Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-10-24


and mornings and Saturdays. ;. There
were no more coy evenings now, with
Catharine laughing, singing, and giving
us riddles to guess, as We once had. She
had beautiful voice, as you might know
by looking at those great, expressive eyes
in the portrait there. Her singing had
been one of our greatest pleasures.
"Child as was, | noticed this change
in Catharine and was panied. She didn't
love US as she used to, / thought. One
day Tsad as much to her. She took my
| face between her hands and kissed me-
Can you keep secret?' she said.
"Then she told me- There was prize
offered for the best story, and she was
| trying to win it. She wanted the money
to send Merlin away to the doctor. Pro-
! fessor Jordan had advised, so that he
might have the chance, at least, of being
cured. And l must be her little friend,
she said, and do my best to take her
| place with Merlin and the children, so
that they should not think of her as
neglecting them.
''After that she would read me the
story, few pages at time, as she
wrote it. And when, in my childish
intensity, l would laugh or cry, as the
humor of the story was, her face would
tighten beautifully. and she would be
quite hopeful,
After while the story was finished,
and l took it to the Office for her. Then
came trying time for poor Catharine.
The double work, teaching and writing.
had been great strain, and left her
weak and nervous AS the time drew
near for the decision to be announced
in regard to stories, the suspense became
painful to us both. We used to walk
together in the woods back of the house
"a beautiful place in summer-and talk
about it.
"'Oh, if fall she would say, what
shall / do next2 The Lord will surely
help me. But he can't be expected to
supply the lack of capacity, l suppose
And the smile on her white lips was sad
der than any tears.
Teachers didn't get such large wages
then as they do now. and Catharine
barely made enough to clothe and board
herself and brother So this really
seemed to be her only chance.
''Merlin knew nothing of it. Catha-
rine wouldn't have his hopes excited,
She said, for fear they would not be re
allied But sometimes she would sit
and look at him as cheerful and patient
he wheeled his chair about the porch
with such an agony of suspense in her
face that af1mp would rise in my throat
and l would go away and cry.
Il had begged the privilege of going
to the postotfice for the mail. l wanted
to be the bearer of the news to Catharine
that was either to raise her hopes or des-
troy them \ One day among the letters
was one addressed to Catharine, and I
knew by the postmark that it was the
one. My feet scarcely touched the
ground on the way home. l rushed up
to Catharine's room she nearly always
awaited my return from the office there
and thrust the letter into her hand.
''For few minutes she sat holding
the letter with the seal unbroken. as if
she feared to know her fate. Then, with
fingers that trembled so that she coulo
scarcely control them, she broke the
seal. A bank note fell out upon her lap
She gave one loud, joyful cry, then
tainted dead away
Mrs. Shelton paused in her narrative,
ostensibly to loop back the curtain, but
well, brushed the tears from my own
eyes, and we were both quite composed
when she resumed
''Well, there was quite an exciting
time. Mother came running up wi, b
the camphor bottle, in answer to my dis.
tressed call for help, and the children
formed frightened group outside the
door. When Catharine regained con-
sciousness she looked about for Merlin ;
then, remembering where she was, she
just swept us all aside and was down
stairs and by his chair in moment
Mother kept us all away for long
time; but when | did creep out on the
porch the brother and sister had their
arns about each other. and Catharine's
face shone like al angels
Well, Merlin went away. Catharine
STAYED with Us and taught. She could
nc. give herself the comfort of being
with him,s for fear her money would no,
hold out There was very difficult op-
Grafton TO be performed, and such things
are expensive, as you know. It was
during those days OF suspense that Cath
arines face took on the expression in the
portrait there. The other was taken
since her marriage"