St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-02-20

Polly was conceited, and Liza, hyper
sensitive, scented patronage.
II amt going to tell yer she said.
Then, with swift contradiction, "his first
| name was Charlie
"Was he handsome?" asked Polly,
pinching her eighbor under the table, so
that the latter, a high-colored, coarse
looking girl, gave q little squeak.
81 never see anybody better looking
said Liza, with promptitude. "He wasn't
any of your pink, dolly men," PolIy's
favored sutton happened to be fair.)
H was dark and his nose was straight,
like a gentleman's, and his teeth was
white, and" eliza warmed to her sub
iect) che used to wear AIRED silk tie with
pin in it And" she went on, 'he always
gave me lots of prcsents-lots, and he
loved me so, as he couldn't bear me out
of his sight Oh" she cried excitedIy,
"he did love me, and we was so happy,
keepin' company, and he was a-goin' to
marry me- She paused abruptly.
Indeed, her shrill voice had got almost
beyond her control.
"What did he die of?' asked one of
the girls, with genuine compassion in her
tones.
Liza looked at her-gasped- hesitated
q moment-then rose and pushed back
her chair.
"That don't matter to no one" she
said, in a hard voice that yet had a catch
in it. "He's dead, and that's enough;
and you needn't any of you ever talk to
me about him. So there!" And she
went back into the laundry.
There was moments silence. Miss
Calender sat looking thoughtful; then
she rose and followed Liza into the next
room, closing the door. The other girls
regarded one another with some surprise.
Liza was usually silent and was consid-
cred morose, but her atfliction had made
them kind to her in their rough way,
though she was certainly not faverto
among them. But now that they real
lied that she had romance in her life
the love of sentiment, which is in every
woman, made them feel sympathy for
her hitherto unknown.
Liza was standing by her washtub,
and she had already plungedin her hands
and begun to vigorously soap one from
the heap of towels she had to wash. Her
lips were set tight together, her bosom
was heaving, and tear had rolled down
her cheek and dropped off it on her
coarse apron. She put up her arm, her
hands being soapy, and laid her elbow
across her eyes for minute.
"Eliza,' said soft voice, in accents
more tender than she was wont to hear,
so that her name sounded quite musical.
She looked up.
"Eliza," said Miss Calender again,
and then she came close up to the girl,
and drew her toward her.
Liza was unused to any such demon
stration. Perhaps that was why she
half pulled herself away.
"My DEAR said Miss Calender, "we
must be great friends, you and |, for we
have sorrow in common. Nothing
binds people So close together as to be
linked by mutual trouble. Two years
ago | was engaged to be married, and he
who was to have been my husband was
was shot, in Afghanistan.'
ooh, Miss" cried Liza, "Oh, Miss "
$50 you see,'' said Miss Calender
softly, "you and | must be a comfort to
each other
Liza did not speak. She began to
pull at her apron-strings, then getting
them into knot, busted herself undoing
it.
at don't seem as | could do anytbink,"
she said presently. "Iou always seems
happy and bright-likc. You're mostly
smiling. | don t see how you can be it
when any one as has cared for yer has
died
"God helps me to be happy, said Miss
Calender simply. Besides, l have
many things to be grateful for
"Ah, there yer are" cried Liza, al
most passionateIy; "you amt poor and
lonely and hugly. You coui have love
if yer wanted to; you don't 90 longin
and longin', and a pain in y,.ur heart
mostwhiles. | wouldn't tell any O
them" (pointing to the door for they
wouldn't understand, but you amt like
them, and you won't make mock at me,
but there's times, specially in the even
ings, when | ache for some one to say
quite gontle-like to me, Liza and just
to look at me bit lovin. Why shouldn't
I have what others do? Cause | amt
pretty? Amt my heart as good as
Polly's there? Wouldn't be truer than
her? Maybe won't mind later on, but
| ain t so old now as all that come to.
And naturs natur, whether we're ladies
or poor girls. Amt it nat'r to want
to be loycd?'
GHOST natural, dear" said Miss Cal
lender to whom Liza was Just then a
revelation.
"Then," went on the girl, emboldened
by the sympathy which was rather in
manner than words, "when folks are
kind to me it's mostly pity as makes 'em;
and hate to be pitied. 1t amt be-
cause they wants me with EN-; there's
even some, suppose, us wouldn't care
to keep company with me in case folks
should stare. And, oh, m proud, am
I'm awfully proud. There's none so
proud as them as is despised, you
know"
81 don't despise you, Eliza said Miss
Calender, spontaneously. and I'm
sure others DON'T
eff | thought you liked me a bit, not
because you pitied me, Id be uncommon
glad" said Liza, shyly. 81 s'pose, she
went on, half-ashamed at her own conf
dences, at wouldn't make no manner O
difference to you, me likin' your
"Indeed it would" Miss Calender an
swered, and she bent forward and kissed
Liza on the forehead
Liza turned away quickly. II reckon
I'd better get on with my work, " she said,
huskily.
And at that minute the door was open
ed, and the others came trooping in. Miss
Calender exchanged a few words with
IL Al H.,