National Baptist world., 1894-09-21

u " turned N
town. She gave the reins to her hired
man, and, gathering up her bundles,
entered the house. At the door she
turned back to say:
'Naow, don't be all day takin' care
o that horse, Anson. 1t does seems s
# you git slower an slower ever day
O. your life. Don't feed or water him
while he's het up SO, neither. l cam t
ford to have horse foundered ever
time drive t taown.'
A complaint like this would have
quickened the action of man unac-
quainted with Hannah Higgs; but for
ten years Anson had heard almost the
same words delivered upon every such
occasion. At first her querulous, fault
finding manner irritated him; but he
had long ago got ''uset of her." as he
would have expressed it.
Her disagreeable ways were various
ly accounted for by her neighbors
Mrs. Munson, in talking with Anson.
had said: 'She gifts it all from her ma
before her. Nobody could ever get on
with her, either She was alays
maxim a fuss daown tn meetin'
haouse." But another neighbor had
declared that Hannah was just as
"soft spoken" as anybody until she
was twenty, when she had ''got dis
p'inted in love-" and it had made her
what she was.
Hannah Higgs laid down her bun
dies and threw off her shawl. She did
not remove her bonnet, but stood a
gular in body as she was in DISPOSE
ton. Then drawing letter from her
pocket she dropped into chair.
For the life O me / can't think who
can be a-writin' to me naow. 1t can't
be abaout them stocks, for | got the
money on the caoupOns two weeks ago.
But it's from Detroit
She held the envelope between her
self and the light, as she had dozen
times while on the way home; then,
adjusting her glasses, she carefully
pinched off one end There were two
pages. She looked at once for the sig
nature; it was strange to her. Turn
ing to the beginning, she read aloud.
in dreary monotone, giving to the
words her own peculiar pronunciation,
as follows:
Miss HANNAH HIGGs.
"'Dear Madam.
"'It is my sad duty tew inform you
of the death Of your cousin. Mrs. Sarie
Higgs DeViny. Her husband as you
no daoubt know, died several years
ago"
''No, didn't know" she commented;
and then, after a moments dreamy re-
hection, added: "And naow Sarie is
dead, tew."
Then she continued reading:
"'This leaves their only child, girl
nine years old, with no living relative
naow but yourself
"GoOd land.'' she broke Off Il hope
they amt goin' to send her here for
me to care for naow. / can't have It'll
jest can't! Why, never could put up
with childreE!''
Naturally you will not wish her
mother felt this, and | gave the dying /
woman my promise that | would send /!
her child Margaret, tew you at an
early day. | write this that you may
expect her on the 21st.'''
Good land! that's tomorrow" ejac- !
ulated Hannah. Its jest the way O.
the world she complained. Folks /
run off an git married an die an leave .
their children for their relations to /
care for an bring up. But / won't
stand it! | won't be imposed on in that |
way! She can 60 to a orphan asyl um!'
She paused a moment to nurse her in
dignation, then read on:
1.-THE child will not be hully de-
pendent on you, for there was some
property left which has been judici- |
ously invested, and which will yield |
abaout one hundred dollars a year"
Hannah opened her eyes in sur
prise. This threw different light on
the prospect
my! hundrud dollars year, she
exulted. "Thatll more'n pay for her
keep. Why, calc'late l scrape aout
'nough ever day for the chickens to
feed one person. Then as for clo'es,
there's 'nough o my old ones in the
haouse that can be cut over for her for
years It'll be jest one hundurd dol
lars, clean cash. in my pocket ever
year"
From this bright prospect her mind
suddenly changed to the thought Of
having child about the house, and
her face darkened.
She'll have t toe the mark" Han
nah muttered, looking sharply before
her. "Ill give her to understand that
at the start off. I'll have nothin' ha-
rum-scarum about my house. l cal
c'late it will be trial at first, but a
body can put up with heap for a
hundred dollars year"
Late the next afternoon the stage
stopped before the Higgs homestead,
and blue-eyed girl with faxen hair
was set down. She was very tired
afte1iher long journy, and went early
to bed.
It was June, and the next day was
as fair as any that month ever bore.
Marguerite was out early. She had
slept the sleep of youth, and was
rested. Just before breakfast she
came in from short walk.