The Southern herald., 1896-05-01

tie saadFe.
lie opened the door with the latchkey,
and snaggled the old lady into the
library, There be settled her il q big
armchair, and then ran hastily upstairs
to his wife.
Wow Harriet was Just iookihgabobi
for convenient chair 10 put her slsein
0f six across. while she wound it on
large spool. to keep It from tangiing.
When Tom entered the nom she jumped
up happily, and, giving him kiss, said,
imperatiyelyi New Tom; y0h are inst
n timer put out your hands. sirl"
-You dear old felloN-did Grace get
Off What kind Of a time did y'uu have
at the reception2 Tremendously
crowded oh yes, that goes without soy.
ing. Oh. Tom. it's such q blessed relief
TO have yon here, an 10 myself We
won't be at home 70 anybody fora
week, win wes but Just have some 81
otr pleasant little evenings together.
Haw some teal Here, / can ieaeh Tie
bell. By the way, I've had a lettrr from
Florence Drayton. She's been un to o
new pranl1--hcen playing her chesr-up
act down at your aunt Martha's. She
must be an odd old soul from what
Florence says. You've never told me
much about her. whendid you see her
lastgs E-f. t.
"Aunt Martha9 Oh, not since wasa
boy. I really have rather neglected her,
I suppose, She was ail right SO long as
her daughter liyed--Jane. She taught
school down there, and they got ON very
well but, speaking Of old ladies'"
''Oh, Tom." broke in HarrietJ @you
seem to be excited on the subject Of OLD
ladies. You're twisting your hands up
frightfully. and the silk is mess. The
trees look bare yet over In the PARK,
don't they? Ishall be glad when spring
really comes. II II hadn't been for that
frostl"
"Apupos OF the park said Tom.
humbly, beginning again rather abrupt.
~, ''when was coming through the
park this afternoon there was a poor
old woman sitting on bench. / really
felt sorry for her, she looked so heln-
less and tiredD
ooh, Toni" cried his wife, in despair,
do please be careful. You're khotting
the silk worse than ever. Be sorry for
me. Yon can't waste your pity on every
loafer you see on the park benches.s 7
"But, Hetty dear, this old lady wasn't
'loafer,' she was Just respectable old
country soul, should Judge, who had
lost her way in the city. really felt
sorry for her"
"ANhy didn't you bring her home for
dinner?" said Harriet, alittle sarcastic
ally. 'Oh, Tom now you have done III"
Tom dropped the silk entirely in bis
dismay, and gasped, half laughing IN
spite Of his anxiety, '.Weli, Hetty dear
II did--bring hers-home with mel"
Thomas Burr Walton What have
you done with her? Poor old thingl''
and before Tom could grasp his wife's
purpose or change his mode, she was
downstairs, flying through the draw
ing-room into the library beyond with
as she afterwards confessed, mixture
Of fears that the "poor old woman
might have fallen in faint from weari-
ness, or that She might have made Oft
with the bric-arbrac."f & IL ~ rtif F,
Poor old thingl She had not tainted,
hut She was almost unconscious from
sheer exhaustion. Tenderly they lifted
her and carried her over to the divan IN
the bow-window recess. She asked
feebly for her bag, and moaned out
something about beings 80 many people
there, = and she was $50 tired ~.
''Why, do believe it's the very same
old creature that walked ahead of us 10
the procession at the white house, ,"said
Mr.. Walton; 'yes, it's the same green
yeil!"
They looked for the little bag in vain.
81 remember she held on to II when !
took her umbrella" said Tom. "She
must have dropped it in the street with
out my noticing IT."
TON, DEAR said Harriet, as they
went into the dining-room for dinner,
leaving the 'poor old SOUL fast asleep
in the library-''Tom. 1thinl you'd
better send around to the other houses
in the place and inquire if they are
expecting an old lady: You see, its
only block; and 1t might save her
friends great anxiety"
"fsut who is there on this block that
could possibly be expecting her?" Tom
asked, dsubtfully it
However, he admitted that there could
be no harm done, and finally said he
would step around himself. But he came
back within half an hour without hav-
ing learned anything about Tan old
lady-looking for some number on Park
place" Nobody was expecting herr
"She must have meant Park avenue, "
they decided; 1--WE will try to find out
tomorrow; don't disturb her now
And SO, with cushions carefully ar.
ranged to shut off all draft, they left
her on the wide window couch for the
night. The next day they had doctor
call in and a trained nurse from the hos
pital. The old lady was very i'll, and
talked feverishly,
'Mrs. Cleveland was there, but
didn't have a chance to shake hands
They made rs hurry by 20 fast. Butshe
looks like Cynthy. Yes, Cynthy could
have made d president'swife wouldn't
have been mite too good for her.
think / dropped my bag dropped IT,
yes. there it is; and Pm too tired to
pick It up!" a4 4 s
Suddenly Harriet, listening. turned
and ran downstairs to the library, from
which they had carried the old woman
that morning up to the guest roon,H
which Grace Maynard had just left. u