Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-14

winch Shc had LETT behind her Tho two
girls had indeed lived economically
enough in couple of small rooms in
back street, but their expenses had been
enormously increased BY the serious i'll.
ness from n pulmonary complaint of the
little girl JEANNE now child between IL
and l3 years OF age. On that very morn
ing August had sccn tie doctor and
been crushed into the dust by the c,:prcs-
sion of his conviction that unloss her
little sister was ii. red to warmer eli
mate for period of AT least year, s. o.
would not 1.-Two hr ugh the winter, an
might die at any moment.
Take Jcannie to u warmer climate. lie
might as we'll have told Augusta to
take her to the moon. Alas she had not
the money, a. did not know where to
turn to get it. OH reader, pray to Heaven
that it may never be your lot to see your
best beloved die for the want of few
hundred pounds wherewth to save her
lifel
1t 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 Meeson's--
Nelson's that had made hundreds and
hundreds out of her book and paid her
fifty pounds. We know how she Jared IT
that attempt. On leaving their Office
Augusta bethought her of her banker.
Perhaps he might be willing to advance
something. 1t was a horrible task but she
determined to undertake it; so 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 a bun
and glass of milk, and waited till she was
ashamed TO wait any longer, and then she
walked about tho streets till clock. At
the stroke of the hour she returned, and
was shown into the managers private
room, where dry, unsympathetic looking
little man was sitting before big book.
1t was not the same man whom Augusta
had met before, and her heart sunk pro-
portonately.
| What followed need not be repeated
here. The manager listened to her falter-
ing tale with few stereotyped express
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.
1t was nearly o'clock upon damp,
! drizzling afternoon, a November after
noon that hung like living misery over
the black slush of the Birmingham streets,
| and would in itself have su1ced to bring
the lightest 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 the
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
/ was asleep.
There was fire in the CRATE, a small
one, for the coal was economical by means
of two large fire bricks, and on table
! (Augusta's writing table, placed at the
further side of the room was a paraffine
lamp turned low. Drawn up in front,
but little to one side of the fire, was O.
= sofa covered with red rep, and on the sofa
lay fair haired little form, so thin and
fragile that it looked like the ghost or
outline of a girl rather than a girl her
self. 1t was Jeannie, her sick sister, and
she was asleep. Augusta stole softly up
to look at her 1t was sweet little face
that her eyes fell on, although it was so
shockingly thin, with long curved lashes.
delicate nostrils, and q mouth shaped like
q bow. All the lines and groves which
the chsel of Pain knows SO well how to,
carve werc smOothed out of It now and
in their place lay the shadow OF Il snIile.'
Augusta looked at her and clinchcd her
fist, while a lump rose in her throYt and
her gray eyes filed with tears. How could
she get the money to save her: The year
before n rich man, man who was detest-
able to her, had wanted TO marry her, and
, she would have nothing to say to him.
He had gone abroad, else she would havo
gone back to him and married him-at IT,
price. Marry him? Yes, she would marry
him; she would do anything for money to
take her sister away What did she care
|, for herself when her darling was dying
7 diving for the want of 200!
Just then JEANNE woke Il. aud stretched
her arms out to her,
80 you are back at last, dear" she
said in her sweet, childish voice. 1T has
been so lonely without you. Why, how
wet you arel Take off your jacket al
once, Gussie, or you will be as i'll as
$ and here she broke out into terrible fiji
] of coughing, that seemed to shake heJ
| tender frame as the wind sha,ea u reed,
, Her sister turned and oLcycd, and th6i
| came and sat by the sofa unu took tne
= thin little hand in hers.
| "Wcll, Gussie, how did you get on Will
j the printer deyil2' Cthis was her T. polite
- name for tho great Meeson) xviii he
| give you any more money!
mo, DEAR we quarreled-that was all
D and | came away"
. Then | suppose that we can't 60
abroad?"
0 Augusta was too moved to answer: she
, only shook her head. The child buried
her face in the pillow and gave sob OF
= two. Presently she was quiet and lifted
it again. "Gussie, love" She said don't
. be angry, but | want to speak to you,
} Listen, my sweet Gussie, my angel Oh
5 Gussie, you don't know how love
! you'll 1t is all no good; it is use
0 less struggling against it. must die
l sooner or later; though l am only ~, and
, you think me such a child, | am old
r enough to understand that. | think, she
, added, after pausing to cough, that pain
makes one old; | feel as though | were
, so. Well, so you see l may as we'll give
up fighting against it and die at once
am only a burden and anxiety to you-l
: may as well die at once and go to sleep.
Don't, JEANNE, don't" said her sister,
= In sort of cry; you are killing me"
Jeannie laid her hot haId upon Au-
T gustas arm. Try and listen to me,
DEAR she said, "even if it hurts, because