The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-11-21
THE "CUSHION STORY"
What Jen Found In Her Strange
Legacy.


sharper than Jen was accustomed to.
She was pinning on her hat in front of
the kitchen mirror, while Teddy, his
long legs dangling down, sat on the
edge of the table, regarding his step
cousin with an expression in which
surprise and annoyance were mingled
Jen's face reflected the look. She had
long been used to regarding Teddy in
the light of an abject slave TO all her
caprices, and this faint sign of disap-
probation startled her.
"Well Teddy Barry!" Jen said, turn.
ing full around.
That's the name," said the undis-
concerted Ted. II was only wonder
ing, my child, why you wasted SO much
time over that old French woman. You
broil yourself every day going down
there to make up her room, and wash
her, aud cook for her, and read TO her.
Oh. ! know, Jcn, you're always back
when the milk comes in to do your duty
here; but what hurts me is that you
seem TO feel it equally your mission in
life to waste your sweet strength on
her"
clasped his strong bronzed hands back
of his head, and looked to Jen for an
answer. She was slim slip of girl,
not quite eighteen, but there was a
look in her fearless gray eyes and some
thing in the curve of her very sweet but
proud young lips which made one feel
instinctively that she not only had the
Courage of her convictions" but she
had weighed those convictions before
accepting them. She was the niece of
Teddy's step-uncle, old John Barry,
and since her aunt's death year ago
had kept house for him. Ted, brought
up with her from childhood. had just
returned after two years absence
west, tn find i'll health, worry of mind,
and advancing age had so enfee bled his
uncle that the old homestead was now
in the hands of n man only waiting for
his date TO foreclosc.
Ted" said Jen, very gravely, "do
you think If you were poor lonely old
woman, you would like to be entirely
! desertedp You know Mmc. Dupre
came here first trying to find some of
her old friends. Her daughter was to
have been married during the war, and
the officer was shot down in battle the
day set for the wedding. She was
looking for his people. She couldn't
| find them. She is so sick and poor"
Teddy's face was decidedly geptler
in expression by this time. 'Jen," he
said, smiling in his slow way. you're
all right. It's only that know how
hard you work at home; and when
sec you going down to spend your leis-
ure over the French lady-well, it goes
against me-"
"Ill be back to tea for sure" said
Jen, because"
As Jen hesitated, Teddy supplement-
ed with a wicked but triumphant
laugh: "Oh. Jeni Becdusei Does the
old miser eoer give you anything to eat?'
Teddy" Jen's eyes were grave with
reproach. .Do you know she has just
very little money in an old silk glove?
take few cents at time, and spend
il for her on the barest necessaries.
There have been times my heart has
ached TO think could not do more for
her."
BY this time the step-cousins were in
the pofch Of the old farmhouse. II
was at the back. facing the garden
which they both had known and loved
from childhood. Jen's bed of valley
lilies, her sweet-pea vines, the long
strip of box border, belonging to hei
earliest recollection; aud where the
bean poles stood near an old plum tree
was the place made years ago for q
special planting of radishes, which
Jen, n six-year-old girl, had declared
would thrive best there! Teddy ano
she had been so proud of that specia
garden given them long ago! The rea
farm lands stretched below-rich, fer
tile, beautiful to see, save for that ont
fact that they lay under the dreadful
weight Of Dall's mortgage.
Poor old gardcn!" sighed Jen
"Well, Teddy, we'll have TO do the bes
we can, suppose, when we leave it.
Ted watched the girls slim uprigh
young figure down the road few mo
ments in silence. His western ventur
had proved unsuccessful, butthroneh m
fault of his. At twenty he had, sorel.
against his will, given up his cbose'
career in life-civil engineering-to set
Tic fuaNteTS on tDc Olu ldlI III, aieSi "hiSi
he went back 10 the west. resumini
work under hampered conditions. Al
his savings had been sunk in trying I
extricate his uncle from his bondage
He had returned to find Hiram Dal
ready and anxious TO foreclose at once
Meanwhile Jenny had reached tn
bridge which spanned small broo
near old Mime. Dupre's lodging:
= She felt as though a step from chile
hood to woman's kingdom had bee
taken since she had learned the actu'
emergency which had confronted he
!, home life, and like many another gil
5 similarly placed the question: "Whs
> can Ido?" was uppermost in her mint
. There were her nimble fingers read
with the needle; there was her farmin
life-dairywork was q speciality wit
her. She was young, strong, unhan
= percd by NERVES" or foolish fancies.
"I ouOhfto do somethinp" ,Jcn though