Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-07-04

| KIM OF a ltAItT las CDulE.
Miss March went slowly up Grove
street toward the center Of the town
breathing the early morning freshness.
She, too, was thinking Of the letter or no
letter that lay at the end Of her walk to
the p~ostofice with a kind Of shivery
dread, half hoping it would not be there,
that the matter might still hang in
doubt, and the fatal day be put of to
give her courage TO go on with the work
She walked very slowly up the street.
lingering like a truant ~schoolboy who
breads the feruling ne Is sure to get at
last. If only the letter should not be
there the chances would seem brighter.
She had dreamed the night before Of q
ship sailing before the wind. A bad
sign. But now a flock Of PIGEONS came
over from the right of Holders pigeon
| cotes. three black and two white. How
supersti6ous she had grown! What a
poor, feeble minded creature! And she
almost laughed aloud at her folly.
Miss March was not a very strong
minded young woman, am sory TO say.
She put considerable faith in a number
! Of foolish little signs and omens She
did not like 70 see the new moon over her
left shoulder, OF 70 pass under a ladder,
or 70 break a looking glass. With an
imaginative temper she had an instinct
i've belief in presentments Now, the
little cold shudder that ran down her
spine betokened bad news. and she
walked dejectedly into the postofhce
The clerk at the window knew her face
and ave her a glance of recognition a
he pushed out a large, bulky envelope.
Mis- March's hand trembled as she
reached it forth, and there was a 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 p~Ostofice
might guess that her story had been re
jected. Poor Willie! poor Willie~ she
kept saying 70 herself. Never again
would she doubt the truth Of PRESENT.
ments.
She hardly knew how she got through
the long, passage 70 the street or down
the steps without falling, things looked
so dark 10 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
neat The smell Of the June roses in the
gardens made her faint She made a
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 IN
needing where she was accustomed to
- - - Ill. e. 81 u-u1E 80
the postofice was taken before the morn
ing meal. and on her return she habitu-
ally fred up her little oil stove, boiled
water for her coffee and cooked an egg.
But now all thought Of breakfast had
gone U Of her head with the total de-
parture of appetite. She wandered along,
feeling nothing but the acuteness Of her
disappointment, that sent a GOODNESS
through her limbs and made her fingers
chilly until she woke up out Of this
blackness Of darkness, this dumb and
fearless misery, to find herself in a poor,
i'll smelling part Of the Irish quarter,
where the untdy houses stood close to
gether, and children with bare feet and
unwashed faces were hanging about the
doors Among these stood a tiny cottage
with white curtains and morning glory
vines at the windows, and in front a
neat bed Of nasturiums and scarlet ge-
raniuma 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 tall, thin
old woman in faded double gown and
slippers, with long, gray curk, vas out
in the yard watering her plants and
pluchng way the dead leaves. A car
tain gentihty 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
meut the trouble seemed 10 melt away
from her heart, and she turned her steps
dejectedly toward Ford's alley.
Mrs. Northup, that discerning woman,
had been looking out for her young
lodger. She saw her approach, and said
TO herself: shes had a blow of some
kind, poor thing. She looks perfectly
beat down and discouraged" The land
lady's ample person filed 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 20 Edith.
"You look tired and warm from your
walk, and Margery viii De so glad TO
have You eat with rs. / never saw a
child that loved company as she does.
Northup had to get off Of the early run
and we are just sitting down. There
are plenty Of strawberries. and ! have
made a 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
Ms. Northup Of having detected its pres
ence through the folds Of her gown.
Margery came from the garden, and
sided mp 20 Miss March with a bunch
Of old fashioned cinnamon roses in her
! bapd and v-ag made hauuv bv baing