The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-03-30
A BLUE SILK PARTY BAG.
How Miss Thankful Hope Figured
In q Romance.

1t seemed to be one of the ironies of
fate that her name should have been
Miss Thankful Hope. Strangers
smiled instinctively at the name when
they first met her. For to them there
was So little in her narrow life To he
thankful for, and nothing To hope for
And yet to those of the limited number
who grew to know Miss Thankful, the
name was after all quite appropriate
AT number 4O4 Sumnerset avenue,
the second-rate boarding-housc, where
she lived in room Il, second floor back
Miss Thankful was accepted year after
year as one of the belongings of the
place; much as the hot water bags for
extra cold nights, and the dessert
every Wednesday and Sunday We're ac-
cepted Settled facts of the house of
so long standing that they were never
questioned
She was a faded looking little woman
of fOrty-fi whose plain face was only
redeemed 10y pair of smiling brown
eyes. She was day seamstrcss, and
made enough To pay her board, and
usually to keep herself suitably clothed.
1t was standing joke among the
other boarders that no matter how
disagreeable the day, Miss Thankful
could always find something pleasant
to be said about it And no matter
how unprepossessing the last new
boarder, Miss ThanzfuIs kind heart
was sure to discover some excuse.
Other boarders came and went
"transients," Mrs Simmons called
them-but Miss Thankful stayed on.
For thirteen years she had been an
inmate of the house, until now she felt
that no place would be home to her
but the tiny twelve by twelve room,
where she had spent her evenings and
her Sunday afternoons for so many
years.
She had watched Florence, Mrs Sim
mons young daughter, grow up into
wouanhood; and had shared her tiInid
condolences and opinions about the diff
ferent young men of the house. Conf
dences which Florence would never
have thought of telling her practical
mother. There was something about
Miss Thankful which invited conf
dence, and the two were warm friends.
1t was n dull February evening:
slight snow was falling, and Miss
Thankful hurried along toward home
in the early dusk. The windows were
lighted up. and presented a tempting
array OF millinery, dry goods, flowers
and confectionery.
But Miss Thankful did not notice
any of them until she turned into Bond
street, and there she walked slower
coming to a standstill at last in front
of Cooper IL Cooper's large dry-goods
house.
She smiled as she looked in at the
window. Yes" she said, softly, Its
there yet; l made sure it would Toe
1 4. 4.
half" She was gazing 1T blue satin
party bag, lined with delicate pink.
One of those dainty French affairs
which always catch a woman's eye,
il she has any soul for pleasing effects
Il can't afford new dress this year.
That three weeks / was sick last
month put that out of the question.
and so IL does seem as if i could buy
that bag if ! want TO. Only il would
be silly-downrigh silly!" and she
sighed
II never had anything as pretty as
that Maybe that's why / seem to have
so set my heart on it Even my
dresses have always been brown or
black; they last better"
I've had a kind of a brown and
black life, anyway. But there now,
that sounds complainin', and I've no
cause to complain. The Lords been
good TO me and prospercd me right
along"
Good evening, Miss Thankful" said
a cheerful voice at her side Right
nice window Our trimmer beats any
Ia town. Lots of pretty things, too,
he added, with the pardonable pride OF
head clerk.
Good evening, Mr.. Jones" answered
Miss Thankful Yes, Z was just look
ing in at all the goods. I''-she hcsi-
tated-''was just noticing that blue
satin bag, over there in the corner
sec?''
''Oh, yes, that party bag; pretty
thing, and cheap, too / know good
piece of satin when 1 see it Funny il
was not sold to-day will be to-mor-
row, likely"
Miss Thankful felt her desire to pos
sess the bag Increasing
ION your way home? Let me take
your umbrella" and they walked on
together.
Miss Thankful had a decided liking
for this one Of the boarders- Partly lee
cause ne never forgot To show her the
same courtesy that he would show TO
Florence or any younger woman And
TINS Is very EEdLii ing ~ Il Nola4il NllD
has no claim to youth or beauty.
lie was timid young man. with n
colorless mustache and drab hair, who
talked with a jerk. but Miss Thankful
always liked him.
When they reached the boarding
house. she went very thoughtfully up
to her room. Mr.. Jones had discoursed |
most of the way upon the amiable
ouaiitieS Florence nOSSpSSel all of
" which remarks she had heartily sec
onded. When she had lighted the gas /
she sat down with the thoughtful eX-
precision still on her face.
Il wonder" she said. Il do just won
der. But he would never under the |
shining sun have the courage to tell |
her." and she smiled.
'.Mr Jones; 4 name do abominatei |
and Florence so pretty-and him with |
those colorlcss eyes, and that washed
out hair! But then, he is just kind
as he can be, and make no doubt would
be good provider."
The next night when Miss Thankful
came into her room, she turned on both |
the gas jets-an unheard-of cxtrava-
gance; she carried small parcel done
up in tissue paper, and before she
stopped to take off her bonnet, she
went over to the bed and united the
package. 1t was the blue satin party !
bag
''It's a lot prettier than il was at the |
store" she said. smiling at il where it
lay spread out on the white cover, in |
all the arrogance of assured beauty.
Those pink rosettes are lovely; Pm |
silly as 1 can be, know that well |
rhN I vaA