Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-06-06

l hurried out, distressed by the
sight of the sorrowful look on the
cash girls pale face and by the
tears rolling down her thin cheeks.
A dull, cold rain was falling when
/ reached the street, aud as night
came on snow began TO fall, while
the wind came up from the north.
1t was Just the kind of night to
enjoy sitting before an open crate
fire with the last magazine or doing
nothing but delighting in the
warmth and glow of ones "ain
ireslde," as the flames rose higher
and higher and the winds whlstled
without.
l sat thus before my own fire,
With no light in the room but that
sent out by the flames of nay fire.
place. The magazine I had brOu ght
home that afternoon lay with I'M
cut pages in my lap, and l sat idly
toying with my little ivory paper
cutter, instead OF using 1t on the
magazine.
| could not dismiss the care.wOrn
face of Miss Dwight from my
thoughts. l wondered what kind
of a home she was IN that night.
Poor enough, 1 felt sure. | hoped
they would find the missing money.
| wondered-the heavy portleres
hanging in the doorway OF my room
parted suddenly, aud there stood
little Miss Dwight herself.
"She would come up, ms'am,
though | told her she'd best stay
down iu the hall until she was bid
to see you, ma'am,' said Jane, my
housemaid, thrustlng her head IN
over Miss DwIght's, on which there
was a little red woollen hood, while
an old plaid shawl was around her
shoulders.
She did not offer to come for.
ward. but stood between the cur
talns timid and trembling, as l
could see even by the hre-Iight.
"If you please, ma'am," she said,
suddenly and rapidly. "I-I-got
YOUR address from the bundle girl
who done up the pitcher to be sent,
and came around to say, ms'sm,
that I-I-did take the money, and
and I-I-told q lie about 1t, but l
never told one before, ms'sm. I've
made the floor. walker think l real
" lost the money, and somebody
picked it up, mebbe, or 1t rolled
thl Ough q crack in the floor, but
Pm going to his house to tell him !
stole it,and hope you'll forgive me,
ma'am. I've brought you the mon
ey, and-and-good.night, mA'am."
She turned to 60, but l called
out "No, no 4; don't 60 yet, l do
forgive you. Come here and sit
down. You are q good girl, and
I-n
"Pm a dreadful wicked girl,
ma'am," she said, "and don't feel
ft to sit down in your house."
"Now, tell me all abOnt it" | said,
when / had made her SIT down on
hassOct by the dreude. "What
made you take the money 7"
awe needed IT so much at home"
she SAID in reply. "There wasn't
even a loaf of bread to eat in the
house when I came away this morn
ing, and mother and the baby both
sick, aud father out of work for a
month and l knew it'd be kept
out Of my wages Saturday If | took
the money, and 80 it didn't seem
like stealing, and never thought
about how I'd have to tell a lie,
too. But see it was stealing the
minute I'd took 1t, and l was too
'raid to own up, and SO l told a
story, too. But I'm sorry ever
since, and rve walked from the
store clear ont here, and Pm going
to Mr.. Falkner's house and tell him
how it was, and I spose III be dis.
charged, but 1 don't know what
else to do-ob, dear oh, dear "
She covered her face with her
hands and cried aloud. "Tbere is
nothing else to do but what you
are doing" l said IS gently as |
could. "You are . brave and good
little girl, and you are doing right.
Where does this Mr.. Fslkner, the
HoOr.walker, hvs%
"Ok, only block from here, on
this street. Pm glad of that, but
it'll be lots harder to tell him than
tits been to tell you. He's dread.
| ful cross"
"But | think you ought to tell
him just the same" said, "and l
will go with yeu IT you would like
to have me-"
Perhaps it was because we found
the stately and seyere Mr. Falkner
with his own little girl Of ten years
sitting on bis own knee, and two