Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1894-06-08
JAMES CONVERSION

form OF blue denim.
a knot Of old cronies, in the sunnieSt
corner of n large bare room, gossiping
over their pipes, gave hoarse shrieks OF
interest.
"For the land sakes!" croaks one.
whereabouts did he ketch emp
says another.
"Mumps" the third repeated, wag-
ging her grlzzled head.
Irrenchy, so called because he spoke
a different tongue from his comrades,
though Scandinavia had been his orig
inal home, was not of special import
.ance, but disease was always an abb
sorbing topic.
"Be they sure they're mumpsY' in
CURED the first crony guardedly.
'Ie-e-es. Gracious, yes. Tried him
on vinegar. Couldn't swallow it morn
nOthin'."
"One side or both sidesY' broke in
crony number two, with n greedy look.
only one yit. But they won't stop
a that"
Crony number three wagged her head
again. "They won't stop a that, they
won't stop a that"
did you see emp the first ques-
toner ut length demanded. An oppres-
sive pause followed. Three pairs of
sharp eyes We're piercing the brisk lit
tie news carrier. mo. l amt exactly
seen Frenchy hisself. But 1 was told
by party as has"
This remark was greeted with n vol
ley Of shifts and head tossings. Stimuli
taneously three broad backs were turn
ed. "How's the chair?" was flung over
one shoulder.
Keep on with her dirty work and
maybe she'll let you set in it," over an
other.
Over the third came the quietus:
when she dies she'll lie as low as we
do Maria Ensign"
Maria made no attempt to placate.
She realized that the situation was
hopeless. TOO often of late had similar
scenes been enacted TO leave the least
room for doubt. The hint at the lev
cling Of ranks in death was final. She
stole away, feeling rs though she were
an ostraciZed criminal. Il think sight
more o them" she murmured to her.
self wretchedly. as she turned into the
long, barren hall. But i can't be mean
TO Jane. The Bible says you must do to
others as you'd be pleased to hev 'em
do to you. And | wouldn't want to be
treated mean" She puckered her lips
into thin quivcring folds to keep the
tears back.
At the extreme end of the hall n
woman sat by one window rocking
violently in low cane-bottomed chair.
whats the matter?" she called shriliy.
Sh-'s 'sh,' said Maria, coming to-
ward her with her forefinger raised.
Don't let nobody hear. faint much"
"Ies tits, too. They've been givin'
ye fits for going with me-"
Maria sank herself down on the broad
window sill. See here, Jane" she
pleaded. Il wish We w'd try to make
yourself more poplar"
Her answer was n long, boisterous
laugh. Excuse me, Maria. But II Ok
in myself popular with poor house
trash is too killil'."
a voice came through n crack in n
neighbOring door to the effect that
Mis- Bcclworth might look to home
for trash" Which sally was followed
mp 10y Il chorus of derisive cacl;lings.
Jane wasnOtafavoTiteamo b kyyy
Jane was not favonte among her
mates. She had come to the sheltering
arms Of the county almshouse few
years before not utterly destitute as
were her fellows. A pittance Of ten
or fifteen dollars year placed Der
among the moneyed classes. 1t sweet
ened her tea and added various mex
pensive luXuries to the usual coarse
fare Her rocking chair was another
Co. sI.,41 n. a,
house" When she first made her
appearance she had haughtily eschewed
companionship, and instead of accept
ing the current cognomen of Queen
Beckworth in the spirit in which ii
was used she enjoyed tn implication.
If any one dropped into her chair
she elected the tr1spasser forcibly.
Otherwise she disdained to notice her
neighbors But recently radical exclu-
siveneSs had begun t. pail and Marias
companionship had been levied upon.
Poor Marial 1t was fierce struggle
between duty to conscience and loyalty
to old friends. Her three room mates
had hcen sucl. for years. Their marrow
interests had grown to be ideltical
So long had breathed the air of COM
mon purpose that they seemed almost
to use common lungs, when Jane ap-
peared with her partial demlnds to
strike a severing blow at this personal
unanimty.
She was certainly tantaliLing. "No,
Maria,' she was saying. I'VE won't
ketch me goin' with poorhouse folks
I've been used t bein' somebody, /
have" Here she hooked her sharp ell
bow to her knee and Leaned forward
with her face swallowed up in five
pointing fingers. We'd our napkins an
cur toothpicks on the table as regular
as the richest"
Hush" sad Maria, warningly, "they
will hear, an think your putin on"
IL don't care what they think" Jane
rejoined hOtly
"Oh, but do. i do" Maria felt that
she could not forsake this new ac-
quaintance. who chung to her with the
tenacity of the lonely, and yet she
could not bear to seem to countenance
disrespect toward the old friends AS
It was, she was sure that her lending
herself to James claims was miscon-
strued into cuITying favo". Her ethical
creed was simple. She knew nothing
of what metaphysicians tell us concern
-. H.. -