The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-05-16

! C%AO
liked her best couldn't, with any show
of honesty, say that she was. Neither
was she young-not as the world de-
fines youth-for abe was thirty-two.
She was taller than the average
woman, and her figure had none of
the symmetry that makes tall women
attractive.
Her face was plain. She hadn't even
pretty eyes to redeem it; and, as if this
were not misfortune enough, her
mother had named her Sarah, and
that, too, after she had been guilty of
marrying man named Jenkins. Not
pretty, not young, and named Sarah
Jenkinsl
Add to this the fact that she had to
earn her own living, and you have
sum-total that does not promise well
for the heroine of story. But there is
a law of compensation that helps to
even up things in this world. This
law was observed in the case of Sarah.
She had prospects. That Was what
people said when they looked at her
homely face and angular figure and
thought of her toll. For everybody
understood that when old John Jen-
kins died Sarah would not need to
work any more; and the possession of
million dollars does more to soften
/ the unbeautiful lines in girls face
and figure than any tricks Of the toilet.
| So the world-Sarah's world-was
not so sympathetic as it might have
been, and as for Sarah herseIf-well,
she wasn't given to sentiment over
- - 4
kind that tends to foster sentiment.
Her mother and father had died before
she could remember, and her grand
father, with whom she lived, was her
only relative.
John Jenkins had lilxings for people
Just as ne had for houses. He liked
both just as long as he could control
them and make them profitable.
When a house ceased to yield him suf-
icient revenue to pay for the money
invested in it, that house was sold
When people about him ceased to be
useful to John Jenkins he simply
dropped them and forgot that they ex-
isted His only son had been disap-
pointment to him because he was not
successful in business, and when his
father wanted him to marry rich
wife and try to get even with his luck,
young John dared to have different
views, and married one of his fathers
clerks.
She made him good wife enough,
but somehow nothing prospered with
them. The old man seemed to forget
that he had ever had son, and finally
young John gave up the struggle and
died His wife, who was meek and
obedient creature, seeing no other way
out of it, died too.
When old John heard of it he said:
''I'm not surprised; not bit They
were too shiftless to live" And then
he said not another word, nor did he
show any signs Of emotion.
Some one wrote to him about the
baby, asking what should be done.
s'Send her to me- was the old mans
answer. sri take care of her until
she is old enough to take care of her
self
So the baby was sent to her grand
father and she was taken care of just
as were the young animals on his
farms Some one was paid to do it
who knew how, and the some one was
given this instruction:
s'Let her have plenty of good. plain
food-no sweets to ruin her teeth and
stomach Dress her in clothing that is
clean and comfortable. No folly, mind
If she is sick, call doctor. When she
is old enough send her to school, and
let me hear no more about her"
When she was seventeen years old
she went one day to her grandfather's
Office. They were almost strangers
Sarah had not spoken to him dozen
times in all her life.
"Well," demanded old John Jenkins,
''what do you want2"
"You advertised for business man
ager," answered Sarah, land have
come to ask for the place"
"You? What do you know about
business2"
Nothing, practically. Theoretically
know all about it, for / have just
completed business education can
not say that shall not make failure;
but should like to try"
Him." grunted old John. 'Think
you'd like to experiment on me, do
you? That's exactly what your father
thought. His experiment was not q
success
'sThen you don't care to engage me"
said the girl
She had been standing near the door,
and now she made movement to go
81 didn't say so,' snarled the old
man. 'sSit down minute. How old
are your"
Seventeen"
"H'm, yes Well, when your father
was seventeen he -"
Never mind my father" broke in
the girl. He is out of this entirely
1t is not necessary, nor is it In good
taste, to discuss his shortcomings. l
am the one who is applying for this
place don't know whether I'm COM
petent to do the work or not. Neither
do you until you try me. If you don't
wish to try me I'll look for place
somewhere else. :"
Old John Jenkins pushed up his
glasses and looked at the girl. He had
never taken the trouble to observe her
before. She wasn't prepossessing.
The Hpht-brown hair was brushed
straight back from the strong-featured
face. Her hat was utterly devoid OF
trimming and quite unbecoming. Her
dress was like the dresses she had
worn all her life, made for service,
without regard to anything else. Old
Johns keen eyes took in the tout ensem-
BILE Of the slim figure before him, and
he said to himself: She's homely
enough. There won't be any nonsense
about lovers and that sort of thing,
and with his usual dispatch he decided
to try her
'.You may come next Monday morn
ing at eight o'clock" he said. That
desk will be yours. and the first thing
YOU are to do is to go over the books.
If you're going to manage my business
you must get acquainted with it..
what win you pay meP" asked
Sarah
| ooh, you want to make bargain,
do you? That isn't bad" thought the
old man. II wouldn't wonder If she'd
do l believe she's got some OF my
meanness in her, and 1t makes her
sharp"
Aloud he said: How much do you
want?"
And Sarah promptly replied; 81 want
fifty dollars a month until learn the
business, then / want seventy-five up
to the end of the first year. After that,
If we are both satisfied, we will make
a contract"
well, you don't hesitate to say
what you want, do your" Here old
John Jenkins did what no one had ever
known him to do before-he smiled.