Middletown transcript., 1898-01-22
Links of
Circumstance

| IN q Zzs;sS$:sAsA6 ;s$:AA urged me-"
eS4gsSsss e. ''You never
| iSaYU will, 1 hope"
Vs. "He was quite
enthusiastic in his sympathy over the
poor little woman who's to be sold
OUT
"You'fe wasting yours. People
needn't have 'vendews' unless they
WISH"
"Mistake. These unfortunate neigh
bors are not indulging in this luxury
from choice. Think of it. II all our
household stuff had to be set out fol-
the inquisitive to criticise and haggle
over. 1t would about kill one."
IF you go there, Bah, you'll dc
some foolish thing. We have nc
money to waste on secondhand furni'
tore. Besides, this cottage is full
now."
"Oh, I'll not buy an articleI l.
think. But Pm curious to see how
such affairs are conducted. Good
bye"
Barbara left the room with decision,
and Mrs. Belts sighed as she rose from
the lunch table.
Kathryn laughed. "Why protest.
mother? When my sister sets out to
make a fool of herself she generally
succeeds"
"HumphI She could not make a
fool of herself,' child. I'd like to know
what would become Of us but for her
energetic character"
"Ah, welll" Kathryn pushed back,
lazily, managing to get her chair into
admirable focus for rejecting her pretty
self in the mirror opposite, and fell to
reading a novel. An hour later, tap
on the window aroused her.
For goodness sakel Barbara BettsI''
"Yes,n defnantly.
"What in the worldp"
"Where's mother?"
She was at the door, instantly, des-
pite her lameness.
"Why, Barbara, my daughterl what
are you doing with that creatufe?"
Leading it. II isl1't creature. It's
a steed."
"Whose?"
"Mine."
"Yours! Have you-bought-a-
horse?"
cit belongs to that race. The wan
dew folks called it the goat. ,"
"Aud you went to that auction to-
buy-a-horse!'
"No. | went for fun This repre-
sents fun and. sympathy combined il
one beautiful form. Isn't It sweetYi
"Il's hideous. You're jesting. L
can't-be yours"
sit is. My very own. 1 love it al
ready; the first living thing which ever
belonged to me-"
"Weh! Where will you get th'
money to pay for it2"
"Jt's paid for; and the halter was
thrown in. That cost nothing"
"How could you pay for itP"
Easily"
"The price?"
Eighteen dollars"
""You bought horse for eighteen
dollars?"
eyes. If you've looked at her al
you wish I'll put her in the STABLE"
Mrs. Belts sank into chair, gasp
ing. Kathryn arose and closed the
door.
1--WE should never have taken thi
house, mother. Then it wouldn't havI
happened"
81 should like to learn the connec
tion between this house and that
horse"
''There's stable to this cottage, ,yor
know. Bah has been tormented wit
schemes for utilizingait. She says it
the first stable she ever paid rent TO
and its emptiness reproached her. Le
us be thankful it wasn't cow-to b
MIXED"
"H'm. It's such horrible-lookin
thing; and she has nothing to make
comfortable.
81 suppose they nickn amed il 'goal
on account of it's size. II isn't muc
bigger than Bab."
SIT looks very DID,"
"About her age, too. Thirty. if
day."
'tHere she comes. She looks pei
fectly happy, yet I-eighteen dollar
disgrace Well. Barbara, whs
next?''
"a blanket and some feed. I'm g
ing down the street after them"
"The animal must be returned. W
cannot be bothered"
"Mother, don't get worried. She
mine. Her name is Flora. ] hor
you will be considerate of her feelings
She has been a household pet. Hi
mistress cried at parting, and | invite
her to call.n
"Why, of course. Another link,
murmured Kathryn, softly.
Bah went out of the yard, down Il
street. Her slight figure was girlish
its activity, her dark eyes beautifu
and her mouth-well, under some ci
cumstances. it might have been swee
At that moment it looked what Il
grocer called "sot. y
She went into the harness shop.