, 1889-03-03

Shall ! tell you what they are, Alice?"
IF you can leave of fitting along like
n will-o'-the-wisp, certainly" said Alice,
twining one arm around Libby's slender
young waist.
well, you see," explained Libby,
lowering her voice to n confidential mys-
terry, although there were only the frost
frightened stars and the yellow rim of
light above the western woods to over
hear her communication, uncle Thomas
hasn't been very successful with his
farm of late, and as no has nine children
OF his own, he naturally feels rs II / were
n burden TO him. And he hints that !
ought to be doing something for myself.
Now what can n girl do for herself In
S~uccothville but go out TO service or
enter the factory or take In plain sew
ing1"
Not much else. ! must confess" said
Miss Markham.
We'll" pursued Libby. 81 don't fancy
any of these three roads to a livelihood.
So I've picked out three other paths for
myself. I've been studying up the
papers, Alice, and Two written a love
story, in competition for the hundred
dollar prize Offered by Tho Titusfield
Literary Clarion"
"Child, childr' cried Alice. What do
you know about lover
AS much rs other girls, / fancy"
said Giddy Libby. 1--WE read about
Ophclia and Dcsdcmona and Lucia di
Lammermoor md all those classic hero
ines, and of course one depends n good
deal on ones imagination. 1t wasn't n
bad story. / know. Well, that's one road.
And | read the statement of the Woman's
Barter establishment in New York-how
they'll pay you for good cake or pre-
serves. or anything of that sort, less n
triiling commissioners l sent n box of
plum jam TO them, a box that ought to
net me $40 at least"
That's Number Two" smiled Alice.
Excuse me for saying that | have more
faith in Number Two than In Number
One"
We shall see" nodded Libby. And
the third
Yes said Alice, encouragingly, "the
third
Il answered an advertisement for a
wife" whispered Libby, hanging down
her pretty head. "Yes, Alice, | did.
Aou I III bsAlh III lllatL ITIRlCll
manner Other girls do it. Why shouldn't
II Such n beautifully worded advertise
mcnt! A %widower. all alone In the
world, signing for sympathy md love
a widowcr OF means, Alicei'
Libby, you have done wrong" said
Alice, with a gravity that impressed her
young companion more than she would
have been willing to confess.
well. I've done Il, and there's an end
of tho mntterr' said Libby, with IA rebel
liuu' los of her head. $50 there's no
uso in lccturiag me. Uncle Tom shall
find out that Im not entirely without
a hundred dollars for the
story besides all the fame it will bring
INC. Alice). $40 from the plum jam
and there, you see, Is enough to buy
quite II neat little trousseau for marrying
the widowcr. People don't launch out
with silk dresses and dozens of under
clothes us much as they did, and"--
Libby" urged Miss Markham, ARE
YOU really in carnesty"
Libby broke out into n little hysterical
laugh.
alice" said she. I've thought of
nothing else and dreamed of nothing else
FOR II week. And it's strange-so TRANCE
that / ncvcr have received an answer to
any Of the three communicationsI'
just then little Tommy, the youngest
hope Of the house of Morse, came trot-
Ting across the scar meadows.
"Oh, look here, Lib!" said he. THE
E~torckccper he's found n lot o letters as
got hid away under the mealbags, where
they was sortin' the mail on Thursday.
They calculate as Pete, the puppy, done
it-he's chuck full of mischief and tricks;
and the s~torekeeper ho give me n lemon
ball " I'd take these to you. was lick
in the inside of the molasscs keg with
Johnnie Piper and Sam Stokes under the
counter
Libby gr;lspcd the letters. and even
by that imperfect light Alice could see
the snow and crimson chasing each other
across her face.
They were already inside the little
gate, and Libby caught ut her compan-
ions arm with nervous haste.
Let ms go upstairs to your room,
Alice" she whispered. There Is always
such n swarm of children in the keeping
ROOM, and one never can have n moment
To ones self. Resides, there Is only that
lamp in the house. and | can't read by
candle light"
Side by side, In the school teachers
apartment, 10y the light of the Pickering,
strong scented kerosene lamp. Libby
and Alice opened the letters.
The first, whose envelope bore the
stamp Of The Titusiicld Literary Clarion,
was brief enough. The editor regretted
that Miss Alorse'1 manuscript had proved
unsuitcd 10 his columns, but would re-
turn ii to her address on the receipt Of
sufficient postage stamps to defray the
cost Of transportation by mail.
There's an End of thati" cried Libby,
~passionatcly, tearing the letter in two
and ninSing its fragments on the ground.
The second was nm elegantly written
note on scented and monogramed paper
from Ii secretary Of the Woman's Bar
ter establishment, stating that Miss
Murse's Kind favor, per the Rackawaxen
Railroad express, had becn sampled, and
had unfortunately proved to be below
the standard which the establishment
had set up. The box awaited her orders,
and Mrs. Gcraldus GeoiTreys remained
hers truly etc. etc.