The Mineral argus., 1883-08-23

now. There were Maud KS lessons
which alone would bring you in a small
fortune, you said"
"a small fortune2 Yes, but small for
tunes will not last forever" said Cara,
slowly. "How do know that l shall
have any pupils next year? How do l
known
There was a short, sharp, knock at
the studio door and a letter fell trough
the slit, upon the floor. Cara sprang to
pick il up, glanced at the address which
I saw was in a masculine hand, and a
faint flush tinged her pale cheeks, l
turned away to look at a picture, while
she tore open the envelope. When l
turned back the flush had faded, and
left her paler than before, her lips were
~quivering a little, and her eyes had a
dim, hopeless loot which bowed me
sorely.
Dear child, you must come with me.
YOU shall do exactly as you please. You
| shall have a room with a north light and
be alone when you like, and no one
shall ask YOU a questian. We will make
excursions into the country, and you
! shall sketch while l read, and
'fBut Cara stopped me with a motion
of her hand. No, no. she said, Il can
not come. Do not make il hard for me
10 refuse by urging me. l must stay
here-there is no other place for me-
Her tone was decided that / felt il
would be useless 10 urge her further and
sadly and reluctantly I left her. That
night came the news of the severe i'll
ness of your mother, my only sister &C.
companied by an %entreaty that I would
90 to her. or course / went by the first
train next morning, leaving only a note
for Cara, to explain my sudden depart
ure.
at was ting first of August when 1 had
left the city, but September had come
and rell nigh gone before your moth
er's health was sufficiently ~re-establshed
to enable me 10 leave her.
81 saw your friend, Cara Hastings, to-
day, (" said one Of the ia mily, as We
gathered around the table for the first
meal after my return. J am afraid the
ways fragile, but now she is shadowy.
She has a settled cough and q hectic
color. She looked very pretty, but !
should be sorry to see any dear friend
ofmine looking pretty in Just the same
wayl"
II need not say that the next MORN
ing found me on my way to Cara's studio
II was al true. / knew it as 500 as !
looked in her face. She threw herself
into my arms with a little cry ofdelight,
which changed into a spasIn ofcoughing,
and I felt the slight form pant and
culver in my arms.
"Caral dear child, what have you been
doing to yourself" 1 cried in dismay.
Cara smiled her own bright, cheerful
smile.
81 have had a very hard summer"
she said, but l shall soon be strong
AGAIN. Now that it is all over l can tell
you about il, but at one time / really
thought that 1 should nver live to do So
DIT was not a romantic story, for there
was no love in it, and no tragedy, a w
as ] plainly foresaw, looking in my poor
Cara's face.
al suppose l was rather e~xtravagant
in the spring" said Cara, for | need q
good many things, and l knew that the
money Of Maud KS lessons would keep
me ali summer. Maud and her mother
left town rather suddenly in June and /
did not know where they had gone. 1
sent my bill to the house, however, not
doubling that it would be paid at once.
I waited a month, and in the meantime
my funds ran very low, and l found
that the s~trictest economy was necessary.
Do what / would, however, the money
melted away like water and at last in
despair, l resolved TO write to DR.. x.
III was q IaTu lillHE W Wv but NiN ~
merely telling him that / had sent in my
bill to Mrs. X. at such adate and having
heard nothing from her feared that II
had not been forwarded. 1t seemed to
me that life and death hung upon the
answer, get / did not really doubt that
he would send the money at once. His
answer came q day while you we're
with me-"
al remember" / said, briefly.
'There was no money enclosed, as
had expected continued Cara. " mere
!, ly informed me that the bills of Maud's
lessons and schooling we're always set
tied by Mrs. X; that the bill had been
) duly forwarded to her, and that, no
} doubt, she would settle it promptly
|, upon her return in September. And |
had Just sixty cents in the world2"
: my poor Caraf l cried, What did
''Do? What was there to do?" said
Cara. Fortunately my rent was paid
for three months in advance, so that
t was sure of shelter, at least. For the
rest, l lived for a month upon that sixty
cents. OF course l could not afford &c
t buy fuel, so bread and water constituted
: my entire diet. Two rolls a day not very
: satisfactory, but it was all / could afford
Two cents a day will not set a very lux
urious table. Hungry / think / was
not so much hunA-v rs e Tit
: worst OF all was that l could not paint
l had not the strength to stand befort
the easel, and my hand shook so that
could not maEage the brushes, ano
sometimes il really seemed that ny