The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-23

ways sang over her work; and she
was in the n idst of "God make my
life little light" when sudden inn
pulse led her to open that whited
sepulchre. The song ceased abrupt
ly. Another minute, and the cover
was replaced, the box pushed back
to the end of the shelf. Bettie's
voice piped up again; but it was con-
strained now, and not SO clear as be.
fore.
"All through, dear?" said Mrs Jor-
dan, entering just as Bette was clos
ing the cupboard doors. eyes, see
you are. How beautifully you have
arranged everything! What would
we ever do without our helpful Bette,
Aunt Lydia? You don't know what
a relief it is, Bette, to know that
everything is in order here" And,
with kiss that brought the blood to
Bettie's cheeks, her mother left the
room.
Early in the afternoon Ethel Man
derson called. Put on your things,
can't you, Bette? Mamma warts you
to go sleighriding with us"
Of course, Bette flew to her room
for her warmest wrappings; and the
result was a long, blissful ride
through city and country roads, to
the music of jingling sleigh-bells.
1t was not till evening that she
thought again of the sighted box.
She fult uncomfortable when she
joined the group around the fireplace
in the library.
Lets have anagrams," suggested
Tom, running for the box of letters.
"You give me word, Bet; and I'll
give you one."
"Well," but Bettie's voice was
somewhat reluctant. She was bright
and quick, however, and guessed her
words too easily for Toms satisfac
ton.
"Say, now," he protested; "you
guess them too fast. l haven't made
out the one you gave me yet. Here's
another word for you, though. 1t
isn't very long, but it puzzled me the
other day"
Tom shook the letters vigorously
in his two hands, and delivered them
over to Bette.
"That isn't hard" she announced
almost Immediately. cts 'daught-
err"
"Well, now, aren't you smart?"
And Tom looked disguised. "You
can wait awhile for the next one. |
shan't bother with you till / guess
my own"
"That suits me-" said Bette. "I'm
going downstairs, anyway. There's
something l want to do there"
No one but Aunt Lydia suspected
what the business was, and she did
not guess the cause of the sudden
decision.
1t was that last anagram, so I'M
consciously given by Brother Tom.
Bettie's conscience was in sensitive
state that evening, which made it an
easy transition from the word in her
hand to the thought of the daughter
she claimed to be, = the Kings
Daughters" and her resolution was
taken. That detestable box should
be cleared before she slept that
night.
1t wasn't pleasant to sit there all
alone in the dining room, asserting
that heterogeneous collection; for
Bette wasa sociable little body: But
the Goals glowed brightly in the open
CRATE, as if they wanted to cheer her;
and, as her fingers flew over the dis
tasteful work, warm feeling crept
into her heart.
There were other compensations.
too. Long-lost treasures, it seemed,
had found their way to Susan's
dumping-ground. eff here isn't my
best paint brush" And Bettie'e eyes
shone as she drew it out by it's long
handle; land, actually, my tube of
yellow ochrel'
"What in the world is thiss" she
said, as she found a neat little tissue
paper package, and opened it Won
deringly. "If it isn't Aunt Lydia's
lovely pink pincushionl And here's
paper pinned toit." So there was;
and on it were just these three words,
"For faithful Bette" Well, we'll!
What a wonderful woman Aunt Lydia
was, anyway How did she know
anything about the box, when even
Bette had been ignorant of its exist
ence? How confident she must have
been that Bette would not shirk, or
she would never have nlaced thara