The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-04-11

furnishing and stocking it with necessities
to last for months, and purchased new
wardrobes entire for the children, who
looked upon her as if she was a veritable
fairy godmother, and, lastly, bought new
sewing machine, with every modern i'm
provement, to take the place of the noisy,
heavy-running. old "rattle-te-bang," as one
of the children irreverently named the
worn-out machine which had so long done
its unwilling duty in earning the family
living.
Il think you can do a good deal of the en-
broidered fancy work which is so fashiona-
BILE now," said Isabel, as she looked at the
embroidery attachment to the machine.
ITS nothing but a pleasure to turn this
beautiful thing" said Mrs. Harmon, de-
lightedly, as she made the wheels spin
around. "and l have regular customers
enough to keep me in steady work.
Isabel had placed sum in the bank also,
which, with the insurance, when it came,
would cause the widows bank book to pre-
sent quite a respectful e appearance, though
this Mrs Harmon did not discover until
after Isabel had gone, and she found the
certificate of deposit in an envelope under
her pillow.
Isabel paid q reverent visit to the graves
of her fair young mother and of faithful
Chloe, and with her own hands cleared
away the weeds and planted white rose
on each sunken mound. A plain monu-
ment, bearing the words MY Mother"
with the name and date, and a plain slab
for Chloes grave was her next labor of
love, and she could not help hoping that by
some of the strange happenings which so
often occur in life some of the Carringtons
might chance to find the stone, and by it
know that the long lost daughter of their
house was living and had placed it there
"Dear! dear! is it possible that you and
Harvey have parted so soon?' said Mrs.
Stanford, facetously, as Isabel landed at
her door tired and dusty with travel.
Eyes, indeed, we had few words and
parted" replied Isabel, laughingly, keep
ing up the illusion, and then she explained
the circumstances which had led to her ap
pearance in New York alone
A few hours later they were sitting il
Mrs. Stanford's own room beside an ope
CRATE; it was late September, and Isabe
had told her the story of her birth, ant
Mrs. Stanford had received it as a very
pleasant revelation, doing away with the
shop girl side of the story completely.
Greatly quite a romance" she said, ap-
provingly, land, of course, Harvey will
spare no pans to find out if the Caring
tons are yet living"
81 presume so.'' replied Isabel, absently
81 am so anxious to know if my father is
living, though 1T hardly seems probable
The very possibility thrilled her through
and through.
"What a mercy that Mrs. Harmon con.
trived to keep the locket for you,'' said
Mrs. Stanford, turning the precious relic
over carefully with critical eyes; 4 dia
the probable standing of Isabers family
and she appreciated it accordingly. "It
will be so necessary for you to have some
thing with which to prove your identity, if
you do fad them"
"And so you met Mrs. Monteith in Phila-
delphia," laughed Mrs. Stanford, 'and she
doubtless thought she was showing me a
favor in crushing you"
Mrs. Stanford forgot that Mrs. Monteith
had but shown the same spirit she had her
self cherished
"Really, must contrive to let her hear
this delightfully."- romantic story of yours"
Mrs. Stanford looked at it in q mercenary
and social light only, while Isabel's heart
was full of the sweet, strange Joy of having
found out the long-sought knowledge of
her parentage, and she changed the subject
by leilng ncr sister IN law ner plan IN re
gard TO Lottie Ford. The lady was in a
facetious humor, and cried, gayly: 81 shall
expect to hear next that you and Harvey
have started an orphan asylum, or at the
leastan invalid's re,reat," and she laughed
heartily at the brilliancy of her idea. "Bul
really, joking aside,' she added, more ser-
ously, sit will be nice for Oracle if the gir
IS intelligent and refined, and of course you
would not think of the thing otherwise"
Iao eieto l,rr
from the idea that Il person is necessarily
vulgar and ill bred simply because she is
poor" said Isabel, with deprecatlng
smile.
sob, mother, if you only knew how hard
it is for me to lie here and see you doing st
much for me-" The speaker was Lotto
Ford; she lay upon the lounge, in the one
room which answered for sitting room, din
ing-room and parlor, and watched the
patient mother as she polished the bosom OF
a fine shirt she was ironing, for Mrs. Ford
was obliged to do a great deal of fine laun-
dry work now that Lottie was sick and the
expenses heavier.
She was small, spare woman, with Lot
ties gentle spirit reflected in her thin face;
it had been pretty once, in the days long,
long ago, when Mr.. Ford, then thrifty me-
chanic, brought her to a cozy nest called
home, and for many years they were 50
happy, and the wolf-poverty-kept a re-
spectful distance from their door.
Tnen trouble came IN the form of sick
ness and death, and two lovely children
We're laid in the grave, and Lottle had the
fall which resulted IN her lameness, and the
little mother was glad to turn her faculty
for fine ironing to advantage in helping
along, for Mr. Ford, though the kindest and
most willing of men, was no longer young
and strong.
Don't fret, Lottie," she said, as she fitted
the bosom-board INTO another shirt. "Let
US be thankful that l can get the work TO
do; If could only see you getting better
could work with light heart" And she
sighed as she went into the little kitchen
for fresh iron.
How wish might hear from Isabel"
said Lottie, as the mother returned. ~
have thought of her so much of late"
''Yes," replied Mrs. Ford, "that basket of
fruit and flowers she sent you cheered anu
helped you better than half-dozen doctors
visi s.n
Doubtless she has too many interests in
her new life to think of poor Lottie very
often, though" sighed the daughter.
At that very moment Mrs. Stanford's own
elcrant carriage was at the front of the
shabby tenement house. and Isabel, her face
aglow with the delight OF meeting her
friend again, ran up the stairs, and, as the
door was ajar, she stepped in without knock
ing, and before Lottie could quite compre-
hend who or what it was, she had her arms
around the poor, pale little figure, crying
ipVfnllV. ttT Ottia vOu darlinO DraCiOuS lit.