Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-05-19

to myself then that the deed was done. We
were hOuseess, homeless wanderers again upon
the face Of the earth. l wished Blanche was
not SO very beautiful; perhaps 1t would have
been better. as the doctor had said If she had
been as ugly as a stone fence, whatever style of
ugliness that might be. For wherever we went.
my mother would begin again plotting, maneu-
vering, hoping, fearing. despairing. went to all
the agents in the neighborhood looked at i'm
possible hOuses-hOuses like the Doctors but
with rents that reached to the thousands.
found to my blushing horror that we had abso-
lutely been living partly upon the doctors boun-
ty-tbe rent we had paid for his house was RI
diculOusly small A mere farcical sum, which
he must have known long ago. He could not
have been unconscious of his reckless generosi-
ty, and the advantages we were reaping from
1t. My cheeks tingled with every new knowl-
edge gained, but my chief sorrow lay in the fact
that we could no longer go on living in the old
blissfully Ignorant way. The doctor could afford
it, seemed rather to enjoy it, and had no longer
that indomitabe spirit that chafes under even q
suspected obligation. II that spirit had ever ex-
toes, and every aching joint in my body.
But 1t was useless to mourn over lost happi-
ness. The only thing to do now was to get q
house within our means and live In 1t. resolved
to spare my people all the misery that could,
and let them enjoy their last days at the dear,
gotten house Of the doctors. It was necessary
to prepare them little for the plunge down.
ward they were to take. Mamma was the only
one that suffered In the anticipation. Fred was
at that happy period of male existence when
the malicious mischief Of boy begins to merge
In the "rackets" of adolescent youth. He was
absorbed in the transition-didn't care what
kind of shelter secured, so long as 1t would
serve the necessity for sufficient sleep to tide
him over from day to day.
Blanche was still less Interested. She laughed
to scorn all my efforts to prepare her pride, and
begged OF me not to borrow trouble. Once in a
while she babe me to remember that she was not
an absolute drone in the hive, and had her own
schemes for our mutual advancement. shud-
dered when the conversation took this turn for
quentiy there were more matrimonial rocks
ahead
Poor mamma began to look gray and old. and
took double doses of her nervous medicine
sea-shore made the bleak winds Of March
seem to be beating about my ears like pitt
less waves against a ship in the trough OF
the sea, and her haggard and anxious sur
ve'llance OF every movement Of the doctors
drove me at last to securing house. It
was a lcOffin-shaped building that savored Of
sewer gas little, and of mould and mildew very
much more; the paper was hanging from the
walls; the ceilings were cracked and danger
ously bulgy. cobwebs Enthusiastically festooned it
from the draughty garnet to the gloomy ktch-
ems down In the bowels Of the earth. It was
unhandy, dismal to desolation, on the damp and
shady side of the street, and had the uncanny
reputation of lately being occupied by q clair
vOyant who had never come back from one OF
his frances. But the agent spoke vaguely of
repairs. and 1t was absolutely the only house in
the whole metropolis that seemed available to
our family.
There was final humiliation to sufrer-secu-
rity was demanded for the rent. There was no.
body to ask it from but the doctor. began to
think he might be 80 glad to get rid Of US that
hiS yNyrlA frjH Il
tor, after the first shock, had appeared to be
quite resigned to the idea OF our separation
His house yet hung upon his hands; it was
neither let nor sold; but the doctor went upon
the even tenor of his way, apparently updls-
turbed by the rise or fall of real estate.
March happened to be going out as lion on
the day that secured the house. The heavens
opened, the rain tell, and beat upon my defense-
less head. that had ached and ached for many a
day. had almost lived In the streets for the
previous fortnight, and ought to have grown
accustomed to my nOmadic miseres. But they
seemed to eliminate in my final success, and when
the agent handed me over document which he
said would secure me the house If properly
signed, cold shudder went to the marrow of
my bones, and felt as If it was my death-war-
rant. staggered home, resolved to have done
with the whole torture that day, and found a
moneyed-looking person on the doorstep anxi-
Gus to negotiate with the doctor about his
property. This was the last turn to the thumb
screw, but FASTENED to the doctors study and
asked him his price.
"A hundred thousand dollars, cash down."
shouted the doctor, without even turning his
head.
l thought had misunderstood him. was
so faint and weary that every voice heard
went humming In my ears like spent bell.
81 beg your pardon, DOCTOR" I faltered;
what did you say?"
He turned and looked at me, got upon his
feet. and reached me just as it seemed to me
could no longer stand. He carried me to an easy
chair; undld my bonnet strings. dropped some
head, poured 1t down my throat.
The bell rang loudly. The party at the door
had waited all this time to know the price Of
the house.
doctor. "Take the bill down, John, and tell
once"
"Your daughter is very ILL.," he said, as poor
mamma came into the study. "She must be
put to bed Immediately. Will carry her up the
stairs"
Ny poor mother, who could never restrain
herself burst into a passion Of tears and re-
proaches.
cit is all your fault" she cried to the doctor.
III you had not trif1ed so with Blanche, and &C.
tualfy told me that day on the beach that you
cared for my daughter, and had a motive in in
wiling us to 20 there, and then thrown her over
In such humliating way, things would never
have come to this pass"
But the doctor had already picked me up In
his arms and started for the stairway, my poor
mother stumbling after him.
II did care for your daughter, madam" said
the doctor, In clear ringing voice that might
have been heard upon the house-top. "and will
care for her to my dying day, and my motive
has always been to make her care for me; but
1t Is your daughter Betty that love- you
blind and foolish woman, and not your beauti-
full Blanche"
felt his rough beard Craze my chin, his lips
touch mine, in the twilight of the upper hall.
and then sank away into paradise When
came back to the world again l was lying in nv
mothers bed In the second story back room of
the dear old house ofthe doctors. must have
fingered long time in that queer and shadowy
land to which had drifted on that last wonderful
day OF my dreary hOuse-hunting. A soft balmy
air hoated In at the top ofthe window that looked
over the old-fashioned garden; the thick knObby
old lilac-tree must have been bursting into bloom,
for the faint sweet fragrance reached me where
lay; the tulip bed must have been one blaze of
color. Ny mother sat In low chair BY nv bed
side with her prayer-book IN her hand But she
looked younger by ten years than when had
seen her last. Poor dear womanl she was re-.
cOnciled to my struggle with life and death, so
long AZ more important matters had been doubt
less comfortably settled. But she was Overioyed
n nd hat I