Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-09-03

under her feet, and with q cry OF
alarm she staggered forward. and,
losing her balance, went plunging
down the stairs head first. That was
all she knew for some time, for she
lost consciousness. and when she
opened her eyes again she found her.
self lying at the foot OF the stairs with
all the eggs in the little basket broken,
and a sprained ankle; while large
gray cat, the cause OF her fall, sat
near her. complacently purring. Mar
gerry tried to stand, but found she could
not use her foot. And then she be-
came aware that it had grown very
dark. and that thunder was rolling
heavily. She dragged herself to the
barn door and looked out. Big drops
OF rain were beginning to fall, and
they fell faster and faster. In almost
less time than it takes to tell it the
storm burst in all its fury. Margery
looked toward the house. She could
see that the windows OF the spare
room were open.
'Hetty has forgotten to shut them :"
she cried aloud. "The carpets will be
ruined-the curtains. too. Aunt Bar.
bara will be so angry-oh! oh!' Then
the thought flashed across her mind
that Aunt Barbara would see that
Hetty was not to be trusted, either.
1t would serve Hetty right. One
moment she let these wicked thoughts
take possession OF her mind, then q
sudden sense OF shame and disgust
with herself came over her and she
rose to one foot and began to hop
toward the house. But she could not
hop very far. she grew so tired, and
when less than half way had to get
down on her hands and knees and
crawl the rest OF the way. dragging
her injured foot, which had become
very painful. She reached the house
at last. drenched to the skin, and
crawled into the parlor and spare room,
and closed the windows. The rain
was beginning to drive in at fearful
rate. She was only just in time to
save the carpets and curtains from a
thorough soaking. Then she crawled
back to the kitchen again and got off
her shoe and stocking. Her foot had
begun to swell, and rs soon as posi-
BILE she got it into a tub OF warm water.
She was sitting there shivering in her
wet clothes when the door opened and
Hetty came in. why. Margery!"
she cried. what is the matter? Have
you hurt yourself?" Yes; / fell
down the barn stairs and sprained nv
ankle" "Oh, I'm so sorry. But how
wet you are! What made you come
in, in all this rain?" Il came in to
shut the windows in the parlor and
spare room. knew Aunt Barbara
would feel dreadful if the carpets and
curtains got wet" For a moment
Hetty was silent. She walked to the
window and stood looking out at the
rain. Then suddenly she wheeled
around, her face flushed, her eyes q
little misty.
"MSsgery Drill, don't talk about
people pretending to be saints" she
said huskily. "You are one. I for
got all about those windows, was 80
taken up with that book" Il knew
you'd forgotten them. That was the
reason l made up my mind I'd get in
here somehow and shut them" Not
many girls would have done it, though,
under the circumstances, said Hetty.
Il don't believe would have done it,
for one. I've treated you horribly,
Margery. It's a wonder you didn't
take this chance to pay me back" IL
did think OF doing it-just at first"
ut would have been miracle If YOU
hadn't. But I'll never be mean to Won
again. Margery. I'll show you that l
can be nice II choose to try. know
you don't like me. but I'm going to
make you like me before l leave here
SEQ il / don't" "Oh, Hetty, I do
like you when you talk like that. It's
only-only that you've seemed to look
down on me, somehow" well l
can't look down on you now, as gen.
erous and forgiving as you've been
about those windows. Now I'm going
to bind up your foot and get some dry
clothes on you. You'll be sick in bed
If you don't look out"
The storm was not of long duration.
and when Miss Barbara came in at 6
o'clock she found Margery lying on
the old SOFA directing Hetty about
preparation OF supper. They seemed
very happy. and Margery made light
OF the accident which had befallen her.
"Hetty says she'll do all the waiting
on me as long as I'm laid up" she
said smiling. Yes. and gather the
eggs and feed the chickens and cut the
roses and be generally second Mar
gerry" said Hetty. Seems to me you
two have got to be awful good friends
all Of sudden" said Miss Barbara,
looking keenly first at one then at the
other. 1T may be sudden. but it's
going to last" said Hetty: you see if it
don't" And it did. 1t proved so sweet
friendship that Hetty forgot entirely
that Margery was utterly without
style or tone. and that she had felt
ashamed of having such cousin"
She thought only OF Margery's virtues.
She's cousin to be proud Of" she
said now. And Miss Barbara never
knew that her clever niece forgot on
the day of the storm to close those
windows Herald