The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-20
SARAH JENKINS.
The Story Of Plain Girl With q
Million Dollars.

She wasn't pretty girl. Those who
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 she 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 II this
were not misfortune enough, her
mother had named her Sarah, and
that. too, after she had been guilty of
marrying a man named Jenkins. Not
pretty, not young, and named Sarah
Jenkins!
Add to this the fact that she had to
earn her own living, and you have a
sum-total that does not promise we'll
Tor the heroine of story. But there is
/, law of compensation that helps to
even up things in this world. This
law was observed il the case of Sarah.
I She had prospects. That was what
people said when they looked at her
homely face and angular figure and
! thought of her toll. For every body
understood that when old John Jeu-
! kiIs died Sarah would not need to
/ work any more; and the possession of
a million dollars does more to soften
the unbeautiful lines in girls face
and figure than any tricks of the toilet.
: So the world-Sarah' world-was
! hattie a IT roJrhf have
been, and as for Sarah herself--well,
she wasn't given to sentiment over
much. Her life had not been of the
kind that tends to foster sentiment.
! Her mother and father had died before
she could remem Der, and her grand
father, with whom she lived, was her
only relative.
John Jenkins had likings for people
just as he had for houses. He liked
both just as long as he could control
them and make them profi;ab BILE.
When a house ceased to yield him suf-
fcient 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-
listed His only son mad been a disap-
pointment to him because lie 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 a good wife enough,
but somehow nothing prospered with
them. The old man seemed to forget
that he had ever had a son, and finally
young John gave no the struggle and
died. His wife, who was a 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 10 live" And then
he said not another word, nor did he
show any signs Of emotion.
Some one wrote to him about tho
baby, asking what should be done.
''Send her to me- was the old mans
answer. "Il. 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, ana the some one was
given this instruction:
Let her have plenty of good. plain
tood-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 Il 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 grandfathers
Office. They were almost strangers.
Sarah had not spoken to him dozen
times in all her life.
We'll" demanded old John Jenkins,
"what do you want?"
You advertised for business man
ager," answered Sarah. land l have
come to ask for the place"
You? What do you know about
business?"
Nothing, practically Theoretically
! know all about it, for | have just
completed a 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 d
success"
Then you don't care TO engage me-"
said the girl.
She had been standing near the door,
and now she made a movement to go
Il didn't say So" suarled the cid
man. 'Sit down a minute. How Old
are your"
Seventeen
Him, 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 I
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 III look for place .
somewhere else
Old John Jenkins pushed mp his
glasses and looked at the girl He had .
never taken the trouble to observe her f.
before She wasn't prepossessiug.
The ight-bro~n hair was brushed I
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 I