The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-05-24
Mrs. Northup'S ledger.
After Weary Wandering She Walked
Through a Flower Decked Paradise.
BY AUGUSTA LARNED,
tcopwiqht-Au Rights Reserged.)

over from the right of Holders pigeon
cotes, three black and two white. How
superstitious she had grownl What a
poor, feeble minded creaturel And she
almost laughed aloud at her folly.
Miss March was not a very strong
minded young woman, I am sorry to say.
She put considerable faith in a number
of foolish little signs and omens. She
did not Like to see the new moon over her
left shoulder, or to pass under a ladder,
or to break looking glass With an
imaginative temper she had an instinct
i've belief in presentiments. Now, the
little cold shudder that ran down her
spine betokened bad news, and she
walked dejectedly into the postofice.
The clerk at the window knew her face
and gave her glance of recognition as
he pushed out large, bulky envelope
Miss March's hand trembled as she
reached it forth, and there was terrible
sinking sensation, as If her young limbs
had suddenly given way and refused to
sustain her. She thrust the sad, telltale
packet into the pocket of her gown, as if
afraid the loungers about the postofice
might guess that her story had been re-
jected. poor Williei poor Willier' she
kept saying to herself. Never again
would she doubt the truth of PRESENT.
ments.
She hardly knew how she got through
the long passage to the street or down
the steps without falling, things looked
SO dark to her young eyes, and a feeling
Of despair was in her heart. The morn
ing sun had mounted higher and was
casting down broad waves of steamy
heat. The smell of the Jue1e roses in the
gardens made her faint. She made
long detour on the way home, not know
ing just where she was going, careless
of the crossings and turnings, but with
an inward necessity of keeping on her
feet. She passed the little bake shop I'M
needing where she was accustomed to
buy her breakfast rolls; for the walk to
the postofice was taken before the morn
ing meal, and on her return she habitu-
ally fired up her little oil stove, boiled
water for her coffee and cooked an egg.
But now all thought of breakfast had
gone out of her head with the total de-
parture of appetite. She wandered along,
feeling nothing but the acuteness of her
disappointment, that sent a coldness
through her limbs and made her fingers
chilly until she woke up out Of this
blacHness Of darkness, this dumb and
fearless misery, to find herself in poor,
i'll smelling part of the Irish quarter,
where the untidy houses stood close to-
gether, and children with bare feet and
unwashcd faces were hanging about the
doors Among these stood tiny cottage
with white curtains and morning glory
vines at the windows, and in front a
neat bed of nasturiums and scarlet ge-
raniums. The Yankee thrift Of the little
house was in such marked contrast to
the other tenements in which it was
bedded. Miss March glanced at it with
a feeble ray of interest. A tail, thin
old woman in faded double gown and
slippers, with long, gray curls, was out
in the yard watering her plants and
plucking away the dead leaves A GER
tain gentility and elegance, an air of old
fashioned grace and good breeding chung
TO the old lady's figure. and printed its
image on Edith's memory. For a mo-
ment the trouble seemed to melt away
from her heart, and she turned her steps
dejectedly toward Fords alley.
Mrs. Northup, that discerning woman,
had been looking out for her young
ledger. She saw her approach, and said
to herself: 'sShe's had blow of some
kind, poor thing. She looks perfectly
beat down and discouraged. The land
lady's ample person filled the doorway,
and her broad smile had a ray of warmth
and human kindness
"Come right in and breakfast with me,
was the greeting she gave to Edith.
"You look tired and warm from your
walk, and Margery will be so glad to
have you eat with US. / never saw
child that loved company as she does.
Northup had to get off on the early run
and we are just sitting down. There
are plenty of strawberries, and have
made fresh cup of coffee"
Miss March could not resist her land
lady's pleading. She went languidly
into the neat little dining room, where
the table was set out with its snowy
cloth. The fatal package in her pocket
weighed like lead, and she suspected
Mrs. Northup of having detected its pres
ence through the folds of her gown.
Margery came from the garden, and
sided up to Miss March with bunch
of old fashioned cinnamon roses in her
hand, and was made happy by being
allowed to fasten them to the young
lady's bodice.
81 never did see Margery take to any
body as she has to you" said the proud
mother. 81 hope you got good news,
miss, from your brother"
mo, did not hear from him today.
He is up at Tamerack camp, in the North
Woods, and several miles from a post
office"
81 guess he don't know how hard you
work and how late you sit up nights.
You are looking real pale and worn, as I
say to Northup; for you know, miss,
folks can't live together in the same
house like sticks and stones. They have
eyes, and hearts, too. hope"
Miss March received this suggestive
little dig from her landlady with becom-
ing meekness
sYou are mistaken, Mrs. Northup.
am very strong and enduring. have
always been the healthy one Of our fam