The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-31
A GOOD INVESTMENT.

Inat was the SORT OF mouse the DarrellS
lived in, and meant to die in, Berta used
to say, sometimes rebelliously, but always
hopeessly, until that startling evening
when Miss Matilda came home in state
of emotional chaos and threw herself on
the elounge.
Berta was knitting an amazing stitch
before a dySpeptic little CRATE. with her
feet crossed scissors fashion on the fender.
''Lost your Office p calculated that
young person, when she had pieced to-
gether the bits of broken sobs that fell
from her sisters lips like the toads in
the fairy tale. ''Do give me that paper
and let me see what it means
"It --starvation-for two :"
walled out the disconsolate Matilda from
tie sofa.
1t certainly did, as far as the six lines
of official literature went; but youth is
so insolcnt in its hopefulness, that when
the youngest Miss Darrell had buried
the letter under the Goals with vicious
little dig her spirits mounted with the
blaze
'Oh, Teddy, dear, don't 90 on like
that; just think, there's enough money
in the tin bank to put silver streak in
Our cloud. and a whole months salary,
with our bills paid in advance"
''Seventy- five dollars" shifted Miss
Darrell.
';It is that mach better than nothing"
observed Berta, with philosophical nod
at the crumpled-up figure, and another
nod-a confidential one-at the fire. 81
believe I could smuggle us out of our
tro lbles if you would only trust the
money to me-"
''Likelyw rctortcd Miss Darrell, with
tear.choked sob of contempt. II
would as soon trust a baby with
matches"
''That's what call burning shame;
but even allowing I wasted the money,
we would at least indulge in new set of
woes. There's nothing like variety in
ones miseries, Matilda; and if you only
would trust me, would buy two tickets
right away"
Miss Darrell permitted the feeble fire.
light to flicker for moment across her
small, wet face, as she lifted it from the
arm of the sofa.
"Tickets for what2 Tickets for
where9"
"Auywhere," answered Berta, with a
generous circle of her brown hands in the
air. "For the West, I guess, if the
money would take us that far"
"Did I ever"
'No, Matilda, you never! If you had
ever done anything else but plod right
on in that old rut of an Office, you
wouldn't be crying because you are out of
your rut to-day. Serves you just right
for not marrying Jack Oh, you needn't
moan or wriggle like that, Teddy dear;
it's true, every word, and you know itr'
Miss Darrell raised her head again, and
this time her face was flushed dark,
tempestuous red, and it wasn't freight
either.
'"True or not, you are not the one to
reproach! If I have kept on plodding in
my Tut, it was only because you had to
be raised and cared for; and now that I
am weak and unnerved from my-my
trouble, you can sit there and taunt me
with your own superior intelligence. Wait
until you have done something to prove
it before you begin to brag. Oh, my
head my headn' and down it went again
among the cushions.
"You don't consider my head, nor my
heart, either, to go on in that unfeeling
fashion. Yes, it is unfeeling in you, Ma
tilda, when you know how it hurts me to
see you suffer so for nothing"
''Nothing? Good Lordm
II suppose" and with statistical
cheerfulness the girl set herself bolt up
right and proceed to check off undeniable
facts on her fingers-'I suppose the
half the world would change places with
you and me tonight. Just think of the
streets lined with beggars; the hospitals
cram-full of suffering people; the insane
asylums and prisons, and"
''And then look at u.s. Two women
not over strong, with only one months
wages between them and the street; the
contrast is really dazzlingw
She willfully ignored the small bank
behind the Swiss clock; but Berta, wise
from experience, suffered the omission in
silence. It was so like her small, nerv-
ous-tempered sister to struggle on and
on like Spartan, and then stumble at last
in the slough of dependency with a
helpless splash, that she crept over to
the sofa, and proceeded to administer on
the half-exposed cheek series of those
carressing little dabs that 60 such long
way toward soothing woman's deepest
woe.
When the storm of tears had lulled into
irregular and rather childish
sobs, Berta with her cheeks flushed and
her voice quiverlng with eagerness, be-
gan:
"Oh, Matilda, do let us go! If we
were among strangers we could be no
worse off than we are here. If we were
starving tomorrow, do you know a soul
we could 60 to for penny? don't.
And I am so dead tired of this one room,
and old Mrs. Beel's weak tea, and that
Tommy folsom incoming at us from
his side of the table,"
But where could we go9 and what
could we do when we got there?"
"Anything--anything! Teach, sew"
Miss Matilda wriggled convulseively
from head to foot.
"And, if necessary scrub"
Miss Matilda screamed.
Berta laughed out in fashion slightly
boyish, but wholly delightful, because
she enjoyed it to the last echo, and
sprang to her feet with a suddenness cal
culatcd at the very least to drive Miss
Matilda wild.
''IfT arrange everything everything"
she cried, breathlessly, twill you let me
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