Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-04-02


really able to be around again he was
planning another of those disastrous
lecture tours, with which he was always
trying to retrieve their fallen for
tunes. At last, however, they had
managed to persuade him to put it off
until the fall.
There was no family in all the viii
lage who had once stood SO high, or
who were more respected in these
days of their misfortunes. "Pa's"
failings and good qualities were alike
freely discussed, and his wife com
miserated for having allowed her Wis
ionary spouse the control of her com
Portable little fortune, which, under
his childlike incapacity for business,
had disappeared in an incredibly short
number of years.
Anne and Margaret were now the
main support of the family, one
teaching music and the other having
good position in the village school.
The 'little Mother" and Helen
were the "household angels )" and it
was no light task to keep things nice
and comfortable with their extremely
| iilhiNCu puloNy w BlpNChb
from seeing too plainly the ruin he
had wrought.
The neighbors were very kind, and
often some little delicacy found its
way to their scanty table-given with
so much friendly goodwill that sensi
tive little Mrs. Pendergast was no
more hurt by the attention than the
neighbors were when Helen brought
them punches of Mayhowers from the
woods in spring.
But of late Helen's fingers had been
buster than ever. Upon careful re-ex-
animation the "bundle" had shown
possibilities which had not been ap-
parent at the first. And the old party
dresses, dyed-for Helen had mas
tered the dyepot's mysteries long ago
were now transformed into four
pretty silk petticoats which would
Rustic delightfully."-" under their
wooleu gowns.
"Just the last things in the world
any of us really wanted" Helen ad-
mitted "but the silk wasn't fit for
another thing, and as it didn't cost us
anything | guess we can afford to be
swell for oncel"
Then in some magical way her deft
fingers had fashioned for herself rs
dainty gown from the volumino us
old gray opera cloak and the best oi
the well worn redingote as ever q
pretty maiden wore to church on ,
bright Sunday in spring.
The battered Paris bonnet bloomed
q anew with apple blossoms, freshene'
over the kettles reviving steam. Bu
, the crowning feature of the costum
was beautiful pink silk parasol
:, which Cousin Frances would certainl,
! never have recognized as the ''skele
= ton" of her famous bundle, newly
; clad in the pink lining of the oper'
cloak, and adorned with the freshest
hounces of the chiffon gown.
"Girls, how do look?" was Helen''
anxious question, as arrayed for the
first time in all her glory she was
about to start with them for church.
'Just too sweet and lovely - Mar
garet said, with enthusiasm; and the
mother, who thought her girls were
always perfect, echoed Margaret
words.
| But Anne was troubled. Such fnery
| seemed hardly in accord with their
4 Strengthened circumstances, or with
the almost Quakerish simplicity of the
6 quiet town; but Helen was SO happy
that she could not bring herself to
speak her doubts which, after all,
, might prove without foundation.
She was keenly alive, however, to
the sensation which Helen's appear
ance caused, and which, all during
the service, divided the attention
of the congregation with the
good minister's words. Ano
after the service, Anue's straining ears
caught more than one fragment of un
friendly criticism, which seemed float
ing in the air.
'It does beat ALL" old Mrs. Sharl
whispered to her neighbor, 'how folk
behind hand in their rent can buy sucl
finery !"
"P'raps Pa Pendergast has some
how made his everlastin fortune, wa
the audible answer.
"Did Won see how Chan Basset
kept lookin at her? He can't affor,
| to dress a wife like that. l heard Mis-
q Bassett tell him SO durin the collec
I ton"
4 ''Jest see that pink parasoli Why
: Many couldn't get one, plain dar
d blue, for less'n five dollars. An sill
# petticoats, too, ] know by the rustlin
l. They're up an down extravagant, c
g else they amt SO poor as they We bee
maxim out. "
It can the neighbors sendin EN-
d cake on pie at every bakin' u
r Helen's cheeks were like roses I
Y. they went on their homeward wa,
s. and Anne wondered if she, too, ha
to overheard the gossips' whisperings,
ID whether the deeper flush was only I'll
reflection from the pink silk paraso
le which she held so bravely overhea
III Margaret was less observing, and w
it evidently quite unconscious of any u
usual stir going on around them.
,e 1t was the first Sunday in maj
18th, +bot Cheuncev Rassett had n