The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-15
BY HER OWN FAULT.

Curtis was in tears. She sat up in her
own room sobbing bitterly while the last
sad offices were being performed.
She had good reason to weep, poor
soul, for she had lost her only friend on
earth.
'sShe died so suddenly, too" thought
the hapless spinster, ''that she made no
provision for me. l know she would
have left me something, and how thank
full l should be for even a trif1e a year.
Here I've had everything, and I'm just
cast on the world rs helpless as a baby.
For years I've just made her caps,
and read aloud to her, and walked out
with her, and driven out with her. and
poured the tea, and made the buildings,
and been like her daughter; and how
often she has said: Theresa, I'll not
forget YOU She knew what it was to
be single herself, but we neither of us
counted on apoplexy. l fear she took
too much old port and lived too high. /
fear she did-poor thing! l was so fond
of her.
Gracious me! to think that dreadful
cousin of hers will get it ALL The house
all her money, and all the furniture,
and the dresses.
Everything is sealed up, and the
china, and the ornamentsi That nice
cabinet! l declare, when / think of that
pretty hanging cabinet! She d have given
it to me. Why, she meant to give me
legacy. Why, if l could ask her now,
she d say, Take it, Theresa lean hear
her good old voice She'll have that
coo, for the lawyer said, If no will was
found, her next of kin would have ev-
erything.' I DECLARE said Miss Theresa
Curtis, wiping her tears away, Il mean
to have that cabinet. I'll get ii and it
will just 90 into one of my trunks. Miss
Dillingham; would say was right, and
I'll do it,
and crept softly down into the dressing
room next the bedroom, where all was
now SO still and terrible. She took the
cabinet from its nail, and crept upstairs
and hid it in her trunk with a feeling
that some one might be at her heels
ready to call '.stop THEIR
To be sure, she knew well enough
that old Miss Dillingham; would gladly
have given her the cabinet; that her
cousin Spear was not favorite. that the
old lady would have preferred that she
should take all she possessed to giving
it to the person of whom she always
spoke distastefully as 'sthat Sally
Spear"
But all the same, that silent creeping
over the stairs, past the door where the
watchers sat together that moment when
she laid the cabinet in her trunk and
covered it with folded garments, gave
Miss Theresa Curtis a sense of having
been a thief She never forgot the ac-
ton, or ceased to feel ashamed of it.
Time stalked away, using his scythe
as usual. The funeral was over. Search
Il r., Il,
declared heiress to all, and Miss Curtis,
who still occupied the house, was mott
fed to leave.
Fat Mrs. Spear waddled about the
house and talked of the changes she
would make; and Theresa Curtis sought
a cabman to convey her trunks to
cheap clearinghouse.
She. was five-and-forty, and had lived
with Miss Dillingham; for fifteen years.
Her wages as companion had allowed
her to accumulate few pounds, but
she had had expectations"
In her kind heart she never reproach-
ed Miss Dillingham; for having left them
unfulflled. And sometimes as she strot-
ted about answering advertisements and
failing to please, it occurred to her that
when they met in heaven they would
have a great deal to talk over
81 know she's sorry she didn't make
a WILL" thought poor Theresa, 'sand |
shall tell her just how. Sally Speartook
on herself I'm sure she'll be glad hid
the cabinet
And yet the deed troubled her.
At last Theresa found situation as
nursery governess. They were five
children to teach, dress, and walk out
with. They had been used to cherry
light-handed girl, and leased
the serious middle-aged woman all day |
long. Still she bore it, until at last
mamma declared that she had no disci- |
pine, and once more she went in search
Of an employer.
She found an old lady who wanted q
but, alasi someone unlike |
good Miss Dillingham; fashionable
BID lady who desired to have her hair
dressed in the latest style, and to have /
ler lap-dog curled and combed; who
vent to balls presumably to chaperon
her .granddaughters, and returned in |
he early morning expecting to find her
wide awake.
Disseminating, embroidery, and lace
making were required; reading until
my hour of the night when the old lady
y chance retired early. And all ended
q an ignominous reproof and dismissal.
After this school received Miss The
esq in its bosom.
She endeavored TO teach the English
and received no salary. FL