Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-06-05
week and bay enough to cat. Her

-
mother was sick now-in consumption,
il was thought. Jenny did not realize
it. She was not confined to her bed.
Jenny came down and knocked at
Nancy's door the next morning. She
had fifty cents in her hand with which
to pay the rent. She always paid it
punctually on Saturday morning.
Nancy cast a glance at the money.
CLOVIS your mother?" she asked. 81
heerd her coughin' a good deal last
night"
going for the doctor. This is the
money for the rent"
"Let 1t 60"
"Why, | owe it. I can pay 1t just
Is we'll now as any time"
81 don't want it any time. I don't
want any pay for this week. I don't
need it. I've got enough"
Jenny's face was crimson. "Thank
YOU, but I'd rather pay what I owe,
Miss Pingree."
Il sha'n't take it,"
The two poor, proud souls stood
confronting each other. Then Jenny
laid the fifty cents on the window-seat.
''You can do just what you've a mind
to with it," said she. IL certainly
sha'n't take it back.' Then she went
out OF the room quickly.
Strange how She got the idea I was
SO awful poor!' said Nancy. staring at
the money resentfully. 81 won't fetch
it, anyway. She'll Q it layin' there
next time she come in"
The next time poor Jenny came in, it
was indeed still lying there on the win
dow-seat, a scanty pile of wealth in
live and ten cent pieces and coppers.
But Jenny never noticed it; she had
something else to think of then. It
was very early the next morning, but
Miss P;ngree was up, kindling the fire
in her sitting-room stove. Jenny ran
right in without knocking; she had a
shawl over her head. s'Oh, Miss Pin
gree" she cried, cant you 90 up
stairs to mother while 1 run for the
doctor?!"
Nancy dropped the tongs, and stood
up. ''Is she-'' she began. But Jen-
ny was gone. When the doctor came
there was no need for him. Jenny's
mother was dead. All that was re-
CURED now was the aid of some of the
friendly, capable women neighbors.
Nancy went for them. and they came
promptly, Mrs. Holmes and two
Others.
When they had done ali that was
necessary they went home. Shortly
afterward Jenny came into Nancy's
room; she had on her shawl and hood.
She had been very calm through it. all.
but her pretty facehad a fierce, strained
look.
''Miss Pingree," she said, abruptly,
''who are the selectmen?"
"Why, Deacon Holmes is one. What
do you want to know for?"
GIVE got to go to them. The town
will have to bury mother"
"Oh!" cried Nancy, with two sharp
notes. one of pity, one of horror.
Suddenly at that Jcnny's forced COM
'posure gave way; she sank helplessly
into a chair, and began to half sob.
half shrek. "Oh, mother! mother!
mother! poor mother! To think it has
come to this! To think you must be
buried by the town. What would you
have said? It's the worst of all. Poor
mother! poor mother! oh, poor
mother!'
Haven't you got any money!"
"No. Oh, mother!"
can there amt any of your folks
that could help you?"
eve didn't have any folks"
Then she kept on with her cries and
means. Nancy stood motionless.
There is no knowing what a clash of
spiritual armies with trumpets and
banners there was in her brave old
heart; but not q line of her face moved;
she hardly breathed.
'Wait a minute. Jenny"
Nancy went into her bedroom and
unlocked the lowest drawer in the
bureau. She took out all of her little
hoard of money except a few cents.
She Iimped majestically across the sit
ting-room to Jenny.
"Here, child; there amt any need of
your goin' to the town. I've got some
money here that Lean let you have jest
as well as not"
''Miss Pingree !"
sHere."
ooh, what do you mean? How can
I take it? What will you do?"
81 shall do well enough. This amt
all; T've-got some more"
Wucu all VI Jenny > piOuu ScIuplcS
which this terrible emergency had left
her had been subdued, and she had
gone, Nancy took up the fifty cents on
the window-seat.
.:Guess she's took this now, an more
too," said she, with an odd tone of sat-
isfaction. Even now, in her splendid
self-sacrifice. there was a little leaven
of pride. There was no mistaking the
fact that it gave her some comfort in
this harsh charity, which was almost
like giving a piece of her own heart.
She inspected the neat appointments Of
poor Mrs. Stevens funeral with feel
ings not wholly of grief at her own de-
privation of similar honors, O yet of
honest benevolence. There was a grand
though half-smothered consciousness
of her own giving in her heart. She
felt for herself the respect which she
would have felt for an old Plngree in
his palm;est days.
AS time went On she lost this, how
ever; then the humillating conscious
ness of her own condition came upper
most. She dreaded to tell Mrs. Holmes
Of the change in her resources, and
now no vanity over her own benevolence
rendered the task easier. She simply