Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-09-10
THE "CUSHI0N STORY"
What Jen Found in Her Strange
Legacy.

NN''a - NV 'H'''hL " 49, ~
drawl, had an accent now kcener and
sharper than Jcn 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 haG
long been used to regarding Teddy in
the light of an abject slave to all hen
caprices, and this faint sign of disap.
probation startled her.
well 7tddy Barry Jen said, turn
ing full around.
That's the name said the undis-
concerted Ted, Il 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, and cook for her, and read to her.
Oh. | know, Jen, 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"
Tcd's harangue was over. He
clasped his strong bronzcd hands back
of his head, and looked to jcu for an
answer. She was a slim slip Of II 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 %stcp-uncle, old John Barry,
and since her aunt's death a year ago
had kept house for him. Ted, brought
up with her from childhood, had Just
returned after Il two years absence
west, Ia find i'll health, worry Of mind,
and advancing age had 50 enfecblcd his
uncle that the old homestead was now
in the hands of a man only waiting for
his date to foreclose.
Ted" said ,lrn. very gravclv, do
you think if yuu were 4 poor lonely old
woman, you would like TO be miyyly
deserted? You know Nine. Daprc
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 bot,lo fine
day set for the wedding. She was
looking for hi, people. She couldn't
find them, She is so sick and poor"
Teddy's face was decidedly gcnticr
in expression by this time. '',lcn." he
said, smiling in his slow way. YOU'RE
all right. It's only that | know how
hard you work at home: and when |
see you going down to spend your leis-
urc over the French lady well, it goes
against me
IN be back to tea for sure" said
Jcn, because"
As len hcsitatcd, Teddy supplement-
cd with a wicked but triumphant
laugh: ooh, Ha' Be,apgl' Does the
old miscr Ccr give you anythingt to cat?"
freddy Jen's eyes were grave with
r%cproach. DO you know she has Just
avery little money in an old silk glove?
take a few cents at a time, and spend
II Tor her on the harcNt ncccs,arics.
lherc have been times my heart has
"ched to think ! could not do more for
her,
hy TINS time the Stcp-cou>inS were in
the porch OF the Old farmhouse. 1t
was at the back, facing the garden
which they both had known and loved
from childhood. .lcn's bed of valley
lilies, her sWeet-pea vines. the long
strlp OF box border, belonging to her
earliest recollection; and where the
bean poles stood near an old plum tree
was the place made years ago Tor a
special planting of radishes, which
'en' Il S~lX-year-old girl, had declared
Would thrive best there! Teddy and
hie mad been so proud of that special
garden gwen them long ago, The real
farm lands stretched below-rich, fer
tile' beautiful to see, save for that one
lact mat they lay under the dreadful
welSht OF Dalls mortgage.
Poor old garden sighed Jcn.
well, Teddy, we'll have to do the best
we can, suppose, when we leave it,"
Ted watched the girls slim upright
young figure down the road a few mo-
ments in silence. His western venture
had proved unsuccessful, but through no
lani' OF nus At twenty he had, sorely
against his will, given up his chosen
career in lite-ciril engineering-to set
.'e matters on the old farm, after which
he went back to the west, resuming
work under hampered conditions. All
ms savings hao oeen sunk IN trying to
HIS uhcie from his bondage.
nc h"u returned 10 ma Hiram Dali
'ea'S anu ANXIOUS 10 loreclose at once.
meanwhile Jenny had reached the
oriugc Whlcn spanned a small brook
near oiu NINE Dnpres lodgings.
ieit as 'hough a step from child
i'oou 10 Womans Kingdom had been
'aNen Since she hau learned the actual
when had confronted her
nome me- ana IKE many another girl
placed the question: What
,ra i"o' was uppermost In her mind.
'e were her himple fingers ready
..' ,ne neeoue' 'here was her farming
uailyworH was a specially with
5ne was young strong, unham-
teu ny nerves OF 1oollsh fancies.
o"g"tto 90 something" Jen thought,
auoioiy' and lifted her eyes,
Win Il deep, earnest look in them, to