The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-20
swing. There Il Is all in one note.

little swing. There it is all in one note.
1 shall register it this afternoon"
Five hundred dollarsr' said Miss
Morgan; ''exactly the amount of the
mortgage the Rockwood's house is to
be sold for.'
care they really going to lose their
house?" said the step-mother. "What
thriftlessness. "Well, l shall send the
children little Christmas present all
the same. shall send them five dol
lars, for have a silly way of being
generous to the undeserving."
Miss Morgan bent over her work
"You that have all her fathers for
tune" she thought-''you who came be-
tween parent and child so that he dis
inherited her. o! for shame! for
shamerr
She stitched away, the needle flying
through the velvet. She fitted the
broad shoulders and well-laced waist.
She gathered the lace into graceful
falls, and she thought of Mrs. Rock
wood all the while.
1t was about four o'clock in the after
noon that Mrs. Canine drew her desk
toward her, and took out two sheets of
paper. On one she wrote:
My DARLING SON: Here is your Christmas
box. ] send it with my best love and wishes
YOUR MAMMA.
The other sheet held these words:
MY DEAR GEoRGINA: Enclosed you will
find Christmas gift for the children. Spend
1t carefully. / add this warning because you
ture, you know. Make the best use of it. II
is really quite little sum. when you think OF
it as you should. Afectionately your step
mother. JANE CANINE.
These two notes lay on the table
Upon the first five hundred dollar note
on the last, a humble five dollar bill:
and Mrs. Canine had carefully directed
two envelopes. When opening her pen
knife hurriedly, she cut great cash
across her thumb.
''Come and help me, Miss Morgan"
she said. please put those notes into
the envelopes with the money. Thai
for Louis must be sent tonight. / car
register them as l come from the doc,
tors; for the thumb must be seen to.
hate scars on my hands"
Miss Morgan ran to the desk, bent
over it, and in a moment had sealed
the notes.
Then the lady, slipping them into hel
pocket, hurried to the doctors, and
was just in time to register her letters
at the station on the way home.
A few days after Mrs. Canine was in
receipt of two notes, one from her son.
which ran thus:
DEAR MAMMA: Unless you have the queer
est possible IDEA of my wants you must have
made mistake. Did you send me five dol
lars! Yours, in astonishment,
LOUIS CANLINE
The other began:
DEAR KIND MAMMA: What a load you have
taken off my heart That five hundred dol
lars has saved our home, and poor Edwards
reason. believe. Five hundred thousand
never did more good. Your ever grateful
step-daughter. GEORGINA ROSEWOOD.
Mrs. Canine, having read these let
tiers, sat for while like one petrified.
She saw that the money she intended
for Louis must have gone to Georgina,
and Gtce rerSG, but it was too late to
help it now. She supposed that the
pain of her wounded finger had made
her stupid. 1t was done as we do most
stupid things-in a hurry. Of course
she should send five other hundreds to
Louis. As for Georgina, she could not
De maze TO give up her prize at this
date. And Mrs, Canine resolved to
play the generous and affectionate par
ent.
She went about week or so Boosting
that she had paid off the mortgage on
poor Georgina's house; and as Georg-
ina was too grateful to hide the fact,
Mrs. Canine gained good deal OF
credit for kind feeling to her step
daughter amongst their mutual friends.
Many people were surprised; none
more SO than little Miss Morgan.
81 am so glad" she otter said to her
Il did feel so guilty. !
really thought 1 changed the money in
those envelopes. l wanted to do it So
| rejoice that Mrs Canine did it her
self. l do feel gratified she did,
Mary Kyle Dallas.