The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1898-01-27
"J don't know" Mrs Pennington

the moneys coming from, Mellie."
Agatha, who always arose an houl
later than the rest of the household
was asleep up stairs.
But we must make the child hap
py," insisted Melicent.
Then came days of scrimping and
saving.
The two youngsters whose parents
had sent them from the West to be-
come boarding pupils of the School OF
Observation looked dolefuly at each
other across the morning repast. The
soupmeat of the day before had been
converted into hash. The coffee seem
ed principally grounds. The oranges
were small and shriveled. One of the
youngsters had the temerity to ask for
a poached egg one morning, and the
injured air with which Melicent refus-
ed it still fingers in her memory,
Melicent and her mother partook of the
same frugal fare; but there always was
bit of steak or a 1fice chop for Aga
tha
Mater" said Melicent, one evening
I'VE might sell that. ormolu clock I'M
Gle gave me-
The ormula timepiece went to deal
er in antiques, and several heirlooms
of guinea gold found their way to a
smelling shop down town.
Packages of all kind were being de-
livered at the Pennington house now;
but the neighbors did not notice that
almost as many packages left that
house as came into it. Harlem cliff
dwellers are not very curious.
What are you doing to do with
that mahogany table," asked the Bry-
son girl, who was always about at the
wrong time.
1T is to be repolished," replied Meli-
cent calmly.
The School of Observation for
| Young Girls began to show alarming
! symptoms of disintegration. The girl
with the red hair suddenly announced
that her parents had decided to send
her to a seminary in Fifth Avenue,
Melicent held up her hands to observe,
to think, and to study, with no higher
ideals before her than French lessons,
department, and dancing? The back
ward child, who never could get her
lessons, went home crying one day, be-
cause Melicent had grown impatient
when she translated vouleur as a bird,
and she did not return.
1T seems to me, Nellie" said Aga
tina, several days later, you and Mater
are neglecting the school dreadfully.
You seem to think that Mr.. de We're is
going to marry the whole family.
Please don't get that impression, or the
first thing We know he'll break off the
engagement"
Melicent bent over the wedding dress
she was making for Agatha, and said
not word.
That wasn't exactly pleasant thing
to talk about" Agatha, told herself,
after she had left the room; "but Rich
ard insisted on the matter being de-
finitely understood"
In the weeks which followed, Meli-
cent worked bravely to keep that hand
full of pupils together. She spent the
SISdlSi part VI luS ulSut III lOllluS
upon Agatha's wedding down.
Its labor of love-" she said. Il
was afraid was getting selfish
While the cliff dwellers on either side
of the Pennington house were asleep,
the little. old fashioned sewing ma
chine buzzed until long after midnight.
By the light of a kerosene lamp-for
gas was considered too expensive
Melicent toiled and toiled over the
white satin and the ornaments of pearl
Her eyes were red and swollen when
she finally ceased work and crept up
to her little room under the roof.
Week in and week out Mater and
Melicent labored upon that wonderful
trousseau; that is, Melicent did the
actual work, aud Mrs. Pennington
directed matters. Then, one morn
ing, Melicent came down bearing in
her hands yards and yards of creamy
Spanish lace.
1T is not likely that shall need it,
Mater" she said simply, as she handed
over the fiimsy fabric to her mother.
When your great aunt gave it to
you, Nellie" exclaimed Mrs. Penning-
ton, "she said that it was to be worn
on your wedding day."
Melicent walked over to the win
dow -darkened by the dreary wall of
the adjoining fiat.
Il shall give it to Agatha" she
said Then she turned and went hast
lily from the room. Agatha, who met
her on the stairs, noticed that she was
weeping.
The wedding invitations followed as
closely as possible upon the heels of
the announcement. Four months is
considered short time They seemed
a century to Agatha; but to Mater and
Melicent they were an age. The pro-
prietors of the Pennington School of
Observation for Young Girls missed
the tuition fee of the youngsters from
the West, and they felt the loss of the
board money most keenly. Manay a
time they wished that the req haired |
girl would come back. The interest |
on the mortgage stared them in the |
face.
81 often WISH" remarked Agatha. |
after family council, that Pater had |
been more of financier.'
His was lovely character"
Melicent rejoined. Il wish every day |
that l were more like him.
Heralded by paragraphs in the So
ciety columns of the SUNDAY newspa |
pers, by bits of pasteboard engraved |
at Tiffany's, and by the gos lps of st. |
the wedding came at last. !
1t was in June, but shortly. after the
Commencement of the School of OBJ
for Young Girls.
The Commencement that year was a
affair 1t was also the last.
There were two graduates, and the
little room in the building of the
Young Mems Christian Association was
barely filled. Two or three vestrymen