Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-10

vague treInor now and then OF Louie's in relation
to her nobody there thought anything more OF
| kirke Outerbridge or of his sister. The interest
| of Mrs. Flossy Vennings next story superseded
| that in their minds; and at last she and her
other characteristics had taken her place; and
| Mrs: Louie was busy with her pleasant house
Laura with the poor, in whose sorrows she lost
| her own-if IT, really were a sorrow TO love and
be beloved, although unknown to any. And SO
summer wore into autumn. aud the autumn
| into winter, as cold and wild winter as ever
made the coming spring seem an impossibility
and q miracle.
side home was the small city house In the dark,
| noisy street, where the young girls kept the
| basement and one foor and rented the rest 10
| dodgers.
That one floor they had certainly made
| that had once surrounded them-some beautiful
| family portraits of clustered children, some old
draperies whose very tarnish was a charm,
| BOOKS, screens, bits OF china, nothing, indeed.
| new, but everything suggestive of quiet beauty
and of real comfort, although within close and
| somewhat narrow bounds. "If any one had
told that we girls could have been SO con-
| tented on one floor, with screens and sOfa-bed-
steads, and dear brother In just hall chamber,
we never should have believed it," Anna, one
| of the girls, was saying to an intimate, in that
coy twilight time which tempts to open ex-
/ preston.
well, we shouldn't have been, If he hadn't
such an inventive mind; we owe the whole of
| this pretty comfort to him." said Kate. 1--WE
should have sold everything at once and have
/ trusted To luck for mean new thingS-just fancy
or cheap furnished rooms. But he said they
would never bring fraction of their worth to
| us, and no matter what happened, we should
| not be stripped of the things that had always
been about us, and that makes even this place
| seem like home. There never was such a
! brotheri How much he has been to us ever
| since father died and left things confused
| though brother says If he had lived everything
| would have worked out well; but one misfor-
tune has followed on another ever since, and
| I'm sure nobody else in kirke's health would
nave had the courage to do all that he has done.
| He has so many ideas, too. Do you know,
he took Helena's old diamond necklaces, ii
| was Observation-Disclosures, and in great heavy
silver settings; she never could have worn
IL, Helena couldn't, and we don't go any
where now where any of us could wear dia-
monds; and he raised enough money on it to
buy this house-he wouldn't positively sell it,
because he says ii his schemes work right hell
gilt from our great grandmother, and says how
happy 1t would make her to know she was pro-
vidins home for US now; but We call 1t Il gift
for a month at the seaside, and when came
back he brought US here and here were all our
pet things; everything moved, every thing done,
every room in the house rented to respectable
people, so that We are sure of a living, he says,
let what will come to him. Oh, we shouldn't
care any thing about living ii anything i'll
came TO him!'
And he took the little hall chamber him.
self, said Helena, land insists upon paying US
rent for that. He Is such an amusing boy! He
says II is probably the best thing in the world
for MIN, though not for Us, that fathers estate
turned out as 1T did, Tor while father gave him
plenty OF money and he had no responsibility,
he went about leading gay, careless LIE that
might have degenerated into something worse,
If he hadn't been brought up with "a round
turn; and that having to be ont in the world,
and dealing with rich and gay people, 1t is for
tunate he has such sense OF responsibility as
If their wines and cards and horses and all that
ever tempted him the thought OF ON his
hands would be and has been his saving grace.
Isn't that beautiful for him to Say when we 1elt
we We're really only a burden? ON, don't know
what we should do ii il wasn't Tor hm-he is
brother and rather ami husband to all three OF
US. We don't want anybody else as long we
have kirke."
He is So kind, so cheering, so helpful, so I'M
selfish, so consderate," chimed in Anna.
And it's just a pleasure to look at him. he's
so beautiful cried Helena.
well, ii this isn't hero Worship" exclaimed
their crony, tell me what is?"
But we re worried to death about his health"
continued Anna. That cough of his tears us
every one TO pieces-as much as it does hint
seems too bad that it couldn't have come to one
Oh us girls, mothers cough. We all Set out last
tail that he should so To Florida for tit took
our united effort TO carry the day; and 1t was
long first; but DIR. Day said he would not guar
if he wanted To live Tor nothing else
than to be of use to girls he must
Erke said it ass OF ybe Just simo sh1H
porIance for him to live till the city could be
persuaded to take the old Uuterbridge place for
through the garden-that is his great scheme
You know, to make all our fOrtunes-the city
VIII pay such price Tor the place, and the lots
IN the garden Will be real riches, comparatively
speaking, ii he can only manage 10 have 1t DONE
or ii he can only do IL all 10y himself but IL
takes so much time and talking and influence
am afraid he will get all worn out in trying
and we urge him to let il all alone and lust live
along ar. But then he SAYS no. be ac-
cepted the trust from his father to clear our for
tunes out of the estate, and he never will rest
TIL he does it. What do We care about for
tunes?"
They are very pleasant things-fortunes-
nevertheless" said their listener.
The dear heart forgets all about himself"
sit1d Nate. Il know he thinks he is doomed.
For sometimes" lowering her trembling tones
lie looks at Us, and see tears swim into his
eyes, and know he is thinking who will take
care of US, stand between US and the world after
he is gone; and then we all make believe we
are 50 merry, and Helena begins to play tar
antelia, and Anna begins to sing and dance it
as III she was SO gay she couldn't keep still, and
just sit and hold his hand. Oh! / don't think
/ can bear it.'
81 don't know if it's all for as that sometimes
kirke Is so dull" said Helena. "Once in a
while fancy there was somebody In Florida
ana You Know klrke Is SO high spirited he never
would marry ii he Thought his health did not
justify IT, II he thought be was not going to live.
And then don't know but he may have rea-
soned that he ought not to marry with us upon
MS hands-and, oh, you don't believe" cried
Helena, quite breaking down, that are really
standing in the way of Kirkes happiness we
three great, useless girls? 1t would break our
hearts! And 1t would so lovely If he had a
beautiful wife TO make him as happy as he has
always made us, and TO he one of US, too, even
II she had To live In our crowded quarters. We
would do everything for her-only it seems as
though 1t should be happiness enough for her
just 10 be kirke's wife,
"klrke Is SO bright and sunny and original"
said Kate, taking up the burden.
II think am awfully good to listen to you"
said their friend, "since am not in love with
him, and since"
'Uh, but he is always saying and doing such
unexpected thlngs--Once he took all our Christ
mas presents, what they would have cost Won
Know, and made US send a man diving of con.
sumption out to Texas, and called him our emf
grant, and followed his fortunes, and the mans
alive now on rancho and bringing out other
consumptives. Oh, yes, kirke always comes in
cheerful, he always has something to tell, he
always has some new pleasures to propose ii
it's only night at the theater"
! And he makes you leave off thinking of
yourself by giving you something else to think
OF. he tells us OF people he has found poorer
than we are, and he says II we have nothing
else to give We can give ourselves; and he goes
with us sometimes, and comes for US other times
when We 20 TO sit and read with persons who
are bedridden and disabled and have nobody
too good for this wOrldr'
"Nonsense.' said the friend. "Nobody's too
good for this world. But will admit having
known him all my lie, that he's better than
any body else in this worldr
"Well IL makes us cringe sometimes to think
how perfect he Is, and how miserable he is. It's
just In the line OF the way things move that we
should lose him because he's SO invaluable, and
So
Things don't move that way" said Helena
Its wicked to say so. Only, If anything should
happen to kirke, 1t would happen lust the
Same TO all OF Us, he Is so precious to u.s. and we
do so want him 10 live after all these weary
years In which he has had little ease and
happiness of his own. He has been living
fathers life and ours, not his own -" And
just then the key turned in the latch and
h q car mo m tai hri uhf hit