Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-12-24

\
stopping at the last curve to wave hi:
hand TO his mother, who stood in the doc,
watching him go out into the world.
Then be remembered himself and asked
sharply:
And who is your mother, pray. and
why should she come heres'i 4
Please, sir, = said the quavering little
voice, mothers the dust woman"
The what" calculated the old gentle
man, with another dreadful frown.
She comes up once week and dusts
the bric-a-brac," explained the child.
The housekeeper hired her She says she
doesn't feel equal TO il herself, and mother
does it so nicely
Aha" muttered the old gentleman
with an angry CLEAN in the ewes under
those fearful brows. 80 Mrs. Murray
brings outsiders into the house when nv
back is turned, does she? They're all
alike, pack of cheats and robbers! I'll
teach her TO violate my confidence and fill
my house with irresponsible peoplel You
may stay in this room till Mrs. Murray
comes. Do you hear? And then I shall
nave message to send 10 your mother"
lie rang the bell violently and ordered
that Mrs. Murray be sent TO him as soon
|
factory arrangement, he took up his paper
again and ignored the little figure in the
sunbonnet.
But before he had read dozen lines
there was light touch on his arm. and
the brown eyes We're looking up into his.
Please, sir, may l look out of the Win
dow while we're waiting?'
He was so astonished that he could not
| hut 4; q
a scornful grunt of assent
There was silence in the room for a long
| time. Not a clock licked, for old Mr..
Roberts could not endure the ticking of
clocks. Not g leaf stirred, not a cricket
chirped. The stiffness disturbed him at
last, and he looked up. The child was out
on the little balcony leaning on the stone
balustrade. Her bonnet had fallen off
and the sunlight, falling on the mass of
brown hair, wove it full of CLEANS of gold
Another touch on his arm-there she
was again. Her hand-such little morsel
of hand-trembled with some new emo
ton, and her eyes shone with a strange
light
| 1t must be nice to live on hill" was
what she said
The old gentleman in the armchair had
never been more astounded in his life. He
stared at her and forgot to saw ANYTHING
| Il have ALWAYS wanted to live on n
hill," she went on. "Our house is AWAY
down wonder. and Won can't SEQ anvtb;ny
but the houses across the street Rut ,p
| here you can look so far. and the skv's So
| close to YOU. Don't Won think noopie can
| be better when they live on n hille'
The newspaper fell to the floor unheedod
and the crustv old gentleman and the In.
tie girl looked mt one another Af,or
| awhile the old gentleman went to the bal
| cony and looked down to the roofs of the
| crowded houses in the narrow streets be-
| low and then away to the far horizon
| This beautiful home of his crowned tina
| summit of this purple hin and was nm
| lifted SO far above the noise and dust and
| wretchedpess of the city that law be,ow
Truly. it was a pleasant thing to live IN n
| Hill. He had never Thought of il before
but all at once he f,ncied himself down
among those miserable teuements Iookinp
up at this beautiful home and tbinLino
how near to heaven it reached
There was a hurried tan at tho door
and Mrs. Murray presented herself Hcr
comfortable figure was attired still in the
neat dress tbat she had worn in tho stroot
Her round face was wreathcd with smiles
but she was obviously nuttered and ouak-
ing with fear.
Did you leave word that Won wanted
to see me SIR" she asked and then waited
for the blow t. fall.
Mrs. MURRAY" said the old gentleman
in lis stiffcst and most formal manner.
"am | to understand that YOU have en-
plovcd a woman to come here once a week
and dust the brio-a-b racY''
Yes. sir. Mrs. Holmes her name is.
and she's very careful, sir. couldn't do
better myself "
She glanced ND anxiously at the wooden
,ouutenonce before ypr What terrible
thing was he going to saw nextY
Mr.. Murray tbe woman has sent this
child 10 sav that she is too i'll TO come
That will do You will excuse her until
she RECEIVERS 3"
Mrs. Murray went back TO her own
room and fell into n chair If If had been
consistent with the dignity of Mr.. Roberts
housckeeper to stagger, she certainly
would have staggered. She kept repeating
to herself Did you ever?' and II can't
believe it =" She said afterward that you
might have knocked her down with
straw. though that was figurative. OF