The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-10-06
THE cushion STORY. (.
What Jen Found IN Her Strange
Legacy.

'Hoiug again 70 old Madame Skim
f1int's. and in this suni~
Teddy's voice, usually q good-natured
drawl, had an cccent now keener and
sharper than Jen was accustomed 70
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 faoe reflected the look. She had
long been used to regarding Teddy In
the light of an abjcct slave 70 all her
caprices, and this faint sign Of disap-
probation startled her.
''Well Teddy Barryr' 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 20 much
time over that old French woman. You
bron yourself every day going down
there to make up her room, and wash
her, and cook for her. and read to her
Obi l 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 1t equally your mission in
life to waste your sweet strength on
her."
Ted's harangue was over. lie
clasped his strong bronzed hands back
Of his head, and looked to Jen for an
answer She was slim slip of girl,
not quite eighteen, but there was
look in her fearless gray eyes end 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 thosc corv:cticns before
accepting them. she was the niece of
Teddy's step-uncle, old John Barry.
and since her aunt's death year ago
had kept house for him Ted, brought
up with her from childhood, had Just
returned after q two years absence
west, to find Ill health, worry Of mind,
and advancing age had SO enfeebled his
uncle that the old homestead was now
in the hands Of a man only waiting for
his date to foreclose.
"Ted," said Jen, very gravely, do
you think II you were poor lonely old
woman, You would like to be entirely
desertedf 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
i find them. She is so sick and poor!"
Teddy's face was decidedly geptler
In expression by this time. ''Jen," he
said, smiling in his slow way. "Youre
all right. It's only that know how
hard you work at home; and when I
see you going down to spend your leis-
ure over the French lady-well. it goes
against me-"
"rll be back to tea for sure, " said
| Jen, because"
As Jen hesitated, Teddy supplements
ed with q wicked but triumphant
laugh: "Oh, Jen! Because! Does the
old miser euer give you anything to eatq"
"Teddyl" Jen's eyes were grave with
reproach- do you know she has Just
avery little money in an old silk glovef
take few cents at q time, and spend
1t for her on the barest necessaries.
There have been times my heart has
ached to think could not do more for
her."
BY this time Che step-cousins were in
the porch Of tho old farmhouse. II
was at the back, facing the garden
which they both had known and loved
from childhood Jen's bed of valley
lilies, her sweet-pea 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 q
special planting OF radishes, which
Jen, six-year-old girl, had declared
would thrive best therel Teddy and
abe had been so proud Of that special
garden given them long agol The real
farm lands stretched below-rich, fer.
tile, beautiful to sec, save for that one
fact that they lay under the dreadful
weight Of Dall's mortgage
"Poor old gsrdenr' sighed Jen
''Well, Teddy, weu have to do the bes,
we can. I suppose, when we leave it
Ted watched tho girls slim upright
young figure down the road few mo
ments In silence. His western venture
had proved unsuccessful, but through nc
| 1dulO VI ul5. 1As VWOAVy AAC hIdus oOACAy
against his will, given up his chosen
career in life-civil engineering-to set
tie matters on the old farm, after which
he went back to the west, resumine
work under hampered conditions. AL
his savings had been sunk in trying tc
extricate his uncle from his bondage
He had returned to find Hiram Dali
ready and anxious to foreclose at once
Meanwhile Jenny had reached the
bridge which spanned small brook
near old Nine. Dupre's lodgings
She felt as though step from child
hood to woman's kingdom had beer
taken since she had learned the actua.
emergency which had confronted he,
home life, and like many another gir
similarly placed the question: "Wha'
can do?" was uppermost in her mind