Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-05-23

| Whiteacre children" our dolls as Eff
styled them.
Gradually, muffS and tippets, warm sea,
! let stockings, and tiny articles, were addr
to the outfit and on the day before Chris
mas the whole was placed in two Iars
| boxes, accompanied by Christmas card
and sent by messenger boy to the It'll
| flat on Carson street. The boy had his in
! suuctions, and as soon as he had mad
sure it was the proper place of deposit, b
dropped the boxes and ran.
Things had been going from bad t
worse with the Whitacres, though tn
children had not been allowed to suspect il
Henry Whitacre was still confined to hi
bed the little stock of savings which the
had brought with them to the strange cit
was lessening every day, and the bills 70
coal seemed enormous.
Knowing no one, Mrs Whitacre woul,
have found il difficult to obtain work TO
herself, even if she could have left he
husband, who required almost constan
attention. With matters in this shape ant
bleak winter settling down upon them i
was with a heavy heart that Mrs. Whitacr
opened the door TO the messenger
The boxes were marked plainly enough
- Fanny and Katy Whitacre, Christmas
18S-," and all she could do was to IS k,
them in and open them. The contents
with their unspoken message of comfor
and care, drew from her ewes the tear,
which neither hardship nor her husband.
dependency had forced to flow, and she
laid her head down UPON the boxes anc
had a good cry. There are times when {
sympathetic word, or look, or sign, is tn,
last straw, and this was one of them
After the general delight that followed
the opening of the boxes came q genera
curiosity as to who could have sent them
While they were still discussing this ques
ton, as the children stood arrayed from
head to foot in their new suits, came ring
at the door which was like none ever heard
there before. 1t was the postman, with the
first letter which had come to them since
their removal to the city.
From Jack cried Mrs. Whitacre,
" and it las been whole month finding
US 1t must have been written about the
letter giving our new address. 1t is post
marked Los Angeles" Scarcely had she
glanced at the first few lines than she
turned to her husband with q glad cry
" HI is coming in six weeks, he says-that
is two weeks from noW-oh, and he thinks
he may settle herel Isn't that too good to
be true?" As she turned the page bit OF
paper tlUttered into her lap. check for
fifty dollars ITO buy toys for the babies"
the writer explained. 1t was very evident
that her struggles to get along had never
been mentioned to him in the letters of his
proud sister.
And so it was that on the day after New
Years, while the children were at school,
Jack Midway arrived unexpectedly and took
the house by storm. Hope had revived in
Henry's breast since the Christmas sur
priseS. and he was beginning to sit up and
to look stronger and not quite SO colOrlesS.
As for his wife, she flew to the arms of
Jacks shaggy great-coat, and laughed and
cried, and begged him to take off his over
coat, and chung to him so that he couldn't,
and did and said things that would have
oeen undignified even in Fanny.
After good hour of talk about every
hing that had happened and was going to
happen, the newcomer grew impatient and
anxious for the children 10 come, and
inally proposed going 10 the school and
them.
Where are they? he asked; do YOU
suppose their dragons will let me see
hem -
oh, yes-their teacher IS anything but
lragon, | judge from the way in which
hey speak of her The school building is
N the corner of Berry street and Hing
venue, they tell me. l have never been
0 visit it. though | mean to some day.
}ring them home with YOU, Jack, if YOU
nay
A few moments later Jack Midway, with
puzzled face, was walking up the steps of
iiss Barnard's private school This is
ertainly the right corner" he sal /, but
Ow in the world can they send the chill
rem to a private school in fashionable
uarter like this?'
He had no cards with him, and so simply
ent word that q gentleman would like 10
ee the Whitacre children, if their teacher !
id not object. 1t might be all right, Ellie |
loUght, but there was no telling-she |
-ould do bette to see him herself first |
} without so much as look in the little |
oak GROOM mirror, she went into the re- !
option room. She did not know how !
right the color was i'll her cheeks from !
le recent lesson in calisthtnics, nor how |
with her dark hair and eyes. |
el the Jacqueminot roses which one of |
le children had placed in her button-h hole !
lat morning.
But when he saw her as she came toward
i'm, Jack Midway was ready to say that
ne looked Is young and twice as pretty as
We years ago, on the evening of their
roken engagement. He met her at the
COR, looking down upon her from his six
ct, and, in his shaggy great coat, lilling
p the narrow doorway
Fife is this you?' he cried, holding
It both hands. She was astonished, Of
,urse, but after her first exclamation of
Jack y under her breath, she pat out one
her hands and said, dernurely:
" 1t is really I, Mr.. Midway"
- Don't call me thati' ne protested, i'm
,tuously. Let il be Jack, as it used to
:, Etfie, and let's begin the New Year
5ht / have been sorry 4 thousand times,
I'd if l had known where you were,
ould have told you -. Now, shall we
II it square p he demanded, still holding
II hand.
What could she do but assent to the TO-
antic proposition couched in such I'M
mantle words? 1t is possible that Jack
Juld have forgotten his errand, and Ellie
T young charges. had not Pauline en-
'ed the reception-rcom, not knowing
at II was occupied, and by her completely
nplusSed expression reminded them !
at the affair Was not as clear to others as
themselves.
Then the little Whitacres were brought ]
and kissed and embraced all around in
way that made them go about for the
st Of the day with look that expressed
solution not 10 be smothrred if they
Ild help it.
When Pauline and Fife found them
YES again alone together, the former
d, after q half-hours musing before the '
g: Don't tell me there's no such thing
design in human affairs! Was it ever
ended that / shouldn't take i'll those :
: Dirty little things? p supplied Fife, with
hameleced laugh. Ny dear Pauline, |
ldder to think what narrow escape l
We had And !, who didn't deserve any =
ng, have the reward, while You have
thing 4
l have nothing?' said Miss Barnard.
on are mistaken, Life, have gained
at deal
And so she had
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