Feliciana sentinel., 1892-09-17
TIE "CUSHION STORY"
What Jen Found in Her Strange
Legacy.

Ieddy's voice, usually Il good-naturcd
drawl, had an accent now kecncr and
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 abjcct slave to all her
caprices, and this faint sign Of disap-
probation startled her.
well 7sddy Earry!' Jcn said, turn.
ing full around.
That's the nane," said the nndis-
concerted Ted. Il was only wonder
ing, my child, why you wasted 50 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 dety
here; but what hurts me is that you
seem to feel it equally your mission in
life to waste yonr sweet strength on
her"
Tcd's haranguc was o-er. He
of his head. and looked to Jcn for an
answer. She was Il slim slip Of girl,
not quite eighteen, but there was IL
look in her fearless gray eyes and some
thing in the curve of her very sweet but
proud young lips which made one feel
instinctive1y 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 :. two years absence
west, To find i'll health. worry OF mind,
and advancing age had SO cnfccblcd his
uncle that the old homestead was now
in the hands of man only waiting for
his date to forccloSe.
Ted" said Jcn, very Eravcly, "do
you think if you were 4 poor lonely old
woman, you would like to lie .ntireiy
deserted? You know Nine. 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!'
Tcddy's face WAS decidedly gcntler
in expression by this time. "Jcn," he
said, smiling in his slow way. You're
all right It's only that know how
hard you work Mt home; and when 1
see you going down to spend your leis-
ure over the French lady-weil. it goes
against me-
'I'll be back to tea FOR sure" said
Jen, ''bccause-"
AS Jcn hcsitatcd. Teddy supplement-
ed with wicked but triumphant
laugh: "Oh, Jen' Because! Docs the
old miser erer give you anything to eat?"
"Teddy.'' Jcn's eyes Were grave with
rcproach. do YOU know she has just
a very little money in an old silk glove?
! take u few cents at I. time. and spend
it for her on the barcst ncccSsaries.
There have been times my heart has
ached to th,n!, / could not do more for
her.
BY this time the stcp-cousins 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. Jcn'S bed of valley
lilies, her swect-pca vines. the long
strip 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 for 4
special planting of radishes, which
Jcn. six-year-old girl, had declared
would thrive best there! Teddy and
she had been SO proud of that special
garden given them long ago. The real
farm lands stretched bclow-rich. fer
tile, beautiful to see, save for that one
fact that they lay under the dreadful
weight of Dall's mortgage.
Poor old garden sighed Jen.
"Wcll, Teddy, we'll have to do the best
we can, l suppose. when we leave it,
Ted watched ting girls slim upright
Young figure down the road 4 few mo
ments in silence. His western venture
had proved unsuccessful. but through no
fault of his At twenty he had, sorely
against his will, given up his chosen
career in life-civil cnginccring-to set
tie matters on the old farm after which
he went back TO the west. rcsuming
work under hampered conditions. All
his savings had been sunk in trying to
cxtricate his uncle from his bondage.
He had returned to find Hiram Dali
ready and anxious to foreclosc at once.
Meanwhile Jenny had reached the
bridge which spanned small brook
near old Nine. DuPre':, lodgings.
She felt as though 4 step from child
hood to woman's kingdom had been
taken since she had learned the actual
emergency which had confronted her
home life, and like many another girl
similarly placed the question: what
can Ido?" was uppermost in her mind.
There were her nimble fingers ready
with the needle; there was her farming
life-dairywortS was 4 speciality with
h.r. She was young, strong, unham
nercd by nerves or foolish fancies.
.Iouoltto do something" Jen thought
almost audibly, and lifted her eyes
with a deep, earnest look in them, tc
orbS n