The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1890-07-23
And. of course. she could not help

| And, OF course, she couI0 NOT ne1l
thinking of Wick.
She remembered during that day I
good many little sacrifices Wick hat
made for her at different times. and
how ready he had always been to d.
favors for her. He had always de
clared, TOO, that she was the pretties,
girl in town.
Jessie's resentment softened . little
as she recalled these things, but re
turned in full force when she happened
to glance toward the corner in which
stood the old cotton umbrella.
mo. cont apologize to him." she
muttered. He deserved every word
! said. and more too. The idea of his dar
ing to take my umbrella He might
have known he would lose it ;"
She did not see her brother again un.
til the next morning at breakfast. and
then she took no notice Of his presence,
addressing her conversation entirely to
her mother.
But, as Mr.. Stone had taken his
breakfast at six o'clock that he might
catch an early train, and Mrs. Stone
was suffering from nervous headache,
the conversation was not very ami
mated. Wick devoted himself entirely
to his breakfast, and was quite as care
full not to look at his sister as she was
not to look at him.
'Now. Wick. get of to school as soon
as possible" said Mrs. Stone, as her son
rose from the table. You must make
it point to be punctual after this
mo danger of being late this morn
ing" said Wick. ''Why. it's only five
minutes past eight I'll have time to
work on my chessmen little" And
he ran upstairs to get out his tools and
the chessmen he was carving as birth
day gift to favorite uncle.
Mrs. Stone went upstairs also, to lie
down; but Jessie fingered in the dining
room to water her plans and feed the
canary.
While she was thus engaged Jane.
the cook. came in to clear the table.
81 suppose you had our breakfast a
good deal earlier than usual this morn
ing, Jane, on account of getting some
ready for papa?" said Jessie. cts only
a little after eight now"
Il don't think it was any earlier.
MISS" rejoined Jane. land if it's by the
hall clock you're going, there's no tell-
ing what time it is. Last night l hit
against the clock when I was going
through the hall and stopped it. But
again this morning, and then set it by
guess"
Jessie scarcely heard the last words.
Her thoughts had flown to her brother.
Wick was upstairs working on his
chessmen, happy in the thought that
he need not start for school for half an
hour yet.
Jessie ran quickly up to her own
room and consulted the watch on her
bureau. The hands pointed to twenty
minutes to nine. Wick would require
fifteen minutes to get to the school
house. That gave her just five minutes
to think.
She thought of the loss of her nice
umbrella, and recalled with pang her
feelings at having to carry the old cot
ton one when she went out with Stina
Ward. And Wick had said so many
hate full things! She had said hateful
things herself, but the loss of her UNI.
brella gave her a certain right to say
them.
But suddenly there came into her
mind the words her mother had said
about scoring small victory every day
over her temper. Here lay the oppor.
tunity to score a very great one. But
would she take advantage of it?
She heard Wick whistling over his
work. Time was passing. She must
decide at once whether to seize this op-
portunity or not. Another five minutes
delay and it would be too late. Wick's
would be assured, for had
not his father said he must not rely on
that hall clock?
IL rM tell him." thought Jessie,
like sob escaping her lips.
once, anyhow" and not giving herself
time to change her mind, she ran across
the hall and threw open the door of her
brothers room.
wick" she said, ''the hall clock is
half an hour slow. You mustn't lose a
minute, or you'll be late. It's quarter
of nine.''
Wick sprang to his feet seized his
cap. caught up his bag of books. and
was off like shot
Not word of thanks did he utter,
but nevertheless, Jessie's heart felt
light as she went back to
her room.
She was putting the top drawer of her
bureau in order at twelve o'clock, and
was SO busy that she did not hear the
door open, and turned with a start when
she became conscious that some one was
standing beside her-turned to have a
pair of arms thrown about her, and to
hear her brother say:
Jessie. didn't have time to thank
you this morning for what you did. 1t
was awfully good of you-and after I'd
lost your umbrella, too! 1t was real
noble of you. And I'm going to buy you
another umbrella this very day. felt
awfully about losing that UNI brelIa, and
why, Jessie. are you cryings'
Yes, strange to say. Jessie was crying.
And she refused to say why. She only
begged Wick in a very broken voice