The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-29

the park powdered over with fine dust.
The children had been contumacious,
the lessons hard, the trustees unusual
~ exacting in their visit of inspection
that morning, and Miss Middleton, as
she united her bonnet-strings and sat
down in the one easy-chair that her
room afforded, drew a sigh Of mingled
relief and vexation.
Zone might as well be slave at
oncel" said Miss Middleton. "If were
man, I'd snap my fingers in their
faces, send in my resignation and go
out to Kansas to farm government
land, or weave corn-baskets, or make
my living in some other shape where
person can be independent. But, as
I'm a woman, / can't. I'm fond Of
children by nature, but / could have
cheerfully choked every young imp in
my class to-day. Now, all this isn't
the proper state of things. I'm the
wrong woman in the right place-the
square block of humanity in the round
hole"
Miss Middleton looked at herself in
the glass. She was fat, fair and thirty
six, with here and there silver thread
shining in her braids and incipient
crows-feet at the corners of her bright,
hazel eyes.
81 ought to have been marrled," said
Miss Middleton, vaguely following up
the current of her ideas But what is
girl to do when the men don't know
what they're about? And, dear me, I
never had but one offer, and that was
from poor Dick Brandegee, who couldn't
even support himself, let alone a wife.
He died in the lunatfc asylum last year.
Perhaps he would have died there
sooner if he had married me-
"What is it, Mrs. Moscovitz?'-to the
landlady of the boarding house. "a
boy to see meP What on earth does q
boy want to see me for?"
Hes been here twice, Miss Middle
ton," said the landlady, pursuing up ner
thin lips. ''And I've seen him through
the basement windows Arranging round
the airy, and 1 am free to say as sent
Caroline to bring me the spoon-basket
and the silver tray, for he amt exactly
what you would call an ornamental
member of society,""
''Send him in," said Miss Middleton,
brusquely; and tall, ungainly lad of
fifteen or whereabouts slouched into
the room, ragged, dusty and wearing
shoes which scarcely covered his feet.
''Ohl" said Miss Middleton, recogniz-
ing former member of her class in
the public school cts Benny Pole,
isn't it? Yes, I'm sure it's Benny, now.
And what can you possibly want with
me, Benny Pole?"
please, IN, l want to borrow five
dollars" answered the ungainly youth.
'Oh!" said Miss Middleton, satir-
ically. Wouldn't five hundred do as
well?''
please, m, haven't never had no
buck since they turned me out of school
for laughing because Squire Hopkins
sneezed his spectacles off his nose" said
Benny, dolorously. Il got place to a
grocers, but my errand-basket was
stole, and / tried newspapers on the
express train, and fell off the last car
and hurt my ankle SO as I've hmped
ever since. And they say I'm too big to
learn a trade and too little to go out for
days work"
well, said Miss Middleton, land how
can prevent all this accumulation of
misfortune?"
please, m" said Benny, piteously,
you was always good to me. l
haven't got friend in the world, ex-
cept it's mother and You"
"Humph!' said Miss Middleton.
That's taking good deal for granted"
And" went on Benny, slow
" turning the ragged brin
of his battered straw hat
around and around in his two hands.
"there's fellow drives q tin-wagon
out into the country-a peddler-and if
I could raise five dollars to go partners,
he'd let me drive for him, and have half
OF whatever ! make"
Benny" said Miss Middleton, Sc
verely, you are trading on the good
nature of your fellow-creatures- Now,
what are you and your tin-peddling
cart to me, that should deliberately
ICE you a fve-dollar bill?"
Benny's countenance fen
Il didn't hardly 'spect You would,
ma'am," said he, but hadn't no one
else to go to- l humbly beg pardon,
ma'am. for intruding."
And he was shutting away, when
Miss Middleeon's kind heart mlsgaVe
her, and the words of the Bible flashed
into her memory: "'one of the least OF
these-one of the least of these'"
Benny said she, brusquely-
The lad halted.
s.Cnrae hackr,