Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1886-04-10

A GOOD INVESTMENT

A GOOD INVESTMENT
A nondescript red brick, wit
dingy windows and a brown wood
en- porcll-thaG was the sort Q
house the Darrells lived in, an,
meant to die in, Berta used to say
sometimes rebelliously, but Away
hopelcssly, until thatstartling ever
ing when Miss Matilda came HON;
in a state of emotional chaos ant
threw herself on the lounge.
Berta was knitting all amazing
stitch before a dyspeptic little CRATE
with her feet crossed scissors fash
ion Oh the fender.
"Lost your Officer" calculated
that young person, when she ha(
pieced together the bits Of brokei
Sobs that fell from her sisters lipi
like the toadS in the fairy tale. "Dt
give me that paper and let me see
what it MEANS"
''It Observation-Disclosures wo!'
walled out the disconsolate Matilda
from the sofa.
1t certainly did, as far as the six
lines of official literature went; but
youth is so inSolcnt in it's hopeful
ness, that when tile Youngest Miss
Darrell had buried the letter under
the Goals with a vicious little dig
her spirits mounted with the blaze
ooh, Teddy, dear, don't go on
like that; just think, there's enough
money in the tin bank to put a sill:
months salary, with our bills paid
in ADVANCE
'.Seventy-five dollars~ shifted
Miss Darrell.
ait is that much better than
nothing,n observed Berta, with a
philosophical nod at the crumpled-
up figure, and another nod a con-
fdeutial one-at the fire. ~ be-
lieve | could smuggle US out of our
troubles if you would only trust the
money to me-"
"Likelyw retorted Miss Darrell,
with a tear clicked sob of contempt
~ would soon trust a baby with
matches.n
"That's what 1 call burning
shame; but even allowing | wasted
the money, we would at least in
dulge in IL new set of woes. There's
nothing like variety in ones mise
ries, Matilda; and if you only would
trust me, I would buy two tickets
right away"
Miss Darrell permitted the fee
bic freight to flicker for a momen
across her small, wet face, rs she
lifted it from the arm of the sofa
"Tickets for what9 Tickets fol
whereof
"Anywhere," answered Berta
with a generous circle of her BROW
hands in the air. "For the west,
guess, if the money would take u
that far"
"Did [ ever"
"No, Matilda: you never! If yol
had ever done anything else bu
plod right on in that old rut of al
office, you wouldn't be crying be
cause you are out of your rut to
day. Serves you just right for no
marrying Jack Oh, you needn'
moan or wriggle like that, Tedd,
dear; it's true, every word, and yo1
know itW
Miss Darrell raised her heat
again, and this time her face wa
flushed a dark, tempestuous red
and it wasn't fire light either.
"True or not, you are not the on
TO reproach! If have kept OF
plodding i'll my 'rut,' it was onl,
because you had to be raised ant
cared for; and now that 1 am veal
and unnervcd from my-my trou
BILE. You can sit there and taunt MI
with your ownsuperior intelligence
Wait until you have done some
thing to prove it before you begil
to brag. Oh, my head! my head!
and down it went again among th
cushions.
"You don't consider my head
nor my heart, either, to 60 on il
that unfceling fashion. Yes, it j
unfecling in yor, Matilda, wher
you know how it hurts me to Sc
you suffer so for nothing"
"Nothing7 Good Lordp
"I suppose" and with statistics
cheerfulness the girl set herse
bolt uprightand proceeded to chez
off undeniahle facts on her finger
81 suppose the half the worl
would change places with you an
me tonight. just think of th
streets lined with beggars; the ho'
pitfalls cram-full of suffering peopl,
the insane ;.sy lumns and prisons
and
"And then look at us. Two ",
men not over strong, with only on
months wages between them an
t1.o ,.troot. flo N ,,froct Il. M, II