Wichita eagle., 1890-02-06

81 would not half such drash in mine
house." he said. You waste your dime
NIT book like dis"
.sIt seems worthless to me" said poor
Phoebe, signing.
s.You get dook in. like some oder beo-
ples, NIT dem rascals, 'said the German.
ssYou look dired, madame, and not veil.
Go home and rest-I atvise you as a doc
tor"
A customer, who had been looking at
her, threw down the price of a tooth
brush he had bought, and sei1ng his
purchase, followed Phoebe out of the
door.
'Let me see your book, madame he
said. Every nice; I'll subscribe. Give
me your book, I'll write my name and
residence"
He did so. Phoebe thanked him, and
tried to read it, but the letters danced
before her eyes. Her head was SO hot,
SO heavy, she must go back to Mr.. Coz
zen's, get her dollar, give in her sub
scription, tell him that she had failed.
She would feel better after she had
rested, she thought-better. How kind
that man had been. But he subscribed
| for her book-she knew it well-Out Of
sheer pity; as one gives aims to a beg
gar.
| She was in Mr.. Cozzen's Office again.
He looked at her out of his bush Of white
hair His black eyes and black nose
more poodle like than before.
She had wasted her day, risked sun
| stroke, failed in her effort, and crushed
her hopes. What did he care, if he had
one subscription more? A book agent
was almost sure to get one, and hundreds
toiled over the earth every day with the
same results.
every foolish to give it up SO" he de-
clared. ''The first 'day never counts.
have ladies on my list making a hundred
dollars week who got no subscribers on
the first day, and Oh, your dollar?
Yes, yes. And here is your percentage
ten cents. But you ought not to despair
Capt. Barton on your list. Well, good
day."
She was gone, threading the streets
that led to the ferry. The boat first;
then the train. Was that the train COM
ing? What roar! How black it was!
She staggered, but she did not fall to
the ground. Some one caught her in
his arms.
Out of darkness, out of rest, out of
strange communion with her mother in
another world, Phoebe 1oated back to
life again. A woman sat beside her and
famed her.
''She's all right now," said voice of
ness; not sunstrOke."
Then peace again; and waking, much
better.
''My poor father!" she sighed. '.He
must be so terrified! Some one has been
SO kind; but let me get to my father at
once"
''All in good time," said the motherly
woman at her side.
"Your father won't be anxious, Phoe-
be" said man, and her only subscriber
stepped where she could see him. 81
found your name and address in your
little note book l went and told him
you'd be home tomorrow. You don't
remember me, Ph9be?"
Phoebe smoothed her dress and sat up
on the chintz couch and looked at the
speaker.
''You subscribed for my book" she
said.
''But before that" said the man. ''Be-
fore had beard and went away to sea
with no hopes of being captain. Don't
you know Billy Barton, Phoebe"
"Oh!'' cried Phoebe. SIS it your
II thought knew you,' said Capt.
Barton. Il followed you, wondering if
l dared speak; and you looked SO i'll. So
l was there when you tainted"
He took her hand and held it and lifted
it to his lips before he put it down.
''The same sweet girl he said, softly.
Good night. Peggy will take good care
of you, Every one who falls sick at this
hotel knows Peggy
By next morning Phoebe was well
again, but Capt. Barton insisted on see
ing her home.
"What did pa sayf' she asked. "Are
you sure he was not worriedg'
He said" replied the captain, with a
smile, that girls are never to be de-
pended On, and that if he had had son
he never would have cut up such
pranks."
Phoebe felt the tears rise to her eyes.
''The old gentleman is very much
broken said Capt. Barton. He does
want son as well as daughter; don't
you think SO PhGbe?'
When he said that, be looked like the
Billy Barton of the long gone times.
A few months afterward he asked the
same question, adding:
Won't l do?"
And SO it came to pass that Phoebe, in |
stead of ending her life as solitary
spinster, married a man who loved her !
truly. The mortgage was paid off the |
old place. and the farm was no longer |
tleman, what with freedom from care |
and luxurious living. grew stronger and |
brighter in every way; much fonder of |
his daughter, too, as in the olden time. !
So that one day when Phoebe Barton |
came down to breakfast and sat wait |
ing for those other two, and thinking |
of the day with which this story be- |
gins, she laughed softly to herself and |
declared:
And I'm really the happiest woman
in the world today, believe. after all"
Mary Kyle Dallas in New York Led
ger.
Burne-Jones' Greatest Work.