Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-12-14

|,@1SEsssee-~~=5~--.. -
She found her mother sitting in the arm
chair bolt uprigltt
Anne was obliged to help get the din.
ner. to burn her pretty cheeks over the
| cook stove. and blacken her white hands
| with dishwashing. Miss Carver came
I to the kitchen as often as possible to see
! the auburn haired princess in her fallen
state Anne turned her back on her
! brusquely, for she dislikel dishwashing
/ and greasy pots and kettles filled her soul
with adherence. 1t was painful to be
exUltel over by her enemy. who, in her
/ hypocritical voice, assumed that Anne
was very fortunate to have the oppOr-
trnity to learn homework, which, in her
position in life, would prove useful.
There was no time now for piano praC-
tice or those little sldrmiShe5 of pleas
antry III which Anne and the doctor had
been won't to indulge. She could not
even snatch u moment Of time to regale
! his horse. Buckskin, with Jumps of sugar.
The doctor made excuses for frequent
visits to the kitchen, and came to the
conclusion that Anne was prettier there
than when they were singing their songs
together in the little parlor. His Gin
derella needed no fairy godmother to
heighten her charms.
Miss Carver had now great budgets of
news to carry to the Widow Harkaway.
The two dear friends spatted rather
more than usual. as the widow had
made up her mind that the doctor had
taken the money, and could not be moved
from her intrenched position. The doc
tor knew that the part he had assumed
i'll the matter was telling against him in
the town. His zeal in what was CON
sdered wrong direction had led the
Irish to include him in the general boy
colt against the Bissell family. and had
stirred up some prejudice in other quar-
ters, but when he looked at Anne he felt
he would have impe"iled his position five
times over for her sake.
One August afternoon a telegram came
to the doctor summ0ning him to friend
suddenly taken i'll in a city hotel. There
was Just time to catch the train, with
hardly minute to spare, but as he was
rushing out of the door, bag in hand, he
remembered something left undone and
turned back to the parlor, where his
landlady was sitting. by the way,
Mrs. Bissell, here is my board for the
week." and he placed folded bill in her
hand, then turned and again dashed
away. When Anne came to the room a
few minutes later she found her mother
sitting in the armchair bolt upright,
quite stiff and rigid, as if stricken with
paralysis. Her brows were knit, Der
white lips pinched together, and she sat
gazing stupidity before her, with the bill
the doctor had given her tightly clinched
in her hand
Mother. mother" cried Anne, lis it
that bad stitch in your side:' and the
girl stood panic stricken gazing at her
mothers white face.
"Oh, Anne! what blow this will be
to you!" and she mechanically held out
| the bill.
Anne took it and turned it over in her
hand.
Don't you see?" said Mrs. Bissell in
| an agitated whisper. He was in great
hurry to catch the 2:i0 train, aud he
pulled this bill out of his pocket hurried
ly and thrust it into my hand for board
upDutJ
The color had left Anne's face. She
| brought the bill close to her eyes and
examined it all over, and in one corner
she detected faint capital B with a lit
tie cross in blue ink close beside it.
"Don't you see it, AIMEE she asked
feebly rocking back and forth with her
apron to her eyes. And | had grown
so attached to him, almost as if he was
one of our own folks. was SO glad TO
have him here, and now it seems as
though my heart would break"
| 1t was now Anne's turn to sink down
on the sofa trembling and white as
chalk. "You don't mean, mother, that
you think he robbed you? You would
not dare to say it." and the color rushed
back in an impetuous food to Annes
| face.
II don't know what to think, Anne.
| I'm completely stunned. He might have
! been up You know he told us how poor
he was when he was trying to get up
! practice at Kettletas. Perhaps it was
sudden temptation, and he thought he
| could put the money back before |
should discover the loss. You know
some folks thought it was queer he
| should take such an interest in trying to
catch the thief and his efforts have
come to just nothing at all. 1t might
| have been done to cover up"
"Only such town gossips as Miss Car