Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-08-18

INTER-OCEAN.
Mr.. Megon' Will.
By H.sR1DER HAaGARn.
CHAPTER m.
AuausTA'e LITTLE slsTER.
When Augusta left Nelson's abe WIS
In avery sad-condition Of mind, to explain
which It will be necessary to ray q word
o. two about that accomplished young
lAdyisprevious history. Her father had
been . clergyman, and, like most clergy.
men, not overburdened with the good
things Of this world. When Mr.. Gmithers
-or, rather, the Rev. James Smithers-
had died he left behind him widow and
two children-Augusta, aged IA, and
JEANNE. aged Q. There had been two
others, both boys. who had como into the
world between Augusta and JEANNE, but
they had both preceded their father to the
land Of, shadows. Mrs. Smithers had,
fortunately TOR herself,'a life interest In
. sum Of e1,000. which. being we'll In.
vested. brought her In ESQ q year; and,
In order to turn this little income to the
BEST possible account and give her two
girls the best educational opportunities
possible under the circumstances, abe, on
her husband's death, moved from the
village where 10 had for many years been
curate into the city Of Birmingham,
Here she lived in absolute retirement fdf
some seven years and then suddenly died,
leaving. the two girls. then respectively
10 and 8 years Of age, to mourn her loss,
and. triendiess @ they were. to fight their
Mrs. smithers had besn ; saving
that. after paying gu debts, there 70
live on, and nothing else, for their
win be obvious that the interest arising
from e800 is not sufficient to support two
young people. and therefore Augusta was
an early age. however. se (Angusta) had
shortly after her mothers death she pub.
lished her first book at her own expense.
It was . dead failure, and cost her e50.
the balance between the profit and loss
account. After awhile, however, abe re.
covered from this blow and wrote "Je.
mima's Vow" which was taken up by
Nelson's. and, strange as It may seem,
proved the success Of the year. OF the
nature Of the agreement into which shs
entered with Nelson's the reader is al
ready acquainted, and he will not there.
fore be surprised to learn that under its
cruel provislons Augusta, notwithstand-
ing her name and fame, was absolutely
prohibited from reaping the fruits of her
success. She could only publish with
Nelson's, and at the fixed pay Of Z per
can't. on the advertised price Of her work.
Now. something over three years had
elapsed since the death Of Mrs. Smithers,
and 1t will therefore be obvious that there
was not much remaining Of the e800
which she had left behind her. The two
girls had indeed lived economically
enough in . couple Of small rooms In q
back street. but their expenses had been
enormously increased by the serious ILL.,
ness from q pulmonary complaint Of the
little girl JEANNE. now . child between 10
and IS years Of age. On that very morn.
Ing Augusta had seen the doctor and
been crushed into the dust by the expires.
sion Of his conviction that, unless her
little sister was moved to q warmer eli.
mate for o period Of at least Q year, she
would not live through the winter, and
might die at any moment.
Take JEANNE to o warmer climatel He
might as well have told Augusta to
take her to the moon. Alasl she had not
the money, and did not know where to
turn to get It. Obi reader, pray to Heaven
that 1t may never be your lot to geo your
best beloved die for the want Of a few
hundred pounds wherewith to save her
lifel
It was in this terrible emergency that
she had-driven thereto by her agony Of
mind-tried to get something beyond her
strict and legal due out Of Meesons-
Meeson's, that had made hundreds and
hundreds out Of her book and paid her
fifty pounds. We know how she Jared in
that attempt. On leaving their Office,
Augusta bethought her Of her banker.
Perhaps he might be willing to advance
something: It was horrible task, but she
determined to undertake it; 80 she walked
to the bank and asked to see the manager.
He was out, but would be in at 8 o'clock.
She went to a shop near and got q bun
and glass of milk, and waited till she was
ashamed to wait any longer, and then she
walked about the streets till 8 o'clock. At
the stroke Of the hour she returned, and
was shown into the managers private
room, where q dry, unsympathetio looking
little man was sitting before q big book.
II was not the same man whom Augusta
had met before. and her heart sunk pro.
portionately.
What followed need not BIO repeated
here. The manager listened to her falter.
Ing tale with q few stereotyped expires.
sions of sympathy, and, when she had
done, regretted" that speculative loans
were contrary to the custom of the bank.
and politely bowed her out.
It was nearly 4 O'Clock upon a damn.
DRILLING afternoon, q November after.
noon that hung like q living misery over
the black slush Of the Birmingham streets.
and would in itself have suficed to BRING
tho ughtest hearted, happiest mortal to
the very gates Of despair. when Augusta.
wet, wearied and almost crying, at last
entered the door Of their little sitting
room. She entered very quietly. for tho
maid Of all work had met her In the pas.
sage and told her that Miss JEANNE was
asleep. She had been coughing very
much about dinner time, but now she
wa asleep.
There was Q fro in the crate, . small
one, for the coal was econonised BY means
Of two large fire bricks. and on : table
(Augustas writing table) placed at the
further side Of tho room was q parafane
lamp turned low. Drawn up In front,
but a little to one side Of the fire, wa a
sofa covered with red rep. and on the sofa
lay fair haired little form. 70 thin and
fragile that It looked Ike the ghost or
outline Of . girl rather than 8 girl her.
self. It was JEANNE, her sick sister. and
she was asleep. Augusta stole softly up
to look at her. It was q sweet little face
that her eyes fell on. although 1t was 30
shockingly thin, with long curved 1ashes,
delicate nostrils, and . mouth shaped like
. bow. All the lines and groves which
the chisel Of Pain knows 70 well how to
carve were smoothed out Of It now, and
In their Hlaco Law fha aha6ow ~ . erni1a