Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-03

knows!
There WIS a short, sharp knock at
the studio door and letter fell through
the slit, upon the floor. Cara sprang
20 pick il up, glanced at the address,
which ] saw was in n masculine hand,
and faint flush tinged her pale checks.
/ turned away to look at picture. while
she tore open the envelope. When
turned back the flush had faded, and
left her paler than before, her lips
were quiveringa little, and her eyes had
n dim, hopeless look, which moved me
sorely.
"'Cara. you are MOI well, cried.
Dear child. you must come with me.
You. shall do exactly rs YOU please.
You shall have room with a north
light and be alone wher you like. and
no one shall ask you n question. We
will make excursions into the country,
and you shall sketch while read,
and -
But Cara stopped me with n mo-
ton Of her hand. NO. no. she said,
i can not come. Do not make il hard
er for me TO refuse by urging me. /
must stay here-there IS no other place
for me-.
"Hcr tone was so decided that felt
IL would be useless to urge her further,
and sadly and reluctantly l left her.
That night came the news of the severe
illness of your mother, my only sister.
accompanied by an entreaty that
would go To- her. OF course I went by
the first train next morning. leaving only
note Tor Cara to explain my sudden
departure.
." II was the first Of August when
had left the city, but September had
come and wcll-nigh gone before your
mothers health was sufficiently estab-
hshcd to enable me To leave her.
40 saw your friend Cara Hastings
to-day said one Of the family, as we
gathered around the table for the first
meal after my return. i am afraid
the poor girl j. in bad way. She was
always fragile. but now she is shadowy.
She has n settled cough and n hectic
color. She looked very pretty. but |
should he soTy to see any dear friend
of m n" looking pretty in just the same
way"
! need not say that the next morn
ing found me on my way to Cara $
studio. 10 was all true. / knew it
- soon ! looked in her face She
threw herself into my arms with n
little cry Of delight, which changed
into u spasm of coughing, and / felt
the slight form pant and quiver in my
arms.
"'Cara! dear child, what have YOU
been doing to yourself?' cried in dis
may.
Cara smiled her own bright, cheer
ful smile.
80 have had very hard summer
she said, but / shall soon be strong
again. Now that it is all over can
tell YOU about it. but mt one time l real
ly though that l should never live to do
So
''lt was not romantic story, for
there was no love in it, and no tragedy,
save rs plainly foresaw, looking in my
poor Cara face.
81 suppose l was rather extrava-
giant in the spring, said Cara, for
needed good many things. and knew
that the money for Maud KS lessons
would keep me all summer. Maud and
her mother left town rather suddenly in
June, and i did not know where they
had gone. | sent my bill TO the house,
however, not doubling that it would be
paid ut once. waited n month, and in
the meantime my funds ran very low,
and found that the strictcst economy
was necessary. Do what would, how
ever, the money melted away 1ike
water, and ut last. in despair, resolved
to write To DR. Y. 1t was a hard thing
To do, but did it. merely telling him
that | had sent in my bill To Mrs. Y. at
such date. and having heard nothing
from her. feared that il had not been
forwarded. IL seemed 10 me that life
and death hung upon the answer. vet
did not really doubt that he would send
the money at once. His answer came
one day while You were with me-
g. remember / said. briefly.
There was no money incloscd, as
had expected continued Cara. He
merely informed me that the bills for
Maud's lessons and schooling were al
ways settled by Mrs. X; that the bill
had been duly forwarded To her, and
that, no doubt. she would settle IL
promptly upon her return i'm Septem-
Der. And | had just sixty cents in the
worldr
MY poor Cara 1 cried. What
did YOU do?'
Do? What was there To do?' said
Cara. Fortunately, my rent was paid
Tor three months i'm advance. so that I
was sure OF shelter, ut least. For the
rest, / lived for n month upon that sixty
cents. OF course / could not afford To
buy fuel. so bread and water consti-
tuted my entire diet. Two rolls a day
are not very satisfactory, but il was all
/ cOuld afford. Two cents n day will
not set luxurious table. Hungry? I
think i was not so much hungry as
weak. The worst of all was that I
could not paint. | had not the strength
tO stand before the easel, and nv hand
shook so that | could not manage the
brushes, and. sometimes, IL really
seemed that my mind wandered. Dear.
You must not feel 81 badly about it. 1t
is all over now
For i was crying silently at the
thought of all that she had suffered
through that horrible summer, and still
more ut the thought that It was not all
over. that, alas! il had just begun.
''Oh, Cara, why would YOU not come
to me when / begged your / sobbed at
last.
Dear, l could not, said Cara.
gently. Il should have felt like a beg
gar. could not tell you Of my straits.
and / could not go and live upon YOU.
knowing that | was actually pauper.
/ should have felt ashamed even before
your servants. IL you will ask me for
n visit now that j have money enough
to make me independent. will come;
hut at that time could mott tried.
but, indeed, could not
ASK her? of course / asked her,
knowing well that it was the last thing
l should ever do for her That months
starvation had done its work, and the
weakened system fell an easy victim to
the hereditary foe, which might else
have been bafiled. When Cara left our
house, at last, 1t was with hands meekly
folded upon her breast, with the sight
less eyes yelled by their long, dark
lashes, and the smile of the triumphant
redeemed upon her pallid lips