The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-01-06
BY HER OWN FAULT.

Miss Dillingham; was dead and Miss
Curtis was in tears. She sat up IN hei
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.
'.She died SO suddenly, too thought
The hapless spinstcr, that she made nc
provision for me. know she would
have left me something, and how thank
sul should be for even y triilc year.
Here I've had everything, and I'm just
east on the world as helpless as n baby.
"For years rve just made her caps.
sndccad aloud to her, and walked out
yith %er, and driven out with her, and
pouret.the tea, and made the buildings,
and beeS like her daughter; and how
often she\as said; Theresa, I'll not
forget YOU She knew what it was to
be single herself, but we neither OF us
counted on apoplexy. | fear she took
300 much old port and lived too high. |
lear she did-poor thing! was so fond
II 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 tho
china, and the ornaments! That nice
cabinet! declare, when | think OF that
pretty hanging cabinet! She'd have given
it to me- Why, she meant to give mea
legacy. Why, if could ask her now,
she'd say, Take it, Theresa. can hear
her good old voice. She'll have that
100, for the lawyer said, If no will was
found, her next of kin would have ev-
erything.' declare said Miss Theresa
Curtis, wiping her tears away, 81 mean
TO have that cabinet rII get it and it
will Just go into one of my trunks. Miss
Dillingham; would say was right, and
XII do il"
Miss Curtis having said this, arose
and crcpt 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 4 feeling
shat some one might be at her heels
ready to call stop thefr'
To be sure, she knew well enough
shat 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 distastcfully as "that Sally
Spear"
But all the same, that silent creeping
over the stairs, past the door where the
watchers sat togetherthat moment when
she laid the cabinet in her trunk and
covered it with folded garments. gave
Miss Theresa Curtis sense of having
been thief. She never forgot the ac-
zion, or ceased to feel ashamed Of it.
Time s,alked away, using his scythe
~ usual. The funeral was over. Search
was made for the will. Mrs. Spear was
declared hciress to all, and Miss Curtis,
who still occupied the house, was noti-
fed to leave.
Fat Mrs. Spear waddled about the
house and talked of the changes she
you'd make; and Theresa Curtis sought
acabman to convey her trunks to a
cheap boarding-house
She was fivc-and-.orty, and had lived
with Miss Dillingham; for fifteen years.
Her wages rs 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
anfulfilled. And sometimes rs she trot-
ted about answering advertisements and
failing to please, it occurred to her that
when they met in heaven they would
have great deal to talk over.
II know she's sorry she didn't make
swill." thought poor Theresa, land Il
shall tell her Just how Sally Spear took
on herself. I'm sure she'll be glad l hid
khe cabinet"
And yet the deed troubled her.
At last Theresa found situation rs
nursery governess. They were five
children to teach dress. and walk out
with. They had been used to cherry
checked, light-handed girl, and leased
the serious mdde-aged woman all day
kong. Still she bore it, until Mt 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 a
companion, but, alas! someone unlike
good Miss Dillingham-a fashionable
old lady who desired to have her hair
dressed in the latest style, and to have
her lap-dog cured and combed; who
vent TO balls presumably to chaperon
her granddaughters, and returned in
the early morning expecting to find her
companion" wide awake.
Dress-making, embroidery, and lace
making were required; reading until
say hour OF the night when the old lady
By chance retired early. And all ended
IN an ignominous reproof and dismissal
After this q school received Miss The
resa in its bosom.
She endeayored TO teach the English
branches, and received no salary. FL
asily. sheriff appeared on the scene,
ard the poor lady fed before him with
her trunks; and so from year to year IL
lDck pursued her. until, in the end. it
occurred to her to ''go out nursing"
HAVING kind heart and light step,