The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-03

burnt hef loot severely through cream
a'k'ardness." as she herself shriuy de-
clared: Mis- Tilly Ann Smith lost three
fourths II a kettle of soap. II run and
suuealed when seen 1t bilin' over" Miss
Smith explained to every sympathetic
nelghbor, but 'peared like | diin't hev
the sense fer to pull The log away and
auench the blazin'." Miss Bennings's
trouble was boy.
THE fust one she took on herself TO
raise but this her'n was thrust upon
her." said Liza Jones, giving out the
latest piece of news from the window of
the blacksmith's cottage. YES, the
boys lawns son; you'd know that ef
you'd ever seen Jawn. Miss BenninIs
she'd made up her mind to do fer Jawn,
and his running of the way he did jest
soured her completely"
The listener opened and closed his
heavy eyes and opened them again par
TALLY, removed the quid of tobacco dex-
terously from one cheek to the other.
rammed his clumsy hands deeper into
the pockets OF his trousers and inquired:
so this'n he's lawns son? What be-
came o. john
oiled Off somers in Colorady: IA heap
better a stayed East and died comforta-
BILE. seen the boy yesterday aluns II
the shop with the man and the bosses"
"And Miss Jennings don't teck 10
him."
mo. she's a slow person to make up
her mind. and she don't change in a
hurry. She was mad when she got the
letter. She says she set on the kitchen
step and cried, she were so mortal mad.
l,, ha biol 1atf tor nh
astin'. Jest that the boy had been
shipped. She declared she wasn't gunno
let folks put on her that away: she had
settled in her mind when Jawn left
never to have another boy, but so fur
she amt said nothink to the boy. only
she amt tuck to him."
"Jawn. he were her brothers boy?'
Her half-brother. old man Bits boy.
They was arays shiftless over to Bits.
Some say as Miss Bennings was too
great a change to Jawn: he couldn't
stand not bein' shiftless."
The woman at the little window and
the man outside the shop both laughed.
81 heered," said the man, slowly, "as
some'n come out O. the garden up to
Miss Bennings's. kerryin' pea-hull.
and didn't know where to throw it
They both laughed again:
| In one OF the rooms OF the old brown
house, surrounded by this wealth OF
neatness, sat Miss Bennings and her
trouble. Miss Crecy Lyons grumbled
over the rheumatism; she had thought
II would have gone with the breaking
of Spring. She was patient all through
the Winter, looking forward to the
Spring, and she had felt herself coming
on very finely until that setback on q
beautiful April morning. Liza Brown
examined her bandaged foot daily u
see OF there was any sign of mortifica
tion setting in. "That'll mean death OF
a crutch to me. and don't know which
to choose" she said. and was whit,
around the lips for an instant. Mis-
Smith never wearied OF relating the dis
astrous occurrence to the kettle OF soar
and her foolish way OF acting. Run
min and squealin' like a crazy woman
and the suds pourin' into the far" Mis-;
Bennings for a while said as little at
possible about her trouble.
The second Jawn was the first one
over agin, cen TO the tattered condition
OF his garments. He had the same wist
full eyes. the same droop OF the head
"As ef you was gunno hit 'im," thought
Miss Bennings, casting a swift glance
over her steel-rimmed spectacles. .
The droop of the head was very per.
ceptible as the boy sat close to the fire.
place gazing dejectedly at the burning
logs.
"Shiftless to the core" thought Mis-.
Bennings. that's Jawn; and ongrate.
full. that's Jawn. too. Sent yer to me Il
be fed and clothed and given his school
in. them was the conditions about the
other; us all give and no git"
She had mended the first Jawn's
clothes on the day of his arrival; sh,
let the second lawn go around in his
tatters till she couldn't abear sech q
lookin' Teller on the place." then sh,
mended for him. too.
It's all give and no git," she sait
ore evening. speaking her thoughts
aloud. as she went into the boys room
and laid the mended clothes on the chail
beside his bed.
The wistful eyes looked after her anC
the Pickering candle; then the SECOND
lawn hid his head quickly under tn:
covers. 1T was a big mistake. father.
he whispered hoarsely; Il can't meek Il
up"
But a warmth and tenderness crep
into the boys heart with the memory
OF the shiftless Western home, where 6
whole peck OF pea hulls might have beer
spilled upon the floor and mattere1
nothing.
You'll do as tell you. Jawn?'
Eyes. father"
You'll try and meek it up to herr"
Eyes. fata,r."
That feeble hand was on his head.
you won't mind ef it comes a little
hard at fust?"
The boy under the covers OF the neat
bed sobbed more vehemently than the
boy had sobbed in the shiftless little
home. but again he gave his word
And he did try. All through the Sum
mer he tried. and he tried on up to that
day In Autumn when Miss Bennings
spoke her thoughts aloud and to him.
IL spose I'm TO send you to school,
she said. ~ s'pose now I've clothed you
and led you. every one will be lookin' fol
me to send you to SCHOOL,
The wistful eyes were fastened upon
the copper-toed boots. The old clothes
had been replaced by a new suit, warm
and comfortable. Yes. she had clothed
and fed him.
Miss Bennings laughed unpleasantly