Nevada County picayune., 1891-06-18
HER GODFATHER.

Two dollars and forty cents '" Hester sad bitterly. It lay upon the table before her in pile of pen nies and small pieces of silver, and over it bent two faces, Hester Wright's and her mothers; faces that had been fair and beautiful, but were pallid with sorrow and the pri- vations of two years of grinding pov- erty.
 Not all at once had they fallen down the slope from wealth to want although the first crushing blow had thrown them far along the road. From a luxurious home to small one from that to boarding house ]; from one to another, each poorer than the last, to room in a tene- mcnt house, until they were at last in bare cold attic so scantily furnish ed that the very emptiness was chill ing. They had, at last, reached the point where actual begging or star vation stared them in the face.
 If we invest the forty cents in charcoal, l." Hester said in the same low, bitter tone in which she had first spoken, 1.-two dollars wont pay our funeral expenses.
 Hester Don't dearl' her moth- CT said, in a voice of sorrow, but without one echo of the ring that was in her daughters. "Don't, God will not desert Us.
 "People do starve!" was the quick reply. And then with a vail indescribable in her voice, she said Il could bear it alone could work, starve, die But to see you suffer is more than l can endure. My heart is breaking"
 She threw herself into her mothers arms as she spoke, sobbing violent ly. A creature of impulse, of quick, sudden change of mood, she wept for few moments, and then stood erect, flashing back the tears.
 Il will try once more," she said. ''Givc me two cents, mother, to buy newspaper. will answer every advertisement.
 She took from closet shabby, black shawl and heavily vailed crape bonnet and began to put them on.
 My dirthday, too! she said, pres ently buttoning her well-worn boots. am twcnty-one to day!'
 And as she spoke there was a knock upon the door, and basket was handed in; a shallow, round bas- ket mled with ilowors--roses. of very fragrant blossom of various kinds buried in soft moss and tender green leaves. Upon the top lay card.
 Harry" Hester said, hot tears failing upon the blooming gift that lighted up even that dull room. s.Oh! he should not do so! Think what that has cost and he works so hard :"
 "EIe will never learn economy" Y" Mrs. Wright said, gently; and he loves you so well, Hetty."
 "Our one friend" the girl re- piled.
 Say rather, your true lover!" sad her mother,
 Though he has good cause to hate me !"
 And kissing her mother tcndcrly, Hester went out, down the marrow, bare staircase, into the street, where sharp October wind brought dreary promise of winters coming, X tall, handsome girl, whose mean attire could not render vulgar, she bore herself, even in her heart-sick mis- cry, like aqueen, carrying her shape ly head with unconscious hateaur her chance of obtaining work She had no learned yet Go humble her self in ma"upr. even though her heart burned with bitter humiliation the humiliation of shame.
 Shame, because two years before, her father, who had reigped as a millionaire, had been detected in fraudulent dealings that led on and on through the mire of dishonesty fagery. misrepresentation aud breach of trust, til, n prisou-celI he committed suicide.