The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1897-12-30

after having given his note for the OBJ
legation. | CHANGED to call on Mrs
r. some time after, and what attracted
my attention first in the drawing room,
after the lovely countenance of the host
ess, was an antique empire cabinet sur
mounted by bust Of Napoleon and III.
side the identical Sevres.
Surely the stone that the builders re-
iected had become the head of the cor.
ner | curbed my curiosity until the
other visitors We're gone, and then, over
a cup of tea, asked and heard the story
1T WAS one day last week SAID
Mrs K George was home to lunch.
con You know made him promise be-
torehand that he'd always come home
to luncheon unless | was going out.
Well, George was home and brought
papa with him, and then they were GO
ing to "A directors meetlng-do have a
rose leaf, Fred sent them from New
York-of some new company they have
just organized Papa is president and
there's ever so much capital behind 1t
Their offices are lovely, in the Altruria
buildinR-you know those new corpora
tions always have such fine offices
Don't you like flowers? Try a nougat
Of course they We're talking business,
and when some one came | was glad to
get out and let them finish alone.
Here was this pitiful little woman,
quite handsome at one time, | should
say, but faded and out of style Why,
knew she was in trouble before she
spoke, for no pretty woman would wear
such clothes unless she had TO, and
guess, after all, | was sorrier for her on
that account than anything else Yes,
and when she showed me that china
now, | don [ know anything about such
things and Just have more glass and
china than there are places to put it;
people send so many of those thinge for
presents now-well, | told her dldn t
need any dishes, but if there was any
thing else could do just then papa
came III. and IN a minute he was Wild
He dldn [ see the lady or anything else,
but Just those dishes. Why, it S royal
Sevres Where dad it come from? 1t s
100 years old!' he cried, and he exam
med the painting and the mark-water-
mark, | believe, ism t 1t? When he had
finished his ecstasies | explained the
lady wished to sell it. He was aghast
To sell such a treasure for $50 was rank
robbery Why, don t you know they are
priceless? he exclaimed.
81 never saw anything get the better
of papa s business judgment before He
asked how she came to want to part
A. Al. i. 1
pitlful story Her husband was out of
employment and they had suffered
everything for months; didn't have
enough 10 eat, | suppose. | never knew
that kind of refined people could get so
poor Papa bought the china for part of
my New Years gift | don t know how
much he gave. You can { ask about IA
present And George gave her an ad.
dress and told her to have her husband
call at the office in the morning
never was so happy in my life After
the men and the little woman were gone
| had good cry. | was in the midst of
it when DIR. D. called, and of course
| had to tell him why was crying and
everything He was so interested, and
ne had curious look on his face and
said: Thy ways are not our ways Mrs
R., your father Is the best man |
ever knew And you know papa lsn t a
church member at all; hardly ever goes
to church
He's a very able man. the little wo-
man S husband, George says They put
him into the office of the company md
think of making him manager after the
first of the year He told George that
his wife is all that saved him in his
trouble, and she sees good i'll it all and
says their trials only made them nearer
to each other and that won t know
what love is until trouble comes and we
fight it down together We've talked of
it since. 1t IS curious how she happened
to come to us. 1t seems as if something
must have sent her at last, doesn't it,
Perhaps. Chicago Post.