The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-09
MEG'S FORTUNE.

her, and before her spread out the sea
with the waves dancing in the morning
sunshine. She was looking out across
the water; her hands were clasped around
her knee, and her large hat was tied
firmly under her chin to keep the strong
breeze from blowing it away. Meg was
buried in deep thought, so deep that she
did not even hear the shouts of the chill
dren playing on the beach below her or
the sound of the footsteps coming up the
cliff from the rocky path which led to the
hotel.
At last a soft voice called her to herself,
and turning, she found her coy corner
besieged by a young lady with an
umbrella and sketching materials. This
was Miss Van Coor, one of the rich young
ladies from the large hotel on the beach,
which was filed every summer with
guests from the neighboring cities.
The young ladies held special charm
for Meg. They often came to the little
brown house, where Mrs. Hall washed
their dainty muslins and laces and
mended rents in the delicate fabrics
Meg, too, was a willing little maid
ot-all-work, and was often pressed
into service. Some of them raved about
botany, and they trotted patiently through
the woods and fields gathering flowers,
digging roots or carrying the long tin
cases which held their specimens. She
sold them innumerable bouquets and ber-
RES, and always accompanied them on
their walking tours. Meg loved to be with
them, but she loved most of all the moon
light nights, when she and Bob slipped
down to the hotel and watched the dane
ing from leaf-shaded corner. Then the
music seemed to come straight from
heaven, and the young ladies' seemed like
the beautiful princesses in the fairy tales
as they hoated past, clad in snowy laces
and sparkling with gems. Then little
brown-eyed Meg, standing back in the
shadow, forgot her real SELF and in imagi-
nation became one OF the beautiful prin-
cesses herself and Joined in the gayety
with all her heart till Bob's sleepy yawns
brought her back to earth again.
This morning, however, Meg's thoughts
were of q very serious nature. She was
wrestling with problem which had puz-
zled many older brains than hers. Miss
Van Coor noticed the thoughtful look on
her face, and after she had settled herself
to sketch, using Meg in her old position as
LlOOC4. bAlC leu -AcE " NOnlllC III AltI.
Then Meg, who did nothing by halves,
poured out her troubles to the sympa-
thetic listener. There must be some way
found for her to earn money. Rob's
father had been lost at sea, and Rob
would have to take his place as
the head of the family pretty soon.
He could not 90 to school,
for lack of books and suitable clothing,
and every cent was needed to feed the
little ones. Meg explained that Rob was
not her own brother. Her father and
mother had been passengers on vessel
which had been burned in mid-ocean.
She and her mother had been rescued,
but the shock had proved too much for
her mother and she died, leaving her tiny
baby in the arms of honest John Hall,
who was a sailor on the vessel. She had
always lived with the Halls; no traces of
any relatives had ever been found and
Margaret Lorne had grown up as Meg
Hall. Now the time had come when Meg
felt she could no longer be a burden on
her kind foster-mother, but what could
girl of fourteen do?
Miss Van Coor had stopped sketching
and was rubbing the ends of her pencil
up and down her forehead in perpleXed
way.
''There surely must be some way for you
to earn money, Meg" she said in her soft
voice that sounded to Meg like the low
clear notes of flute. Cant you sew or do
housework, or something OF that sort?"
NO." said Meg mo one would pay me
for sewing or homework; Pm too little"
Perhaps you could paint, or sing, ven
tured Miss VanCoor.
Pm afraid not, answered Meg hope
lessly, 81 can't do anything but whistle"
she added smiling land Aunt Hall saws
whistling girls always come to some bad
end"
"Can you whistler" asked Miss Van
Coor, whistle some for me now Meg"
Meg obediently began to whistle low
soft tune with many trills and variations
which she had often heard the band at the
hotel play, and Miss Van Coor listening
in wonder at the clear musical tones was
struck with an idea which soon became 4
well-defned plan in her energetic brain.
"That is Just the thingp she exclaimed
when Meg had finished, trust in me,
Meg, and Rob shall have his books after
ALL
Then she walked home with Meg and
unfolded her plan to Mrs. Hail. There
was to be an entertainment for the benefit
of the free kindergarten in the city, and
Miss Van Coor was one of the ladies vino
had it in charge. 1t was her plan to have
Meg take part in the entertainment and
whistle Meg and Mrs. Hall laughed at
the idea, but Miss Van Coor was in earn
est, and she pleaded so successfully that
Mrs. Hall consented to allow Meg to 90 to
the city whenever Miss Van Coor should
send her word.
About four weeks after this Meg was on
her way to Boston. She didn't feel like
the same old Meg in the pretty little tray
cling suit OF gray, with a neat little gray
turban, ornamented with a scarlet wing,
kid boots, and, for the first time in her
life, kid gloves. All this was due to Miss
Van Coor, who had fitted her out from
top to toe.
From the time she stepped off the train
and was seated in the large comfortable
carriage, Meg's head was in a whirl. 1t
was all so new to her, the
streets with their tall blocks of stores
the row after row of houses, and above
all the people. She had never imagined
there could be so many people Where
and how did they all live? At last they
came to a large stone house, with marble
steps leading to it. The carriage stopped,
and, looking up, Meg saw Miss VanCoor
standing in the wide doorway.
1t was the next afternoon that Meg
found herself in still stranger position
She had been dressed in pretty ,cream-col-
ored dress, with scarlet sash around her
eIapdar waist Her aunburnad hands and