Wichita eagle., 1888-02-26

all over the country to crowded houses, be-
fore the finest people in the land. 1t was a
| beautiful romance to Miss Becky to read in
| The Plymouth Record about our "'gifted
townsman;n she did not blame him because
| she sat in the shadow, because her life had
been colorless. She sang again the old tunes
be had taught her, and made little sunshine
| in her heart. All of happiness she had ever
known he had brought her. Why should she
complain? And now she was going to the
| Old Ladies' home.
at isn't exactly what I expected in my
youth" she said to the old doctors widow.
| 'sNo: but you'll have a nice room and a
| bright fire, and the neighbors will drop in to
| see you and make it homelike Now, there's
| old Mrs Gum. Nothing can persuade her
| to 20 to the home She says it's only gen.
| teel almshouse after all; and so she rubs
| along with what little she can earn and what
the neighbors have a mind to send in, and
they have to do it mighty gingerly, too, just
as though they were asking favor of her.
Lor', she doesn't earn her salt"
81 dare say returned Miss Becky. "Now,
if it hadn't been for the rheumatism / could
earn my living for years yet, and may be get
something ahead again; but it seems as if the
rheumatism laid in wait for the poor and
friendless."
"You ought to have married when YOU
were young, Becky said the doctors widow,
who had forgotten all about Becky's love
affair, and labored under the impression that
she never had a chance-an impression which
matrons are apt to entertain concerning their
single friends. Miss Becky had been spend
ing some weeks with Mrs. DR.. Dwight, who
had moved away from Plymouth after her
husbands death. She was there chiefly to
put some stitches into the widows wardrobe,
which nobody else would do reasonably"
that ladys grief having incapacitated her
from holding a needle or giving her mind to
material details of "seam and gusset and
band" But during the visit Miss Becky had
been seized with her sharpest attacks of
rheumatism, which had kept her in bed for
weeks, till her wages were exhausted by
drugs and doctors fees. 1t was at this time
that she made up her mind to go into the
Home on her return to Plymouth.
Mrs. Dwight saw her off at the station.
Il hope you'll find the home cozy," she said,
outside the car window. "It's lucky Parson
Amory left you that 500, after all. He
might have doubled it,"
eyes, suppose So" Miss Becky answered
meekly. Perhaps she was thinking that, if
she were Mrs. Dwight, no old friend Of hers
should go begging for refuge at an aims
house. Perhaps she was thinking of the
pretty, comfortable home waiting for her
friend, and wondering why their fortunes
were so unlike.
write when you reach Plymouth, and let
me know how you're suited" said Mrs
Dwight and just then the cars gave lurch
and left her behind, and Miss Becky turned
her glance inward. Somebody had taken a
seat beside her.
''Your friend was speaking of Parson
Amory and Plymouth he said. 81 couldn't
help hearing. I was born in Plymouth myself,
but | haven't met a soul from there these
twenty years. am on my way to look up
my old friends"
Twenty years is a long tine," answered
Becky. Il am afraid you won't find many
of your friends left. You'll hardly know
Plymouth"
Il suppose mott suppose not. Have you
lived there long?"
'Is have lived there all my days"
Good! Pm hungry for news Of the peo-
pie. Tell me everything you can think Of
Did Parson Amory leave fortune? He was
called close. Where's Miss Nell, married or
dead! can see the old place in my minds
eye, and the parsonage under the elms, and |
the orchard behind it where Lucy Amory
planted young tree on her wedding day, and |
the gown little Becky Thorne wore By the i
way, is she alive? Do you know her?" |
Miss Becky hesitated an instant
Eyes" she REPLIED II know her-more or |
less. She's alive"
And married! She must be GO odd; she |
was a pretty creature Sycl-T s,1nncSa tbpy
are wrinkles nowi Where have the Years
gone? Is her home in the old place still."
Her home" said Miss Becky, flushing a
little. "She has none; she is on her way to
the Old Ladies' home"
ITO the Old Ladies home? Becky Thorne,"
he gasped '.And p
"You seem to have known her pretty
well" said Becky, who was beginning to en-
joy the incognito.
Il should think So I've loved Becky
Thorne from my cradle. We had silly
quarrel which parted us: such triRe, when
look back. Do you ever look back, MADAME
The twilight was falling about them;
Beckys face had grown a shade or two palcr
III at once; she turned her dark, velvety eyes
ull upon him with a startled air.
You" she said. you must be Larry
8ogersm Then the color swept to her cheeks
N a crimson wave. do you know, ] never
hought you had grown old like myself.
DON'T you know me: l am Becky Tholne!"
Just then the train Numbered through tho
unnel and they forgot they were sixty odd.n
''On the way to the Old Ladies' home" she
wrote to Mrs Dwight, Il was persuaded to
o to an old gentleman'S instead Boston
traveller.