Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-12-25

what are the services for qUhfch this Is
The pdy'Rcltt!' Mrs BcnlGT inquired.
Two or three days afterward Jocelyn
betook himself to a small and rather
shabby looking house in East Eighteenth
street, and asked if Mrs. Bemax were at
home. The woman who opened the
door said, in weary and discontinued
voice, that Mrs. Bemax was in, and Joe
elyn went upstairs. He entered the
front room on the first floor This room
had dingy and brownish aspect. The
furniture was meager and rickety. Upon
che wall between the windows hung
eskew print of the Prince of Wales
and his family, taken from some illus
txated paper and framed in a wooden
frame stained black and vanished. The
only pretty thing in the room was pho
tograph of a chubby little child about
years of age. 1t was mounted in a
tasteful standard frame of stamped
leather, and small vase containing two
or three flowers stood in front of it. The
photograph itself was much faded and
was in the style of ten years ago.
In few minutes tall, middle aged
rather strongly marked features, came
INTO the room. Her eyes and brows
were dark; her hair was slightly touched
with gray. The corners of her large
mouth had acquired an indrawn look,
apparently from a habit of pressing her
lips together; her general expression was
studiously impasSive. She looked like
one accustomed to meet with rebuffs
and disappointments, and to put up
with them when necessary, though never
with meekness and resignation. There
was an air about her that showed she
had once been familiar with the hand
some side of the world, but, from what
ever cause, had discontinued to enjoy or
practice its reinements. There were
more hard and unpleasant things in her
memory than the contrary, and these
memories and experiences had worn
away her former comeliness and made
her skeptical and somewhat malicious,
instead of gentle and engaging.
''Well, Hamilton" she said, as she
came in, 81 hope you've brought me
some money"
money, my dear MegI Didn't send
you some last week.
Eyes, enough to pay up my arrears of
board. I've had none to spend on my
self for month, and have only one
other dress to my back, and that is not
st to be seen"
Things are more expensive here than
in England. told you that when you
insisted on coming here. You would
have been more comfortable at home"
"Home is where the heart is" she re-
piled, with an information of somber sar-
casm. my heart is not in England.
wherever else it may be-
'sWell, I've been very busy" said
Jocelyn.
so you always tell me; but pre-
sumo, as usual, it is no business of
mine.n
"WeIl, my dear, it's only the money
aspect Of my business that you feel any
interest in"
eff you mean there is no longer any
sentiment between Us I cordially admit
81" was the answer. ST don't care the
snap Of my finger for you or for any
oAe else now alive. But ! have some
claims upon you, and I've come here to
enforce them"
''You have the photograph there still,
I see remarked Jocelyn, turning to the
table. Poor little fellow If he'd
lived I'd have made man of him"
'.Yesl You'd have made the same
sort Of man Of him as you've made wom-
an of his mother. I'm glad he's dead,
Il its only to save him from knowing
what sort of father he's gots However,
you said that to put me in good humor,
suppose. What do you wantSs
Il vow, Neg, you're too confoundedly
eouT fer anything" exclaimed Jocelyn,
twisting his wiskers. I've come to |
tel xou Of an arrangement that win