Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-02

/ and there was long rent in the skirt She
came tlmidlv into the room and laid n
| large white envelope down on the table.
d" Ii : iur YOU. She said quickly turning
away. Il heard YOU tellin Mrs. Spralt
/ twas your birthday
Then the door closed upon Little Nan
! Miss Morrin laid down Emerson and
! took up the attractive white envelope 1t
| contained birthday card. very pretty
| card On one side were IA landscape and
! a solitary bird n the branch of a tree.
| and on the other were printed the follow
! ing verses.
T ere'> z. Dom without,
But there's cheer within,
RrliCkng shout
And rafting din.
They kiss. good luck!
With rare good will!
Each lucky Jack!
Has darling Jill.
It. trife hard.
As think you'll Seel.
On a loI ely >Carrd
Old b ri like me.
a lonely. scarrd old bird like mc?"
repeated Miss Morrin to herself Yes.
am getting 10 he au old bird am 81 to-
day and James is ~ We are both grow
ing old and are no nearer being married
than We were ten Years ago. Twenty
five is rather late in life to enter upon a
long engagement But | would rather
wait for Jarle> than marry IA millionaire
ear James, He thinks II is his duty To-
STAY in Maine and preach To those poor,
uneducated people when he might be pas
tor Of a rlrh church with a salary large
enough 10 support u all of course il is
his nrst ,iuty to care for his mother and
sister. Unfortunately. am poor
TOO wish had few hundred
dollars to buy q claim or grub stake
scme poor pruspeCtor If was a
maI | would take a pick and 90 up un
the mountains and dig but being a wo
man all ! can do i to wait ! wonder
what made that child give me this card
never spoke to her until this morning
They say she dances at the theatre. and
with a shudder at the thought Miss Nor
rn went on reading mer>on.
Downstairs in the o!iCe Of the Grand
hotel Old Billy was smoking h : pipe. lie
wore long boots that came tn his knees
corduroy pants, and a flannel shirt His
broad hrimmcd felt hat was tippc,! over
his eyes. lie had tilted his arm chair
against the wall and thrust his hands into
his pockets
Its her birthday. and | give her
card. Little Nan MAS saving. she .aid
good mornin when We met on the stairs
llain't she sweet? let Your life, 1t was
tree and tn, bird was sayin po try. 1t
said somethin bout ben a s.arr d old
bird
By ginger" exclaimed Billy. you've
went and done il this time Tnen he
chuckled Didn't you know she was all
old maid-a regular l ankec schoolma am?
Why didn't you pick out nice piece
bout young love and forget me dont'>,
and all that kind o thing.
1t was a mighty pretty card and dirt
cheap answered Little Nan disconso
lately. She wouldn't think | was pOkin
fun at her, would she, looking up anX-
iously.
~Ieckon not. said old Billy. you
wouldn lind it out if she did. She's an
up and down lady. This ere camps no
place for her There haint another one
OF her kind 10 keep her company. Ought
10 send fur her sister. OF cousin, or some
thin. Don't see what brung her way out
here to keep school
Little Nan "a, ed in the fire with her
large blue eyes
"ohe hahn like us, she said slowly.
-She hahn a bit like us
The school children were troublesome
the next DAY. Miss Morrin tried coaxiug.
then scolding. and finally was strongly
tempted to resort to corporal luniSh
ment But she was slight AID frail. and
there Were some large boys in the school
On her way home at noon she decided she
was still far from being nj for ministers
wife There were letters from Maine
II =
last-she was So and there had been
church soCiable. Sister Alary had saved
enough egg money TO buy herself black
cashmere dress -hc thought OF having
il made with a killed skirt and polonai,e
1t was long time since Mary had bought
a new dress, Miss NORM remembered
Just then a woman clad In velvet and
scalskin passed the Grand Six months
before. this same robus female had been
glad to wash anncl shirts for the miners
Her old man bad 5ust struck it rich
And d WI in Maine Sister Mary was sell
ing eggs, and boarding up every nickel
in order to buy herself a plain cashmere
dress
Please ma am. interrupted Little
Nan, having knocked again AT Miss Nor
rims door Will you come aud look al
old Billy! He's ralkin to himself and hi>
face is red as the dcu e.
The what" said Miss Morrin some
what shocked.
said his face was red repeated Little
Nan, innOCentIy.
Miss Morrin silently followed Nan
across the hall to "a small room plainly
furnished. Old Billy lay quietly on the
bed, patchwork quilt over him. and his |
head Oh dirty pillow. lac looked up a.
they entered.
Good mOrnin', he said with an effort
Its so dark | can't see you.
IN raise the blind said Miss Morrn.
Then pass murmurcd old Billy. /
lie thinks hes playin poker. cX- g
planned Little Nan. in a whisper lie .
don't know what he's >avin. Would YOU
mind sittin with him while ] git the .
doctor"
As she left the room old Billy put his .
hand on Miss Murrins arm For IA mo
meut he was quite himself
Please git me "A Iencil and bit of
paper. he said eagerly. Quick"
Silently Miss MorrIn rose and crossed
the hall TO her room When she returned
she handed a sheet OF tinted note paper
and long Fabcr pencil to the sick man
With an effort Old Billy raised his head
and Miss Murrin piled up the dirty pillows
behind him He wrote few lines fcebly
then the pencil dropped from his hand
lie thrust the bit Of paper under The pile
Of pillows and drew the patchwork quilt
well around his shoulders. Still he
shivered slightly. III so cold and
tired. he murmured Then a sweet
peace seemed tC steal over his face. His
eyes closed and he fell gently asleep But
he never woke again in this world
The day Of the funeral Little Nan came
10 Miss Morrin room with basket of
bright flowers on her arm -
Will You please help me TO fix the
flowers" she asked. while the tears came
o her eyes. Il want to make wreath
or old Billy
sit down. said Miss Morrin, kindly.
md drew rocking chair toward the fire.
Then she turned to her trunk. and. after
Ome search came back to her visitor
With roll of fine wire in her hand Ten
ierly she lifted the flowers There were
ed roses and pink and scarlet geraniums,
mi few sprigs of green
"Old billy liked bright flowers. said