The Louisiana populist., 1897-08-06
THRIFT.

uuu given MIN the quaint name. Then
when he was barely 2 years old, she
died. She left him with great wealth
Of silent love, but that, like his name,
could not help him much, that is, not
as far as one can judge things. The
nelghbors said it was cough that had
settled" that carried her off. Proba-
oly the cough had something to do with
1t, but a starved-out life of lack Of af-
lection and hard work had a good deal
more.
The neighbors also thought that Mrs.
Watson never had much spirit. 1t
would seem as if they almost blamed
her for dying, and leaving a husband
with child barely years old. They
mad misgivings about the child, and
there they were right. Thrift was deaf
and dumb. His mother had struggled
against the knowledge as long as she
could. When she realized it, she kept
the knowledge to herself with q fierce
love. But the cough came and settled
all the problems of her life for her.
Thrift's father took her death as apa-
thetically as he had taken her all her
life. Only Thrift seemed to realize
that fate was still against him. He lay
crying for hours alone in the little cot
tage, strapped into his cot. 1t was
weird, pathetic cry. The neighbors
were kind to him. They took him in
turn to their cottages, but the element
Of teasing children and rough handling
was discordant to him. The women
meant well, but 1t was a hard winter
and money and tempers were short.
Beside, Thrift's baby nature was hard
to understand.
brightness came into his life one day.
1t came in the guise of little dress
maker, Jean Lawrence. She brought
him black frock. She had been busy
80 had put off the making till she had
time. No one else thought of the little
mark OF respect. 1t was tribute to
custom, but 1t was the one tribute of
Mrs. Watson's life,
"Puir little lamb! said Jean Law
renee, as she came in.
Her eyes filed with quite unexpected
tears as she saw the lonely baby.
Thrift could not hear her, but some
thing sympathetic touched his under
standing, for he held out his hands.
"Puir little thing" said Jean Law.
renee again, and she caught him up
Ind covered him with kisses.
Then she put Thrift back in his cot
and united the little black frock She
:urned to go, for she was in a hurry.
Thrift's mood changed. His blue eyes
grew dark In the intensity Of his pas.
'ion. He kicked and screamed. His
lufry, fair hair was ruffled. He looked
he picture of little demon.
"Presairvesus," said the little dress.
maker. 1t was the first time any exag.
'eration of feeling had come into her
life. She was half fascinated and half |
certified by this unexpected burst
'Presairve us" she repeated still more |
alphabetically.
She never could explain afterward
vhat prompted her, but she stepped to
ne cot, wrapped a blanket round
thrift and did not stop to think till
ne had deposited him safely in her
wn house. 1t was characteristic Of
can Lawrence that she had never rea-
oned out why she had done this ac-
ion. Certainly she never regretted Il
was quite as easy a matter to settle
ne disposal Of Thrift with his father
ie was only too glad to be rid of the
urden.
The first clashing Of wills occurred
yer the same little black frock. Thrift
ngratefully refused to have ANYTHING
do with it. Miss Lawrence was per-
lexed. 1t would never do to dress him
colors on a Sunday. She compro-
lised by making him white frock
18th broad, black sash. It set off the
nlld's fairness, but still more 1t satis-
ed her sense of fitness.
Jean Lawrence always thought of
lat episode as an epoch In her life
he next epoch was the sudden resolve
Thrift's father to go to America.
ean Lawrence lived in state of ten
on till he had sailed. It seemed in
edible to her that he could wish to
ave his boy behind. She only saw
lc extreme desirabllity of Thrift in
~ manner and way. Thrift's father
ID not.
1t was soon after this that Jean
awrence's old lover returned to his
alive village. This caused more
fought In the village than Jean her
IL gave to it. 1t was ten years since
'hn Forbes and she had been going to
married, and ten years Is long time
woman's life! Since Thrift had
ltered her life she was utterly obliy-
us Of anything except her work. The
ore money she made the more she
'uld do for little Thrift.
Jean Lawrence had always kept to
'rself, andlao ore knew why she and
I'm Forbes had never married.
Her old mother was alive then, and