The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-02-09

enjoy her dinner. She had always
prded herself on her hanging of skirt,
but that day her right hand had forgot
ten its cunning.
Don't worry, Doris" said Mrs. Giles
pie. putting another slice of boiled NUT
ton on the dressmaker's plate. Lay it
by till tomorrow, and begin Sarah
James school gingham."
well, if you don't care" said Doris,
with a look Of relief, "it would be
great lift off my mind" and she ate
three pieces Of mutton in her satisfac-
tion.
Ibid you know that Eben Doolttle
was sick ?" said Mrs Gillespie after din
ner, as she piled her basting-needle.
Doris looked up from the sewing ma
chine so quickly that keen observer
might have said she was startled, but
Mrs. Gillespie's glasses covered unsus-
pectng eyes.
"They say he's threatened with
fever. No wonder. Living alone. and
doing his own cooking and farming
both. when any man in his senses would
have hired housekeeper long ago, or
got married, which would have been
better still. They say he's worrying
about some payments he can't meet
next month. and, take it altogether, l
shouldn't wonder if he was pretty bad
off, Would you have this gingham
waist shirred at the top. or laid in plaits
all the way down, Doris?"
The little dresmaker's heart was
humping so that she thought her COM
panion must hear it. But the placid
face opposite was absorbed in the plat
ings and shirrings.
"It's all shirrings," thought poor
Doris. "all puckered up close and tight,
and somebody's got to cut the gather
ing threads before things will come out
straight" (She and Eben Doolittle
had once been much more than friends,
but Fate had undertaken to do some
"shirring," and there was nobody at
hand to "cut the gathering threads.~
Doris answered Mrs. Gillespie as best
she could, and started the machine
again. '...
When night came she rolled up her
scissors, thimble and tape measure and
put on her things, despite Mrs. Giles
pies invitation to stay all night Doris
wanted to be alone where she could
think hard, and the society Of Sarah
Jane, who would have been her bedfel-
low, was not conducive to contempla-
tion.
On her way home, she passed low
brown house standing back from the
road-a house dark and silent. but
which quickened her pulse by its mere
outlines.
81 wonder If the poor soul is there all
alone" thought Doris. "Any other
neighbor could run in and see after him
in a friendly way, but that's all out Of
the question for mel" "'
When she reached home, she reused
her fire out Of its all-day sluggishness
and sat down before 1t without lighting
lamp. She could think better in the
dark.
81 wonder when those payment;
must be made" she said to herself. "It''
the 18th OF February now"
Suddenly twofold idea buzzeC
through Doris Hilburn's brain like
Fourth of July pin wheel" and he
paintive little face grew hot and ros!
in the dim. fire-lghted room.
"If only dared!" she said half
breathlessly-then with gatherin,
boldness, "why not? No one will eve
find it out, and Eben will not dream OF m,
doing such thing. 1t may tide him over
so be will pick up and get we'll. 1t ma,
belonly the drop in the bucket, or 1t ma
be the full gallon, but I'll risk 1t, which
ever It is"
Pleasant dreams turned her humbl
pillow into cushion OF down, an
draped her bare walls with the cloth {
gold which too often, alas! must tur
to hodden-gray with the first touch {
dawn.
But Doris cloth OF gold kept the glin
mer Of its threads through all the ne,
day. At noon she got through her dil