Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-10-21

f"PSit WHICH mad I'll
tered UNDECIDED dto the floor.
NJ, not much, uly-weIi, nev
Two, three hours past, Jessica al
minerva came in, two strong, flor
glrls with loud voices and blunt maj
hers, and Immediately demand,
"dad."
Poor,mysiified Mrs. Hunt sbook h,
bead. 'N ~
= don't know, girls, but he said b
vas going in town. Business,
: guess"
/" Humphl " calculated Jessica
where's Bessie? Conc with him?
"NO. She went for something
I've forgot. But any rate, she's roun,
somewhere"
The Misses Hunt exchanged glances
out deigned no reply to the patient
oYerWorked mother, who was rathe
afraid of these self-reliant daughters
preferring iu her heart gentle, misuu,
dersIood Bessie before either.
It was several hours past the time
for their early tea when John Hum
came home. Abram Alvey was with
him, and his lips were compressed in
b thin, hard line.
John Hunt himself, during the
short time he had been absent, seemed
% have grown years older. He was
pale, restless, and the hand which he
rested on the table shook as with
palsy.
His wife came forward, seriously
alarmed.
"What happened, john! Anything?
BE you sick2 just sit down and let
he get you good, strong cup O. tea
Y. Spa asodft..,,l Of. hsg.s hl;s,cesg.s good" for in
II Hunt : Z | ics !. |.'S4as1i.....i..4.si = ls.si.'
pAan whom in her earlier youth she
lad chosen for better. for worse.
He made gesture of repugnance
at the suggestion of food OF drink,
"I can't eat anything, wife," he
said, as he threw his arms across the
table in a hopeless, detected fashion,
and hid his face upon them. "I-I-
tell her Abram.'
"He has been speculatin'," went Oh
that individual, the rigid lines in his
face never softening, the tones of his
voice hard and metallic as cold steel
'speculatin', l tell you, and has ended
by running his family. That's ALL"
Mrs. Hunt sank helplessly into the
nearest chair and stared, speechless,
at her brother. Jessica and Minerva
clung together on the sofa, an express
sion of almost ludicrous dismay oil
their faces.
"Well, l never!' exclaimed Min
erva, the first to break the heavy
silence that ensued. "Father, what
ever possessed your!
Jessica suddenly burst into a violent
fit of weeping The bent figure beside
the table never moved.
"Fatherl Look upw
Without a glance in either direction,
tall, straight, with bright spot burn
ing in either cheek aud a brilliant
glitter in her eyes, Bessie suddenly
crossed tue room and knelt gently,
sympalhetically, beside her fathers
chair.
"Father! Don't lake it SO to heart!
1t cannot be SO bad, and" in lower
tone, 81 will help you now.'
Then John Hunt raised his head, a
CLEAN of hope stealing into his dreary
eyes as he placed his hand tenderly
among the red-brown tresses cluster
ing above the high white brow.
"You, Bessie?"
"Yes, father" she responded quiet
ly. "Try me aud see."
And so it proved. The test of
which Abram Alvey had often boasted
had at last come.
But contrary to his expectations,
Jcssica or Minerva, the "self-reliant
girls" did not come up to his stand
ard. They chung around" as he ex-
pressed it, bemoaning their unlucky
fate aud making the place almost un-
bearable to the disheartened man. lie
bore up as long as he possibly could,
then succumbed to the inevitable.
Ii was then that Bessie, the "use-
less one," came 10 the fore. The "frit-
terry fancy work" that Abram Alvey
had so scornfully condemned, proved
lis worth. Blithely the bright steel
needle flew through gauze and silk,
and for the dainty creations turned
out by the deft fingers Bessie re-
ceIvcd snug competence. Her time
was almost taken up, but somehow
she managed to crowd in a few music
pupils, and so add a tride more to
their income.
And ii was after giving a lesson one
dav that she came in, and throwing
aside her hat, laid her flushed, bright
face on the pillow beside her fathers.
lie looked at her fondly, but in a dep
recating way.