Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-05

looked ntf UP one CHRISTMAS day, Il am
got no use for the like of his sort" Clothes
he never bought. and Hannah. with 4 beau
tiful regard for the feelings of the man she
loved. stitched and mended and patched,
and bit by bit replaced his worn and shah
by wardrobe. She was careful never tC put
into his room any new garment she had
made until the ruthless llundreSS had
robbed il of its newReSS. Then she would
substitute it for one which was beyond
even her clever needleCraft to mend. and
the elderly party" would put on the new
shirt or wear the new socks without the
slightest suspicion that the familiar patch
eS and darus were missing. lie acted rs
intellectual food ana nOurishmeut 10 her
starved brain, and she became the prIc-
teal part Of his uUeVrnly balanced char
acter. which nature had left wanting. She
often argued with herself that their eN-
istencc together in that house was Il proof
that purely pldJouic friendship can exist
between mani and woman ii they are
intellectual people. II was q false arSu-
ment, and She knew it. Tor her love for
him tot which he never for Il moment SliS-
pectedl was eating her strength away day
10y day and undermining her constitutions.
Shs had his undivided attention. and he
was fond OF her. but the fact that she was
Il woman, and not much oyer 80. had never
really forced itself on his mind, aud GER
tainly not ON his feelings. \ man. if he
could have made himself as useful aud rs
cOmpanionablo, could have taken her place.
one day the peace OF Hauuah'S life was
broken by the coming of = cousin an
orphan like herself. who had written and
asked Hannah TO give her a home while
she looked for work. Hannah wrot" and
welcomed her with bitter miSGiviuES at
heart. She had to toll night and dIy tu
make money TO pay for food enough for
herself ana her IudScr.
Madeline came. aud. like 4 hot wind
pas sing over q sensitive plant, she with
cred up HannIh'S courage. She was
young, and the beluty OF her animal
health was startling. She stood in Han
uah's humble parlor in the MONDAY sun
| light straight as q Young palm tree and
beautiful in symmetry. Il pulSinS, tinSliuE
piece of flesh and blood. colored like -
pItr pink peony. Hannah felt herself grow
older as she looked at her. Madeline'S
| eyes were blue that ii YOU came into
| the garden and she was there il was her
| two germandcrs fringed with black ;hat
caught Your notice. and her childishly per
! feet teeth closed right when she laughed.
| ana her passionate lips quivercd into
smiles. Blue eyes such as MIdcline'S and
white teeth alone can make a face pro-
| VCkInS TO the dulleSt S"HSibiitieS: when
she introduced herself (blushinS for lcr
| own prettncSS) to the elderly party he
| cursed the white teeth in his heart and
blamed the beauty Of her eyes. for he
knew not what. And poor Hannah. whose
\ eyes mao Hstd Color IN lQtn once. Win Il
growing numbneSS at her heart for ncr
| own I,lainnesS in contrast. following the
| pink flower that moved so gliblv about
| the house. giving her the best that lay in
| her p0wrr. marVeling at her cousins
! beauty. which was after all principally
| the result of perfect health and selfish
| disposition.
| Weeks passed into months and Madeline
| had planted herself firmly i'll the house;
| Hannah could not turn her out. and she
| never suggested going, and never made any
| serious attempt to get work. Her orphan
| and penniless condition served her as a
| useful means of appealing to the Sympa-
| thy of the elderly party" AS time went
went on. Hannah saw less and less of her
| lodger. her cousin appropriated as her
charge his study and labora tory. and it
was bitterness and gall to Hannah TO see
| her administer to him all the little atten-
| tions which she had been wont to perform.
| and the last straw was that Madeline
| talked if SHE gave enough help 10 fully
| repay Hannah for her room and keep.
| Hannah. with her heart smarting at the
| bitter Injustice of things, could not tell
| her that she was day by day robbing her
! of all that made life bsarable. Madeline
| had taken to using the elderly party'S
| study as her sitting room: it was more at
| tractive than the prim pdrlor downstairs
| and when Hannah was hard at work dur
| ing the hot August days-dayS that made
| her look paler and palmer than ever her
| cousin would sit reading 4 novel in her
| fivorite basket chair. with her feet upon
| the runEs of another-a pretty picture of
ease and comfort She never forgot to look
up at intervals. with q cat-lile something
| in her blue eyes and in her soft, purrinG
| voice. and say to her companion. Don't
YOU wish that Hannah would stop tuss-
ing and come and sit down.
And as when a woman is particularly
| busy a man generally does think she IS
'fussing' and choosing TO do something
| totally unnecessary. the elderly party
! came TO look upon il as quite natural that
Madeline should be his hourly companion,
and that she should sit in an easy chair
while Hannah. hot and weary in mind and
| body should toll ana strive for them both.
| After Madeline had been with them three
| months Hannah'S lOdger came into fort
| une. 1t was not a large one. but it would
| enable him TO live in ease and comfort Tor
| the rest of his life. When Hannah heard
| the GOOD news what she most dreaded did
| not happen. He did not suggest moving
| into more luxurious lodgings. he seemed 10
| consider himself Il fixture in the old vain
| ScOted room with its cottage window ana
! old oak floor: but he bought more pretty
| plants and fresh hothouSe flowers. which
| Madeline now accepted with Il blush and
| prettiness that sent his blood coursine
| through his veins.
She knew that she had appealed at first
| sight TO the human passion latent in the
! scholar. as Hannah had never done. Intel
| lectuaIy she was nothing to him. but fol
| that she did not grieve.- As an intellectual
! companion only, q woman has no actua
| power over = mans heart: but as beauti
ful woman she can use him as best suits
/ her purpose Hanpahs lodger paid his
| money in advance now. and she felt as {
| mother feels when her son grows into man
! hood and passes ont of her care. There
| was no need now to substitute new shirt:
for old ones. and the elderly party was
| comforting q favor on her by remaining
! in his humble lodgings. Her Self-saCrifces
| for her beloved teacher were useless now
She comforted herself with the thought
| that he never treated Madeline as in
| teilectual companion. but she knew that liz
| was more a man and less scholar whcr
! Nadeliue'S blue eyes and bright head were
lighting up the corner Of his dark study.
one morning when Hannah was ironing
! with the table piled high in well hieache,
linen. the elderly party" came into rh'
| kitchen with Madeline. lie walked struiGh
up Ia where Hannah stood. with her he"
face bent over the steaminE shirt. and dreR
Madeline forward
Hannah. your cousin hrs promised {,
marry M. She IS youu2; and beautiful. aU,
am only a plain scholIr. but / win do ms
Lest 10 make her good husband
ASH it had been thrust through her hody
with The point OF a boyonct. each wor,
went to Ilaunah's heart. 1t ceased beat
ing. Madeline. Of course. knew why h'l