The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-08-27
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BY CAROLINE LEROW. \
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RTHUR NoRTHRIDGE WAS dis.
BY CAROLINE LEROW.

~ couraged. Sitting on the top of =
broken-down stone wall, he looked over
the rough pasture land to the little.
weather-beaten house beyond. and de
cided that lac had never been quite sc
much discouraged in all his life.
1t had not been very long life. il l.
true-only II years-but he felt that
morning as if he had lived a great while,
ana to very little purpose. He wanted
so many things, and had so few, More
than all else, he longed for an educa-
ton, or, concluding that that word eN-
pressed too much for him, for a few
books, at least. He could read. and think
over " hat lac read even. without a teach
er; but he certainly could not read
without books. As for buying any.
that was an absurd idea, under present
circumstances.
Arthur and his mother could hardly
buy enough to eat, and had 10 pay in
terest. too, on the mortgage placed on
the little house-a poor piece of prop
erty, but all Mr.. Northridge had lett
when he died, six months fore. Mrs
Northridge took in sewing for awhile,
but the rheumatism in her hands was
growing worse every day.
Arthur had worked at very small
Wages nearly all winter for "A machinist
in the village; but the machine shop
had burned down and the Inachinist mad
moved away. To tell the truth, Arthur
could not feel sorry about either of
those occurrences. even though ne tried
from Il sense of duty.
He positively loathed machinery. He
loved birds and flowers as much as he
hated wheels and lathes and gearing.
Still, when the machinery stopped the
money stopped also-that WAS the
worst of it-and apparently no way in
which he could earn more. He wished
the words from one of the pieces in
his old reading book would not keep
going through his head in that monot-
onouS manner:
IN hnd a way or make il,
III fiLd a way make it,
lie could do neither, he was sure And
50. what was 10 become of him and his
mother?
'Oh, Morton, Morton, Look at that
Arthur gave u start. coming back in
an instant from visit To the great
trees of California, and saw a carriage
rolling by, which. in accordance with
the wish OF the lady who occupied il,
drove to the stone wall.
She was not looking at Arthur.
though her eyes were shining. and her
lips parted in "A sort of delight. Some
thing on the ground had attracted her
attention. Arthur looked in the same
direction. y bunch of liiacs, which he
had been holding in his hands during
his long reverie, had fallen unawares.
and the lady had seen it. He Sprang
down, picked it up and offered il To
her.
They're a good deal wilted,' he said.
IF you'll wait a minute I'll run home
and get some fresh ones
NO, indeed" the lady replied quick
ly.
She pressed the withered flowers
against her cheek. There were tears
I'm her eyes. though only a moment be
fore she had certainly been smiling.
Her husband was smiling then as he
looked at her, seeming To understand
her mood. He put his hand into his
pocket, looked more closely at Arthur.
hesitated, and withdrew it.
My wife is not WELL he explained,
and the lilacs remind her of her old
home. She is very fond of them. and
Il cy'n help her more than medicine.
It's the first time she's been able to
drive out from the city. We are very
ilucn Obliged To YOU
Arthur only bowed. He was a little
overcome by such a display of emotion
over IA simple bunch of lilacs -half-wiIt-
ed. too-and watched the carriage with
interest as il drove away.
\ moment later a sudden idea oc-
CURED to him, in so perfect and prac-
ticable shape that he did not even
stop to consider it. He started off on
i'll turn of the road.
Farmer Sanford was busy building
strip of fence.
viii YOU please lend me your cid
Kate and the red wagon for the rest of
the day. Nh. Sanford?'
"What?'
, The old man could hardly believe his
ears. which. perhaps, was not so strange
after all, considering that he was grad
ually growing deaf.
I'D like 10 hire it if | had any money
he went on boldly. I'm going to try
to make some. and if / do I'll pay YOU
as soon as get back. If not. I'll work
it out on the fence. Will that do?"
Farmer Sanford heard plainly enough
this time.
That sounds more like business" he
said, in his peculiar rasping voice. Il
don't keep horses to lend. and old Kate
isn't so young as she once Was Mind
that when you're n-drivin' her"
Arthur's next trip was to his own
home. little further on.
Mother, I've borrowed Mr.. Sanford's
horse and wagon, and I'm going TO take
load of lilacs up to the city and try
to sell them
And while he spoke he cut away large
! clusters of them. putting them into a
couple of pals of water he had placed
in the wagon
why, that's a crazy idea, Arthur"
his mother replied. Paying money
for lilacs, What made you think of
such a thing?"
III tell you when l get home, moth
er-after you've helped me count the
money I'm e,oing TO bring with me-"
And he laughed for the first time
that day. He was too busy and too ex-
cited to explain just then.
Arthur's eagerness, combined with
old Kate's infirmities, made the trip
seem long TO him; but he at last reached
! that part of the city where he had men
tally decided to go into business.
Kate halted in a detected attitude at
the corner of one of the principal bust
ness streets. 1t was street in which
nothing was bought or sold but money
Great crowds of men surged in all di-
rections over the sidewalks. Wagons
| and cabs filled up the space between