Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-11-22


always reading about plants and bug
and stones, and going about trying t.
find and make out about them. Blu
what she cared about most of all wa.
| stars.
at is curious how people grow TO fee
about such things" went on Mrs. Mer
ryweather. composedly. l never snw
the day yet when good spring cleaning
or a new recipe for cake didn't Interest
me more than any amount of stars
Poor Marianne used to talk to me
about planets and satellites and milky
ways till it was enough to give one &
headache to listen to her. never could
see that they did any body mite o
good, they are so far off and we dom
really know any thing about them
they just wink down at us and seen
unsympathetic somehow. Ii was ii
a worry or trouble, l should never
think of staring round for a star to
comfort me. But Marianne was diff
ferent; she'd sit on the edge of that lit
tie stoop OF hers half the night, if hel
folks would let her, straining up hel
poor eyes and trying to make out con
stellations and porting over some
heavenly map or other that she had BY
the light of a little kerosene lantern
l think it was that which made hel
get old looking before her time. But
she didn't care for looks or parties
even when she was girl. All hel
mind was taken up by books, and she
seemed sort of lonely from the first
day knew her."
What an interesting personr /
said, involuntarily, as the picture OF
the eager girl, student evidently in
her very blood, with so little chance to
Stake the thirst for knowledge in this
arid environment, and ''lonely from
the first moment" rose before me. But
the remark was injudiciouS and did not
meet with favor.
swell, you're the first that ever
called her that" exclaimed Mrs. Mer.
ryweather. "She wasn't interesting
to people in general and never was in
her life. She hadn't a grain of COM
mon sense, or a bit OF faculty, and she
never could have made a good house
keeper. Then her looks wasn't any
thing to speak of, and folks do think g
sight of that. especially men folks"
"She wasn't pretty, you said?"
"No-though she had pretty things
about her, too. Her hair was natur-
ally wavy and it was quite good and
thick when l first recollect it; but it
fell off early, and she put on caps be-
fore she turned forty. She was sort OF
queer-looking, and her eyes were too
big for any thing but an owl, and her
face was always worn and tired. That
wasn't wonderful, for her life was
never an easy one, not at the best. Let
me see, think it must have been about
five years after l got married that old
Mrs. Denny died. She had long
sickness, and 1 guess it used up what
ever little money they were able to lay
by. There was only the sister left
then, and she kept on needing more
and more attention. Isuppose it was
some sort of decline, but she held out
for years; and Marianne was clear
broke down when at last she died, too.
'.She was left all alone then. People
didn't pity her as much as they ought,
perhaps, for Samantha had been bur-
den; but l knew how she felt. She
looked older than ever after that, but
she kept on with her books and studies
in all her spare times, and she had
more spare times than she used to
have, because now there was only her.
self to do for.
ut was just then that Tom Burns
came home from Nevada.
who was Tom Burns?"
''Why, Sarah Denny's son. Didn't
tell you that she married man named
Burns? Well, she did, and she died
young when this Tom was baby, and
he came and stayed with his grand.
mother awhile till the widower could
look round and get married again.
Then he moved out West and took Tom
with him.
Tom was always particularly fond
of Marianne; l suppose because she
had been good to him when he was q
little fellow; and Samantha and Miss
Denny were pretty strict, l reckon.
Anyhow, he struck silver on a claim
he had out there somewhere, and the
first thing he did with his money was
to come home and see his aunt.
well, you never did see any thing
so pleased as Marianne was at his
coming. It was Tom here and Tom
there, and she must take him round
and show him to every body; and he
tOds a real kind fellow, and no mistake.
"'Now, Aunty,' he says, heres
your chance. I'm able and ready to
fix you out any way you say. Shall
buNd you a new house to end your
days in? or will you have the old one
done up? or shall l settle a regular
payment on you. so that you needn't
teach any more, or what? I'll do just
as you decide. Take me while l feel
rich says he, for it mayn't last. you
know
so that was the way Marianne Den
ny got her telescope. She said the old
home'd last out her time and was good
enough, and she didn't want it fixed
over, and that she'd always done for
herself and hoped she always should;
but the thing she had longed for all
her life was to get to know something
more about the stars So if Tom really