The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-26
WHY SHE LOST HIM.

-
evil you buy a pin-oushion, airi"
William Campbell stopped short in tho
quick walk and looked in the face OF the
poor woman who addressed him. She was
small and thin. with Il droary expression Of
pain on her faded featureH.
She seemed TO have stopped Campbell In
q moment OF desperation, MS gentlemen are
not often Interested in pin-cushions n
needlo-books, and sho won't on hurriedly,
in a low, broken voice. which WAS inter
rupted every little while with = deep con
sumptive cough:
II am sorry to trouble you, sir, but !
thought you looked kind, and | have MT a
cent to pay the rent of my room. / must
pay tomorrow or be turned ont. aud one
of my children is lying in IL very sick"
How much Is this one?" asked Camp
bell, holding up the largest in her basket.
tive dollars" she answered.
He took n roll OF bills from his pocket
and put the amount in her hand. ut the
same time transferring the bright silken
purc base to the pocket of his oveicoat.
"Why don't you 90 to a more crowded
street," he asked; you might do better
IhIAO uuoil IA u PkAVAL0 II . taAos
She shook her head sadly.
S l do. sir; but / was doing some plain
sewing for Miss Steele and l came to-day,
hoping she would be able to pay me for IT,"
docs Miss Steele live here?' asked
Campbell, looking at the house they were
standing before.
mo, sir; she lives two or three doors
down; but l had no breakfast this morning,
and ! was obliged to sit down and rest on
those steps"
Where do you live?' was the next gu o.
ton. II will ask my mother to look up
some sewing for YOU"
Tho poor woman looked after him with n
blessing upon her lips and tears in the dim
eyes; then shc turned homeward. her thin
clothes futterinR in the wintry air.
Meanwhile Campbell passed two Of the
houses ia the row, ran up the steps OF the
third and rang the bell. He was shown into
n very handsomely furnished room, and
while he waited for the lady he had called
to see his quick eye took in the cost of the
things around him.
The open piano was costly. the music ex-
pensive, and beside him on the sofa lay an
afghan half completed, tho bright woods
composing it flashing out from the dark
poor nesdlewoman's words were true, and
that the owner of all this comfort had re-
fuaed to pay her q few dollars?
In the mids of his reflections Miss Steele
entered. Her handsome morning dress
fitted to perfection the round. beautiful
figure, and the little soft hand she held out
to Mr.. Campbell glistened with rings.
William Campbell had called at 10 O'Clock
that cold November morning to invite Miss
Steele to 90 to the opera with him that
evening. She accepted tn einvitatson with
pleasure, but remarked that a cousin of
hne 4A,- ~u4~ .vn~ H. 4
with her.
Now, this cousin of Miss Steele's, when
che came into the room, quite astonlshed
Mr.. Cam pbell. She was neither handsome
nor Notwithstanding expressed ID all.
She WAS knitting a Notwithstanding he
had never befo g seen a young lady doing.
He discovered that sho possessed no small
talk, but let her cousin rattle on. half
amused. half astonished. Her manner,
however, left a pleasant impression on his
mind, and he suddenly found himself wish-
ING for n sister like her.
William Campbell had been called On old
bachelor by his friends for SOME years. He
was 80 yenrs of age and they considered
him pnsb hope. Not 40 the mothers with
daughters out in society. 10 them he was
a prize worth looking after.
He liked Miss Steele's voice: it was unaf-
fectedly soft and sweet. He liked her eyes;
they wsre innocent and conidinG in their
expression. The moro no saw Of her the
more he liked her.
He had just had his faith in her shaken,
and he wondered ut himself for worrying 50
much about it. 1t Was possible THAI she
was dearar to him than he had imagined
her to be.
All that day he would find himself again
and again going over the poor woman's
words. If they were true could she have
come to him 50 smiling and happy, just
after .efusing a poor, hungry feliow-being
the payment she had justly earned? Then
he would fnd some plausible excuse for her,
other short time.
he girls were ready, sitting under the
bright chandelier. The opera house was
not fur away, and the girls both D oposed
walking, 1t being n line night-bright and
not the chilly. There were but a lew more
steps to go when Miss Steele suddenly let
go his arm, and turning round suddenly
looked up the street.
II have lost nay handkerchief" she ex-
claimed in a distressed tone of voice. DO
let us go back for it."
They went back, but the handkerchief was
gone.
ION, how careless. how stupid OF metz
she kept saying. What will lido? louly
bought 1t to-day" she continued, looking
up to MIR. Campbelle face. There's $40
worth COMO in a few minutes"
A chill went through William %Campbell's
hehft. MISE Hteele Wa6 tNlnklnI or the lace;
he was thinking of something far more i'm
yortant. At last hs found voice to ask:
Did You soy YOU Only bought it to- ay?'
YES; nfter you LETT | ut on NV thlngs
and went down town. | am sure. if l had
~forcssen its fate, ! would have left it in the
wiudow to nttrsct aomo one else"
She lauGhingly commenced another topic
aud thew reached the opera house. Her
usually high spirits were III full play.
At last the play WAS oyer and the couslna
wcre at homo. No sooner had they reach d
their room than Ellen Steele c~ommeucel:
''Lizzie, what could have possessed You
to throw away 30 much money on n uge esa
piece of finer. and that poor Mrs. Skclby,
| do believe, almost starvlng?'
Lizzie opened her eyes wide with aston.
ishmcnt
why, what a question! OF oourss l
must have such things, and Pm sure Mrs.
Skelby can wait,'
Nj Campbell sat at his window, smoking
und thinking. His thoughts were on the
old subject, his Tears wee ieali24d. Tho
chain was b oken. the illusion vanished.
The next day Mr.. Campbell found Mrs.
Skelby's room after considerable search,
for ii was in u rear building. accessible only
throuRh a narrow alleyway.
The room was s!aan aud neat, as was the
sick child. u boy of eight years. He lay
rarity dresssd on the bod. looking at II
sorapbook conposad of good wooduuts out
OF newspapers. His mother was ut the
window. sowing, Sho started up, with
pleasure beaning in the wan face when she
recoguizSd her visitor.
'Dh, air" sine exclaimed. "hnt for Won