The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-10-26
LOTTIE'S SURPRISE.


It had blown perfect hurricane all
day, and early in the afternoon the snow
had commenced TO fall. increasing in vio-
lence until ut six O'Clock when Lottie
started homo, the streets were full of
drifts, the air binding haze, and the
wind fercer than ever.
''Oh, how good home viii lookr' she
said 10 herself. pulling her coat collar up
about her ears, and tucking her m usic-roll
securely under her arm. How happy /
ought TO DO that have it to go to- even IL
it il only a little room all by myself.
What do poor girls do who have none, no
work, no hOme-and no Robertr'
Then she laughed shyly 70 hersel: aud
b!ushci-a happy rosy blush down inside
the coat-collar, and walked faster than
ever.
Homo was quite distance, but her
feet steps carried her quickly there, and
the hall door had fown open In response
TO her latchkey, when frcni somewhere in
the darkness near, 4 voice came = trcu-
ulous, pleading voice:
''PIty-Oh, for the lovo OF God, pity
mer'
"WhO are your Where are youy" asked
Lottie, startled, and stopping right where
tho hSll-iight shonG in her face and daZ-
zled her eyes.
Here and from the shadow behind
the door lose a womar,'s fEurc-a woman
that the next moment also stood in no
light, showing a wTinkled, aged face and
| snow-white air, covered VITA . tattered
bit OF shawl. Il am freezing, starving,
and maybe dying. II you save any pity,
| give ms soE3o food aud soIno kind OF shell
! ter" s..e said, with = sort Of fa-nished
eagerncss. --------------
| Il will-ch, Will Come H." cried
| - vol. ffrrf f-arr e71 Inv
| shining With ths generous pity that
| flooded her young heart II haTe no placo
! lean take you 10 but ny room on the TOP
| floor. Can you climb ths 8tzirsi'
For warmth and foodp Yes, yes; lead
the way" cried ;he woman cAgerly, look
ing at the girl with trembling delight
burning & Ler bright eyss. 4 can fellow
alIywharS-" -
! But sho w-s aged sni weak, and tbs
four long flights OF stairs were slowly SC
colnplished, Lottie assisting ker coInpau-
! ion a well as the narrow s:-.ircase would
allow. and R-ing very g,owIy.
This IS my ROOM" she exclaimed q.
LAST, throwing open the Coor and lesIiizS
the painting woman fn. ''Sit down here,
and in two minutes tks IRE Will b. ali ght
| Are you very tired.'
The weary woman could orlynod a. shs
sank into the chair Lottie gave. while her
young hostess fiow about the room.
Everything WAS most sIquisitely neat,
and the litt.e Rrato-the-e was no stoyeia
| the room, which w-s made more Httrsc-
tive by tkis su6stitute-brushed and pol
ishsd was already laid for tho FIRE, and, 1t
q touch from l4Ottie's match cracked with
amazing lr:shtness.
''Is net that lovoly'~ she cried, turalze;
TO Ler strange visitor. ''SoVF you VIII
soon be warm, and IN = few minutes VIII
make you Il cup OF tea. Aovo nearer,
won't your" --t--------s.-
Apparently speecbless with grateful
amaze sn1 delight, the woman did as bid.
throwing OF hor wet, tstcered shawl, and
holding her wriEkled hands over the
blaze, while her eager eyes s-ill followed
every move Lottie made.
~ am my own housekeepcr. you see, 9"
continual the girl g1yly, as Il wishing 10
make her visitor less timid and more at
homo Here is my little Kitchen and
with a merry laugh she threw open tbs
doer Of = large closet, sAouing within tw o
neatly-papered shslycs OF dishcs and t:as,
while on a small tabis bslow stood lit
the singio-burnor oilatoEe- Here bake
and brew" she went on, Lighting tas sin
gle wick s1d quickly putting Some water
TO boil in a diminUtlye tea-kettle; and l
an Just as haTpy and indept tndent 81 can
BE- How co you like il"
Like it9" echoed ihe woman. DOCS Il
not look Ike heaven 70 Iseg Bat a-s you
oil alono,"
Yes, al alone. have Eot a relative N
tho world that l know CT, sSid LottiJ,
taking CH Nnd hanging up her things,
now that she had all thiaEs s,srted. ~
would bo very lone -orne it 1 hal tGo Tins,
hut kaToD't.' e.
Then ySI Hcrk-yoa are T>,.,' cried
- Oh "a . i5-7sy q
were to -. suggestive OF Wa&itn aad
eSse. -
"Oa -, lam poor; and ". Sra ricS,
fer h.rr h-zlth ard strength aud ood
work re.,. Isc:ti,, ,T-,th = world oftl2uk-
fumes, ;A-.i.ia1 Ls- blitke vo!c=. - -
I-:o-a!a< - up ca-lT, and ErrsrEa ~
ro-as - -, u21 h,Te my l;.t.o break
f,s:; thea j an away I'll Ga- ~ Eu-ss-y
go~c-=-ss nd Elusic-tc=cSe- II = -ress
k1Use s. tss city. nov-r lave t.-1c 10 %
lontso-s, 81 an very happy" -----
TIE vo2-.i turned her eyes 10 - 5r
s=@!l, e4i Gs she steadily snd t!iss:ly
p2:caeI tbs dancing flames. Lcstio ,sized
the Opportunity OF looz ing - her closely,
when t. T'ol2lzn tUi E:sd. =lzlost sAE-,!-.
foz re-5 ssEdyiES me- Watt ID you
thlak,"
''Oh-why-I-I was wonderiE6-It y-1
had always been 50 poor" s;1nAnere
| LOUIE EE-f'@ss t'ill
The woraaa laughed, and not unmusl
cslly. -----~s
'No, els said, II was I.5t, But yo-
arc ycUEz I'D cm cid, therefore les -
talk o. you =ad not OF me-. Tell rae, Go
you always intend to live s,oue-don';
you want to irar.yl" -
= wave of colour, like the warm ;iEt to
sea-she!l. covered LOttie's Suest inc-.
II am Goias to marry Vsry econ, > s.c
Are yous And do you rainj jteliiaS me
about it-and hins" GUe=iiSnsd The
woman.
re Is teaching German and French "a
TIE children that / am nurs-ry Eor-raess
10, and Nc meet there very ottua. j know
he il good and noble, because-becSusc ]
do. lie shows Ii in every look and set
"AnL you lore him.
"Ah yesl Yes, indeed."
Something in the sweet purity md rapt
, expression made the woInan turn rud
denly s-sy and wipe her eyes. And then
nothing moro Was said by either until the
dainty supper of tea, tonst ard eSE was
cooked by Lottie and placed befor- tie
woman on a little tray, covered with :
worn but snowy naPkin- Then saddcaly
saGs- tho question::
What are you going to do with me to
night-turn me out7"
..Oh no, indeed. Yor shall sleep on my
bed. and can make n pallet here by ihC
fire. Ny bed is out of sight noT," shC
added with = laugh, rs the woman locked
| around iuoUtrinziv Il like to have my