Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-09-13
THAT PRETTY LITTLE s|MPLET0N
Bv vIRGIE E. HARRIS
DetroH Free Press.

What silly littls thing she was , Hs'
how pretty! All smiles and ain pa
rosy cheeks and fluffy brown hair, sna
ing laughing blue eyesl thougns, o.
sat opposite her that day In the sllee et
car, and heard her glrlish pratlie ~ sn 81
l had never seen such comoinaV'o ~ al.
Stiffness and prettinsss. Her siiIy on- ..
ter provoked me desperately, lor I NC" .So
intensely interested in an article IN 1ne
last Medical Journal which had oireo'
bearing on complicated case "as so
ing that morning to treat. An acciuenS
that morning to one of my horses anu q
stupid blunder of ny coachman hao
forced me to take tn, car, ana leIe a'
cross as bear, and boxed so, l know,
for when I caught her eye she eosseu
her silly little head and turned away
with a pout. I heard enough aooue
papa, balls, the opera, etc, TO guess
that she was an idoliled, only chllu' anu
something of belle. AS was too ola 10
ignore the vacuum in her head, Tor the
sake of the pretty face, | was much re-
lieved when Dora ppertield-as ment-
allv STYLED her-and her friend left the
car. 1t was strange, but after that hrst
chance meeting, was constantly meet
ing Dora. l caught glimpses OF her
nesting down In the cushions, as her
carriage dashed with fash and gilt
ter by nv Office. At the opera the 1ates
threw me in her neighborhood. one was
with fat, ponpous looking m'uule :,
aged man whom / took to be her papa.
I mentally dubbed him sold money,
bags" and hated him as heartily as uiu
his daughter-he looked so complacent
and listened with such evident relish 10
her ceaseless, silly prattle. II l couid
have become suddenly metomorphoSeu
into Mr.. Hyde, would have strahsieu
them both with much satisfactlon' lol
Marguerite was singing most dlViheiy
and all the while her prattle went on,
like the babbling brook sever, ever,
while old money-bags encouraged heI
with his chuckle OF appreciation Az
the theatres, lectures, in fact every
where I went there was the ubiquitous
Dora, with her silly prattle and throng
of admirers. So pretty and so SHY!
But nv displeasure and disapprobation
did not in the least disturb Dora; IN
fact, | think she was never conscious OF
nv presence after that day in the car.
One day l was summoned In great
haste to the bedside of patient whom
had attended few times before. she
and her daughter lived in quarter OF
the city to which my practice seldom
called me, and among people ! only
served for sweet charity'S sake. Though
these two were as poor as many az
tended free 1 could not dare refuse the
fee they promptly rendered after each
visit. OF them knew nothing further
than that they were ladies'
There was proud indepena-
ence, a dignifed reticence that con-
manded my respect. ! was much st-
tracted by them both; the mother was
refined and gentle, and bore with forl-
tude her sufferings; the daughter was
beautiful, proud, digniiied, and bravely
independent. l was anxious to help
them, but the opportunity for doing so
delicately and without risk OF offending
had never yet presented itself, and pot
for nv right hand would | have Offended
their brave, proud, retcent poverty.
But on this visit the evidences OF poverty
were even greater. The room was very
bare, evidently they had been forced to
pawn many necessary articles. The
daughter was pale and thin and some.
thing like despair shone, In the beautiful
dark eyes. found Mrs. Trevor very
weak and low. After had prescribed
for her sat like "Mlcawber," hoping
something would turn up"-that there
would be some opening in the converse
tion where might safely offer aid. l
could not leave them in such destitu-
ton. must help them-this was not
their place and sphere, and they must
be lifted out by some means. The
mother was too weak to talk, and Miss
Trevor was too much absorbed IL her
own sad thoughts for conversation, so
must take the dilemma by the horns.
"Have you been taking wine as | pre-
scribed, Mrs. Trevor? You are much
weaker than when l saw you last, and l
had hoped the wine would have built
up your strength"
Miss Trevor seemed to struggle with
herself. A burning blush suffused her
face and neck. At last she raised her
head proudly, and with defiant air
looked me full and steadily in the eye,
as she said in low voice without q
culver:
mo, Doctor Heathcote. We were
not able to follow your prescription
fully. The wine you sent to mother
was of great benefit to her, and was
able to supply it, also, until last week,
when she was taken much worse, re-
curing my unremitting attention,
which forced me to stop sewing, my
only means of support. But had just
finished some work for young lady,
and as she owed me $50, l trusted to
that TO tide me over, until / could re-
sumo work, But l have been unable to
collect tie money, and we are penni-
less"
Bravely said, my beautiful Spartan! l
thought, as l looked at the fine, pale
face with its troubled eyes, The Spar
tan youth, with the wolf gnawing at his
vitals, suffered less than you did in max
ing this confession. Behind that mar
BILE calmness, my beautiful Galetea.
what o Vesuvius must be throbbing and
seething in your heart and brainl In
jurles and injustice that you can't for
get-neglect and GOODNESS from those
who should have befriended you!
eyes, DOCTOR" said Mrs. Trevor,
''Helen kept her troubles from me as
long as she could, and has allowed me
to want for nothing, but falling to COL
lect the money due her has been a great
hardship. The poor child has not
tasted food since yesterday"
She covered her face with her hands
and the tears trickled down through the
thin fingers.
l turned like one shot and stared at
that beautiful girl, standing so quiet
and composed. Starving, starvingi She,
fit to be a queen, aud suffering for