose early, made little
breakfast for the poor old soul, and sent
her kindly on her way.
At parting, Miss Peck pnt little red
box into her hand.
"Life-pills, my dear" said she, in
mysterious whisper. "For your
"But | can't afford to buy them,
Miss Peck" said Lucy little embar-
raised.
II don't mean that deary," said Miss
Peck. "As present. For nobody has
| been so good to me, week in and week
out, summer and winter, as you have.
Keep the life-pills, my dear. Take one
a week, and you'll never grow old or
| sad"
SoNliss Peck trudged on, and at Squire
| Wemple' she stopped
Squire she said to that genial, iov.
ial gentleman, who had just entered his
Office, and was warming his hands at
the newly kinded fire, II want Job Of
law done. And I'll pay you in suspend
ers and shoe-strings, your pick and
choice out of my basket
"Ahn' said thesquire good-naturedly.
"And what is it that you want done,
Miss Peck?"
81 want to make my WILL" said the
old woman. Il want to leave all have
to Lucy Meade"
Shell be II great heiress," said the
squire, chuckling.
Yes" assented Miss Peck with great
gravity. "But she has sense and iudg-
ment, and will know what to do with it
allr'
So the squire, secretly enjoying the
joke, made out the legal document, and
saw it duly signed, witnessed, and at
tested.
Perhaps you'd better keep it in your
fre-proof safe, squire" said Miss Peck
sitting there like a withered elderly
doll.
Perhaps had" said the squire,
Exactly p acff aaf u aScid kn8y said
Squire Wemple. And after Miss Peck
was gone, he and the clerk and the Of
fice-boy laughed until they were black
in the face.
"Such a joker said they.
n,tt at 4,
Lucy held her tongue as she poured out
the matuinal coffee. For her life she
would not have dared to confess that
old Miss Peck had slept in the house all
night For the topic of contagious dis
eases was preached at the table, and Mr..
Meade spoke of smallpox having brok-
en- out at some tenement house, not far
away.
Lizzie turned reproachfully to her eld-
| or sister.
There, Lucy" she said, II hope that
will be n lesson to you. For all YOU
know, old Miss Peck may have come
from that very house, yesterday, with
her stay-aces and buttons and things
And Lucy colored crimson, but did
not reply 1t was true. she told herself
that she had run terrible risk. But
then, who could turn the poor old crea-
ture from the door on such night
And, tossed by conflicting emotions,
Lucy crcpt into the bedroom, and kneel-
inc down, said her prayers, and left all
the rest to Heaven.
Scarcely week had elapsed when
one Of the neighbors came in.
"Old Miss Peck is dead" said she.
mot of smallpox" gasped Lizzy,
invountarily recoiling.
BLESS your heart, no." said Mrs,
Macraw Found sttin' by the side of
the road, quite dead, with her basket OF
buttons aud pins beside her."
And then came out the story of the
will which had been so recently execut-
ed and search was instituted. In the
basket, between the bottom and the oil
cloth lining which protected it, was
found handbook, with deposits cred.
tied therein to the amount of several
hundred pounds, most of which, as af-
forwards appeared, had been accumu.
lated by the sale of the old crone's much
Wanted Life Pills"
And it was all Lucy Meade's. She
was the heiress of the family now. Liz
~ and Fanny bit their lips, and pre-
tended tO make finn IF tho who1n thinn.