The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-04-20

ga legal one, mean2 l know it is
moral one, and / shall not give up try
ing to pay it, as long as l can fill
brush, or-mop a kitchen floor, If |
comes to that. Our literary venture
don't amount to anything. L shoult
rather write stories and paint pic
lures than make brushes, I'm sure, anC
you would rather give dramatic read.
ings than be tied down to a factor,
bell-but we are evidently not beaGec
for the temple of fame, and may as vel
give up"
"Fane !" reioined Nettie, "who care
for the empty bubble ? It's the money
we want. 1 wish we had back all We
have spent in postage stamps On the
miserable scribblings."
81 suppose it's true las some editors
tell us, in their polite little notes. that
writers seldom accomplish anything oi
real literary merit till they are at least
thirty. We don't belong to the forum
ate group of phenomenal geniuses"-
and Flo twitched away her finished
brush from the wise, with quick,
practiced movement. and began to
| spread the table for their simple sup.
per in tho back part of the store. In
cold weather they lived in this room as
much as possible to save fuel.
Nettie toasted her feet luxuriously,
and looked rather admiringly at her
pretty hands lying idly in her lap. Her
work at the factory was by no means
detrimental to their shapeliness.
"if Mr., Stone had only been at home
the night father brought the money for
him from Ashfeld, it would have been
all right. Or if father hadn't had the
stroke before morning." Her lips
quivered, and her eyes filed, at the
memory.
"Nettie," said Flo, solemnly, as she
cut the rye loaf, "we are sure that Mr..
Sackett is an honest mar, and he never
would have said that he sent the money
by father if it hadn't been true"
" Why do You emphasize Mr.. Sackett
SO Sc, strongly? Don't you suppose Mr..
Stone is honest too ?"
81 don't know anything about it."
said Flo. "People can't always help
their suspicious. Perhaps he was at
home that night"
Nettie laughed incredulously.
Nonsense! Don't you suppose peo-
pie would have found him out before
this if he was rascal? I don't think
myself he's very amiable. Father very
likely put the money in such safe
place till morning that nobody will ever
find it unless the old homestead should
be pulled down or struck by lightning,
and then it will probably be discovered
in some mysterious Granny of the floor
or walls. Secrets come to light in
strange ways, sometimes"
Il know one thing" said Flo, reso-
lptely, 'you and I are going to pay
back that money, Nettie Tor the re-
seeing that Mr.. Stone took
lie very house from over our heads), |
t we have to live on dry bread and oat |
neal for twenty years"
(ah, how easy is prospective heroism |
It sixteen y
1--WE shall be almost old women by |
hat time, and cross and ugly, like as |
lot,' said .Nettie, taking disoentented |
ute from her buttcrless bread Despite
Ter buoyant demeanor on the street |
he Was more subject to ups and downs
han Flo.
"We needn't be cross and uglv,n
Flo, carefully measuring out
Ter share of milk from the tiny pitcher
Il hope the lamp won't smoke again
o night. How nice it would be to have
new burner -
A short, bobbing figure, in an i'm.
aense rubber cloak, with an umbrellas
n one hand and yellow quart bowl in
he other, pressed a beamiug face
gainst the glass upper half of the door
Miss Mellavine ~ said Flo joyfullv
nd sprang up to admit her.
Their next-door neighbor, Miss Mary
avinia Murray (who had given herself
le name of Mellavinen when a little
hild) was what Flo and Nettie called
walking sunshine factory" Many
time had her kindly deeds helped to
de them over threatened collapse in |
le commissary department, and her /
it's were as delicately bestowed as
ley were timely. 4 simple, unlearned
oman, with heart of gold.
"You dear things! 1 do hope you 6
aven't finished your tea, for l said to t
yselI this boiled dinner is SO savory I
lis afternoon (you know, nv habit OF {
20 meals day in winter, my dears),
lose girls must have taste. Don't |
1t chair-I mustn't sit down"
She did, however, and smiled on t
lem, benevolently, while pretending I
1t to see just how acceptable was her
Offering. j
"Such day, to be sure It's a i
ercy my good spirits don't depend on
e weather. How did you get home s
om the MILL Nettie, child ?" t
" On, I'm used to all sorts of t
Us, you know, Miss Mellavine. b
lat 8 o'clock whistle haunts me in a
2 dreams, but hope for something a
tier some day. Il believe that is the &
trent phrase these days.) And what P
We you done to PASS away the time ?" G
g Oh, odds and ends, my dear-odds
d ends. A little mending and nv s.
usework-a letter to my sister Oe- Ii
da's son, because it's his birthday,
among strangers, dear boy-and
OF flannel sewing for one of poor u
1dget Maloney's ragged little tribe. 81
n so glad you like the things. Some 81
ks amt any hand 70. boiled dinners
t must say like them. You get p
so much in small compass. You G,
y cut me eff two yards of that twelve W
At ruching, Flo, my dear. Now | c.
lily must go, Never mind about the ii
wi this time.) Caleb Stone is very il
k again-taken worse suddenly, they y
and Mirandy wants me to come le
er tonight. He's dreadful fidgetty,
d wants to see me about something 81