The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-03-28

tnE HSW~tuOOu SuapC, AnA 8H1 N1S04E 44t&A8 self expanding with indignation. The poor creatures face and lips had turned whitel than her own ilies and it seemed as if all the starch had come out of the lavender print. After an instant of ter- rife pause on either side she managed to take faltering step forward, and stam- mered, holding out the heavy basket with one of her small, shaking hands by way of opening the conversation:
 ~I-I-have brought you some. flowers"
 It is probable that in the whole course of his long life Professor Nabs lad never been so much surprised. That any hu- man being should be 90 incomprehensi- bly, extraordinary as to offer . basket of Iilacs and lilies of the valley to a man whose four acres of garden were literally teeming with them was in itself sufi- ciently astounding, and, of course, the way and manner of the offering was c hundredfold more SO. There was . pause of one other instant, during which the basket continued to shiver in the out stretched hand of Miss Linn; then, very suddenly, the new-moon mouth came down with jerk, and Professor Nabs sd- vanced, and took it into his own.
 "Oh," said he, "thank you. My glasses have just gone down to be washed, but dare say they'll come up by-and-by. Sit down."
 She did so, upon the very edge of a wickerwork chair, and there ensued an- other awkward pause. Then Professor Nabs made grab at the music on the floor and settled 1t once E.ore upon the piano.
 "I was just going to sing something when you came in," said he; land if you don't mind, I'll just still do so."
 Thank you," replied the flower mis- ;ionary; so with a tremendous shou, and bang, Professor Nabs struck the first chords of Bonnie Dundee" and thundered on through all the three verses
 "Ah,' said he, "I like that tune. It's nice and loud. don't like many Scotch tunes, but like that one.'
 q like loud tunes, too," faltered Miss Linn, have a set of Bonnie Dundee marked F. F. all through; but 1 can never get it loud enough"
 "F F. all through" exclaimed Profes- sor Nabs, with interest. "Most extraor- dinary that should never have come across it. It is pity you can never ge, it loud enough" continued he, "but-I think might manage it."
 "l dare say," replied Miss Linn; and added with a great blush, "There are some nice hymns at the end of the same book"
 "O-h, indeed " said he, opening his eyes slightly. "Well, you might lend me that book, and if the hymns are F. F. too, perhaps I'll have to bang at them also. Pray, are you the young lady who hangs about my house and leaves tracts at the door?"
 "N-no," faltered Miss Linn.
 "Oh, you're Sof," said Professor Nabs running his hands up and down the piano and covering her with piercing Hash of his raven eyes. Then who are you ?"
 She twisted and untwisted. her hands, and grew as white as her lilies again. ''l Il am Miss Isabella Linn, flower mis- sionary to the incurables"
 "What incurables?" asked Professor Nabs. with sudden interest.
 Now, it IS a trait of character common to all poor creatures, that if they have a hobby, they are sure to be able to talk aboutit. Therefore as Miss Llnn's hobby was undenisbly the incsrsbles, the very mention of their name made, as it were, another woman of her, and she at once began with comparative ease.
 go to the incurables every week. There are thirty of them-fourteen men and sixteen women. Oaly seven out of the thirty are able to go to church. There is one old gardeners wife who has been there for forty-two years, and all that time has never seen tree. There is an old man, who used to play a barrel-or- gan m the street twenty years ago, but he ieii down gas-hole in the dark at the time of the prince of Wales marriage, and he has never been out of bed since. The matron says he still wanders in his sleep about barrel organs, although he has never again heard she sound of one
 Mercy on mel" faltered Professor Nabs. And haven't they piano2"
 "Oh no, indeed" replied Miss Linn glibly, and even if they had. l dont think there is any one who could play 1t to them. There IS tannery on one side, and Salvation Army hall the other
 "That ought to be lively, now," inter. posed the Professor.
 They don't seem to like it," answered she, little dubiously. |" Perhaps the meetings arc not very musical" And noticing, poor creature as she was, tha, Professor Nabs' raven eyes had suddenly begun to sparkle through a mist of dim ness, she added gently: Parhaps you would rather l didn't talk any more about the incurables."
 He raised himself with a brisk move ment and thundered the scale of ( from end to end of his piano. "My dear, ,' said he, little indistinctly on account oi the noise, my mother was an incurable. ."
 "l am exceedingly interested about the barrel l-organ man, he resumed, after a minute. "Why in the world didn', they provide him with a barrel organ Why in the world don't they provide them all with piano2"
 [" have told you that, even if they had . one" replied Miss Linn, ~I don't think therN is nnvh<<2v vhn ~ov,ld h~ ahl> s..