West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-01-03
THE OPAL RING.

eli you please, sir, Mrs. Maginnis saws
the can't com to wash windows 10 day.
lccau'e she is sick. and wants TO know
would you be kind enough to come and
see her, and please keep the job till she
gets we'll"
The little figure sanding in tho door
way OF Or. Towards o &C. paziap
wislfully into the doctors face. was a
study.
She was clad in a somewhat uneouth
dress, o7igina ~ of some grayish mate.
rial. but pIeced, dared and patched
with various kind, OF goods, until IL
resembled 80 eph's coat Of many
colors. A red hand Ierchief was pinnel
under her chin, which he ghtencd the
brl'l'ancy OF a pair OF sparkling black
eyes, and a mass Of jet black, tangled
eurls were pushed back from n pale face
that, under any circumstances, would be
pronounced ono Of rare bc lutv. Her
siocklnS'ess feet were encased in n mir
OF Old ~ bers which she confessed %
having picked from "a scavenger ba, rel.
DIR. Howard gaZcd at the wan little OBJ
set, and wondered if life could be worth
agreat deal TO such as she.
What might be your namel' he in.
quired.
"Well, they call me 'Odds-and.End,'
mostly, but my right name is Margaret.
dds and Ends! Well, | cellar !
But upon my word, Cdds.and. Ends. Won
are a queer.looking geaius. Where do
you live "
down there in Crazy alley, rear of No.
?, second door, up four fights, through
B long entry. turn to the left"-
faTbavn NH,rof M III
Odds and nds! But now tel me
little one, he asked kindly, ''are you
impervious TO the cold, or do YOU prefer
to 20 without stock o in December}
To you know that you are inviting
Group, diphtheria, pneumonia, rhcuma,
lism. cramps and what not, by dressing
in that fashion, 70
81 don't know, sir; but this is all I
have. ] was ne or SICK in all my life.
only once when had the humps, and
once again, when | had the measles.
or guess the measles had mel
Every body thought I'd die, was
30 very sick-but j didn't" she
added, arcbly. eve did not live in
Crazy alley them she continued, ''but
We were boarding in a lArgc hotel where
there were ever so many servants"
What do you mean by we2'
why. papa, mamma and ]. But
papa died, and mamma says since then
we do not I've at all, VIC only stay"
"How old arc you &" inquired the
hoctor, with a strange and sudden in
lercst.
"Ten. sir"
BY this time Odd<-aud. ends, or little
Margaret, was seated in the doctors
comfortable Office and paying her re-.
fpects to a handsome apple that the
good man had put into her hands.
At this uncture, Mrs. Badger, the
doctors housekecper, came busting in.
well. II shan't give II upi Hero is
That strange child, and sitting here as
cohily as you please. Arc you sick, you
Little rsg tag and bob tail9"
"Now Mrs Badger. % interposed tho
doctor, 'do not call too many names.
The little one has brought me a message
from Mrs. Maginnis. who il not very we'll
10 day and requires my services Run
On now. Cdds-and- Ends, and say that I
will be there directly "
"Ycs, sir"
"a strange child like that, Mrs. Bad.
ger truly. How long have you known
herr
ooh, for nearly q year, of and on.
She has been ga tho habit Of coming
here for cold pieces every now and then.
Her mother, / believe, has known better
circumstances, but became reduced, like
many others in cites, and Is now. 7
think, vory poor indeed. The mother is
sickly too, I believe"
""Yhen she m again, Mrs. Badger.
it's my desire that you sec she Is p OF.
erly clqfhed. IL is simply preposterOus
% send a child out 80 thinly clad on
such e raw, iocloment day ne this" and
the doctor buttoncd his great coat about
him and stepped into his carriage TO
make his daily round Of calls. but first
Of at he drove to the squalid abode Of
Mrs. Maginnis. for DR.. Howard was never
known TO neglect the humblost child Of
earth, when such we're sick and suffer
ing
But all That day, and many subsequent
days the good doctor was haunted by
the wlstful eyes q the strange child
whose way IN ] fo seemed to him 90 hard
and unnatural lie inquired Of Mrs.
adgcr many times 10 know " she had
seen or learned any more Of quaint little
Ddds.and Ends; but Mrs. b. declared
pbad not seen hide nor hair Of her
he morning she brought the mes