The Opelousas courier., 1894-06-16

3 good position in the village school,
The s'little Mother and Helen
were the household angels" and it
was no light task to keep things nice
and comfortable with their extremely
limited purse, and to prevent "Pa"
from seeing too plainly the ruin he
had wrought,
The ne :yhuors we're very kind, and
often some little delicacy found its
way to their scanty table-given with
90 much friendly goodwill that sensi.
tive little Mrs. Pendergast was nc
more hurt by the attention than the
neighbors were when Helen brought
them punches of Mayfowers 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 che dyepot's mysteries long ago
were now transformed into four
pretty silk petticoats which would
rustic delightfully."-" under their
wooden gowns.
Gust the last things in the world
any of us really wanted" Helen ad.
mitted; 'sbut the silk wasn't fit TO,
another thing, and as it didn't cost ue
anything I guess we can afford to be
swell for once!"
Then in some magical way her deft
fingers had fashioned for herself as
dainty q gown from the voluminous
old gray opera cloak and the best OF
the well worn redingote as ever a
pretty maiden wore to church on a
bright Sunday in spring.
The battered Paris bonnet bloomed
anew with apple blossoms, freshened
I'VE the kettles reviving steam. But
the GROWING feature OF the costume
was a beautiful pink silk parasol,
which Cousin Frances would certainly
never have recognized as the 'sskele-
ton" of her famous bundle, newly
clad in the pink lining of the opera
cloak and adorned with the freshest
doInces of the chiffon gown.
.'Girls, how do / look?" was Helen's
anxious question, as arrayed for the
first time in all her glory she was
about to start with them for church.
'tJust too sweet and lovely!" Maj.
garet said, with enthusiasm ; and the
mother, who thought her girls were
always perfect, echoed Margaret's
words.
But Anne was troubled. Such fnery
seemed hardly in accord with their
Strengthened circumstances, or with
the almost Quakerish simplicity of the
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. And
after the service, Anne's straining ears
caught more than one fragment of un-
friendly criticism, which seemed float
ing in the air.
1T does beat ALL" old Mrs. Sharp
whispered to her neighbor, show folks
behind-hand in their rent can buy such
fnery."
'sP'raps Pa Pendergast has some
how made his e~verlestin' fortune" was
the audible answer.
"Did you see how Chan Bassett
kept 1ookin' at her? He can't afford
to dress a wife like that. / heard Mis-
Bassett tell him SO durin' the collec-
ton"
"Jest see that pink parasol! Why,
Many couldn't get one, plain dark
blue, for less'n five dollars. An silk
petticoats, too, | know by the rustlin'.
They're up an down extravagant, or
else they amt so poor as they've been
maxim out"
IAN the neighbors sendin' 'em IN
cake en- pie at every bakin'!'
Helen's cheeks were like roses as
they went on their homeward way,
and Anne wondered if she, too, had
the gossips' whisperings. or
whether the deeper flush wal only tn.
reflection from the pink silk parasol,
which she held so bravely overhead.
Margaret was less observing, and was
evidently quite unconsciousof any I'M
usual stir going on around them.
It was the first Sunday in many
months that Chauncey Bassett had not
walked home with Helen. He had
been with his mother on the church
steps when they came ont, but he had
only bowed andthen had looked away.
Il was certainly strange, thought
Helen, but---if he didn't want TO come,
he needn't! And no one, not even
Anne, should know she cared!
The weeks rolled around, and sum-
mer followed spring. Every Sunday
Helen went to church in her brave at
tire, and walked home afterward with
Anne and Margaret; and Chauncey
never came.
She never mentioned him; but
Anne, watching her darling with jeal-
GUS eyes, saw how her cheeks grew
and how ~listless she seemed to
be as the summer days went on.
One night as Anne lay ~pondering
upon these things, with Margaret
beside her, she heard q stifed
sob from the cot where Helen lay.
That was ali; but il was not long be
fore Anne had determined what to do.
And the next day, on her way home
from the village, she stopped at Mrs.
Bassett's for the first time since that
Sunday when Chauncey had
fingered ct his mothers side.