The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-16
only afford to give him two dollars

"DEAR phil:
You was kinder impolito in your last but
thought Idle furgivc you just once. Mrs. Rantol
warnts n Man to Fix the fcrnss. dolls week.
Do you warnt the JOB: You come up here twice
day. Cawdially yours.
"DELIA."
Della always omitted her obnoxious
second name in her correspondence.
The next day she received n note
from Phil:
DEAR DELLA df you'll excus the faaailya..
ity).
My BUSINESS is now changed from Odd Jobs
to Groceries and provisions, 2ns3 Market St
All orders from Mrs. II. promptly attended TO.
No iiHc for Fcrnisscs. Saw Miss Sullivan OF
Dublin today. She sends love Never felt so
well III me life. Your obt scrvt,
'P. CROWLEY"
The tears were i'll Dclia's eyes when
She told Mrs. Randol that the man
whom she had proposed as furnace
fiXer would not come. She was too
angry to recommend Pills groceries
and provisions.
As the twilight of that day came on,
Della sat at the kitchen window, sew
ing. She was putting on Il button for
little Jack Randol, while he looked on
This was just the time of day that
Phil Crowley used to drop in; but he
fore tho ball. ~ don't care; hope he
won't come" said Della to herself; and
her eyes, which were not quite; dry,
showed how little she did care. Brid-
get came in, and Jack asked for a piece
of gingerbread.
ION, wish We was married." said
Bridget. She did not mean that Jack
had arrived at a suitable age f. matri-
mony, but only that she wiz Bed him
somewhere else. Before long, she
yielded to his persuasive powers, and
he departed with his button securely
fastened on, and his gingerbread in his
hands.
Della looked up from her work, and
out of the window. She could see down
narrow alley to where it Joined a.
larger one, and thus she could as it
were, take au ms Simultaneous photo
graph of every one who passed along
the main alley. She heard footsteps;
two figures passed. They were Phil
and Miss Sullivan, of Dublin. His arm
was round her waist. Della did not
shrek, as actresses do when their low
ers desert them. She only Lett the
kitchen and went up to her own ROOM
It was more than Il week before Phil
c;szhe to call again. Della had been
schooling herself to the proper GOODNESS
of manner every evening that he did not
appear; and now, when he really did
come. she felt disposed to melt. How
ever, she nervcd herself to the cncoun-
ter, her little heart, l don't doubt,
humping uncomfortably rs she en-
tered the kitchen.
M
Good evening" said Della Il hope
you've enjoyed che last week and a
half" She stopped and bit her lip.
Neither spoke again till Bridget had
gone out to see to the furnace. Then
Della took n little package from her
pocket. 1--WE got some things for you,
Phil" she said, her stcrnness of man.
ncr having entirely disappeared. 81
| thought We might want EN- back, now
we don't come here no more" Her ewes
began to glisten. There's those let.
tiers ye wrote from Narragansett last
summer when yc was drivin' the hack,
and here's the bangle and the earrings
ye gave me last year" Here she trem
bled for moment before her last eff
fort. II thought Miss Sullivan, of Dub
lin, might like 'em, an poor girl like
mes not fit for 'em; an'-an'-nn'
hope you an Miss Sullivan-will be
happy-an'-an'-" here poor Della
broke down and began to cry.
Phil came up and took her hand
"Why, Della, child, dye care for me g
little bit, thin? hadn't no idea of it. )
He was going to put his arm round her
but she withdrew.
mo! Yc mustn't" she said, looking
at him with cleaning eyes. ".Sh,
wouldn't like it."
Della" says Phil, lust listen tc
me-" Then he goes up and whisper.
in her ear: Nellie Sullivan's my half
| sister"
Poor Della is perfectly aghast 'Oh
Phil, Phil" she says IAN I've gone
an shown We that don't quito hate ye
artcr ALL"
Yes, me little girl" says Phil, san
/ shant forget it now knows it; but
yc can't think the tin .thousandth part
o me that do O. YOU" Then, with
the eloqucncc which characte rizes his
race, he went on: An l pray the Al.
mighty God an all the blessed saints
We may nivcr suffer like 1 did for the
next twcntyfour hours after We sent
me away"
"Twintyfour hours?" said Della.
why, twinty-four hours after that
was the night o. the party. Why
wasn't ye unhappy thin? Sure. I was
cross enough to yc."
"Ah, We sweet thing, don't We see
that that's how l began to think We
might care just bit for me arter alp"
says Phil. AN now goodby. Della,
an before long I'll hope to see ye Mrs.
p. Crowley"
Fine groceries an provisions" says
Della. "Wel. Phil | pueSS I'1 hatfar