The herald., 1896-03-14

L
he told her, and passed his rough. grimy
hand over her soft hair. 1t was certainly
a very black hand. though it had been
been washed at the kitchen sink before
supper did l pull your hair" he said
for it seemed as though she WINGED, but
she only answered by taking his hand and
kissing it. which made her father protest,
and then cuddle her up in his arms and
say: well. now, Annie, l think you're a
real scholar"
They sat in the kitchen, but not because
they had not parlor. like everybody else.
There was a best room behind the kitchen.
and upstairs two bedrooms and above them
an attic. rented to Dave Duggan, a steady
young workman who had lodged with them
nearly a year OF course obviously-pro-
pinquty being the root of love-he had a
tenderness for Annie; and he was referred
to by the women who were not Annie's
stepmothers as her "feller" The parlor in
which the gas-ftter rarely sat. was as
frankly ugly as the outside of the small.
narrow, frame house. 1t had been fur
nished according to Mrs. Grahams taste.
and it had been religously unchanged
since her death. The tapestry carpet
with it's monstrous roses and broad green
leaves, had worn and faded into inoffens-
iveness, and the red rep furniture had
suffered the same kindly change: but the
knitted tides were new and the plush pic
ture frames: and Annie had added knots
of china silk on the chair-backs; and there
was a snowshovel. painted and gilded and
tied with pink satin ribbons, on the wall
and some decorated brass plaques and
on the mantel piece Dave Duggan's gift
two little wooden shoes, gilded and adorned
with blue satin bows, and used as match
boxes.
To Johnny Graham this terrible room
stood for art and luxury. As for Annie, she
did not know enough to find the snow-shov-
ell painful nor even the rolling pin, another
gift from Dave, which, covered with plush,
hung from one corner of the mantelpiece.
She merely thought Of these things as
mothers" and as presents" and valued
them accordingly. But she would never
have dreamed of occupying this fine room
unless there was company; and, indeed,
the kitchen was far more homelike.
She sat now nesting down against her
fathers shoulder, listening to his story of
the days work: the fine house on the hill
he had gone into to mend a fixture: the
table all covered with silver things.
why, Annie. now I tell you, there was
brushes and combs made out of silver; and
there was five little soft of boxes, differ
ent sizes and shapes hearts and rounds
mostly. Didn't seem to have nothing in
'em. l had to move 'em to get at the
bracket What do you suppose folks has
such things for? Now a brush made out
O. silver is no sense; it's heavy. Annie, now,
would you like things like that?'
Indeed. | wouldn't" she said. Think
of the trouble they'd be to keep Clean
We'll, now, the help does that in them
houses, I suppose he ruminated. AN
ME, now, suppose you had lot of money,
woulG you buy them thngs?'
Indeed, l wouldn't" Annie said again.
laughing. mo, I know what I'd do.
heard a girl talking about it. There's col
lese for girls somewhere in New England
just like there is for young men. I'd go TO
that college and study. My. wouldn't I
study
That was the beginning of what some
people called the tragedy of Annie Gra-
hams life, and some the success-it all de-
pends on how You look at it,
Her chance remark about girls college
fingered in her fathers thoughts; johnny
Graham had not known that there we're
such things as womens colleges. There
were primary schools and high schools and
pay schools, where he supposed the
swells sent their children, but his knowl-
edge never went further than this
"A college for girls,' Well why not? He
believed girls was smarter than bows any
day in the year; anyway his Annie was. He
thought about it constantly, as he walked
to and from his work. to save something
for that inheritance in the bank: and he
thought of it while he worked He smoke
of it, when he had the chance in a tenta-
tive way to two or three persons for whom
he was doing jobs of gas fitting. Did thev
ever hear anything of them girls colleges ?
What was they like? Did they cost money ?
Once. in the big morning room of an old
fashioned house, he spoke to an old lady
who sat by the fire while he screwed a lava
tip on the burner over the mantelpiece.
She was an old woman and rich. and so
she ought to know about such things, John
ny Graham reasoned; so, with the respect
full guilelessness of the American work
man. he cleared his throat and said, he
thing about girls colleges?
The old woman started, and seemed to
see him for the first time, and put on her
glasses to inspect him.
What did you say, my good man." she
inquired.
Johnny unoffended by this offensive term
| which means. you are not so good as
am repeated his question mumblingly
with the old lava tip between his lips.
| Il have girl I'm thinking of sending tc
one of them institutions" he explained.
! The old lady frowned and took off her
glasses, and tapped them on the arm of her
chair.
| You will make great mistake, my good
man. 1t is great mistake to educate your
daughter above her position
Johnny took the lava tip out of his mouth
| and stared at her
| well, now, ma'am," he said in his slow
way, II don't see how you make that out
An American girl is an American girl nc
matter how you look at it, You can't ed
ucate her above that"
| Upon which the old lady nodded her
head. and said: YES yes; of course; this
| is what I've always said this is what We
are coming to.''
And Johnny Graham rolled up his tools
| in his greasy leather apron, and went
| home. pondering deeply. He was not in
the least angry at the old lady; he was sim.
ply incapable of understanding her. Bu
| that night he thought it over, and pointed
10 +, hot ftar oil