The Opelousas courier., 1892-04-23
ALICE'S STRATAGEM.
by HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

ny HELEN FORREST GRAVES.
"I think it's the coolest morning 0
the year,
Alice Austin had come in with cheeks
d~eep.dyed with crimson and a thin shaw
twisted tightly around her slim, white
throat.
She had made haste with her simple
marketing, in order to get back before
Billy and Karl wen. to school, for Josey,
the poor, crippled sister, was quite help
less, and little Paula was not old or big
enough to be of much use.
Josey looked up with a smile. Paula
brought a kitten, which she found ON
the tenement house stairway.
MAY l keep it, Aiice2n she pleaded.
'tIt's so little and it's so hungry, and it
does want to play with a piece OF string
so bad!'
While Karl ran to peep into the
basket.
"Breadf7 said he, dolefully, esand a
neck of mutton, and a bunch Of soup
greens. Stew again! Oh, Alice, can't
we have something else? I'm SO tired of
stcw!'
YOU'D be still more tired Of being
hungry, wouldn't you, Karl? With five
mouths to feed, and SO little 0 a to
spare, | have to spend every cent TO the
best advantage"
"Bill Baflow's folks had corae1 beef
and cabbage for dinner yesterday, y said
Karl. ''My, but didn't it smell good!
And Henry Rock has roast goose
every Sunday. Why don't we have roast
goose, Alice?"
The elder sister looked down upon
his curly head.
How could she tell him that she had
emptied the worn leather purse that
morning, and that the question of the
morrow's dinner remained to her an un-
solved problem2
s'Get your books together, Karl, .
said she. cts half past eight. What
are you tumbIing the bureau drawer over
for, Billy2 I laid out your clean stock
ings."
Billy colored to the roots of his strong
growing, toW-tinted hair.
81 was huntin' to see if there wasn't
a single shirt waist there without a
patch, !" said he. aBut there amt. I've
fought two fellows already for calling
me Tag, Rag and Bobtail.'n
"0h, Billy, you shouldn'tin sighed
Alice. "What does it matter what they
call you9 Pm sorry about the shirt
waists; aud some day Ill buy calico
enough for a new one. Make haste, now.
or you boys will be Late
Not until the boys were gone, and
Paula safely playing with her kitten By
the stove, did Alice Austin unfold her
budget of troubles and trials to the sweet
faced sister who was a sort of second
self to her.
sJosey, said she, 'Tve bad news for
you.n
g knew something was wrong, said
Josey, quietly. Il saw it in your face
last night
"There's no more demand for the
worsted hoods you are knitting
"But perhaps / can get some other
work to do said Josey, hopefully.
That's what / thought. But tie fore
says they have more women now than
they can supply with work. ] tried some
other places; but its no use. They're
all full. And that isn't the worst Of il.
I've lost my place IN the factoryin
"0h, Alice!n
aMr. Sutton told me, last night, that
they wouldn't need nc any more. sighed
Alice. 'But | couldn't bring myself TO
tell you just then. He has never liked
nue. since complained to the firm about
his injustice to the poor French girl who
couldn't speak enough oil our language
TO defend herself. | knew this would
come sooner or later. Only it's rather
hard to be thrown out of work ii mid
winter. And haven't one penny left.n
Aliee's head dropped; a tear slipped
from the nut-brown fringe of her
iashes, and fell among the coarse leeks
and carrots that she was Shedding up
the mueh-despised stew. Josey
reached out to stroke her cheek.
Don't fret, dear,n said she. ssSome-
thing is sure to turn up. We shall have
take Billy out of school and put him
to work. Karl is bright boy, and could
sell newspapers. As for me-you know
Eve always thought / should be better ii
q hospital than b~urdeaing you here
"Neverl' Alice sprang to her feet
suddenly that the Ieeks and carrots
all about the floor. .sYou in q
hospitali Billy losing his chance of edu-
Little Karl turned adrift in the
I'd sooner so out serabbing by
the dayfn
AT all events" soothed Josey.
you've enough bread and meat for the
next t~Wenty-four hours; aud there's !
Of coal in the b,x, and rent
lay il two weeks OF. Who knows what
may happen before thcn2
Just IL that moment, Mrs. Serge-the
woman who had the down stairs back
com, and made jet trimmings to order
or dressmakers-called up the stairway:
lou amt gone Jet, Hiss Anstin?n
aid she. ~ glad d that. / was goin
. ask you to leave d note fer my niece,
agatha Alice, at Mo- Fifth avenue,
u yoalr way. Sne mad part promised to
q there to nurse 4 grippe patient, but
d. Denis wanted her somewhere else,
md she'd ruther 90 Tor Dr. Denis than
~ one else. Is'pose they'll Be disap,