The Holly chieftain., 1898-02-11

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W-LZ/ tina, she could not
,rjoy her dinner She had always
prded hersel ON her hanging Of skirt,
but that day her right hand had forgot
ter its cunning.
Don't worry. Doris. p" said Mrs. Gi!.es-
pie. putting another slice Of boiled NUT
ton on the dressmaker's plate, Lay ii
| by till tomorrow. ard begiu Sarah
James school gingham."
"SSell, II you doE'i care" said Doris,
with a look of relief. Ill would be u
great lift off my mind" and she ate
three pieces Of mutton in her satisfac-
ton.
Did you know that Eben Doolirtls
was sick?" said Mrs. Gillespie after din
ner, as she piled her basr.nP-ueedle.
Doris looked up from the sewing ma
chine so quickly that keen observer
might have said she was startled. but
Mrs. Gil!espie's glasses covered uusus-
pecting eyes.
They say he's threatened with a
fever. No wonder. Living alone. and
doing his own cooking and farming
both, when any man in his senses would
have hired a 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, I
shouldn't wonder If he was pretty bad
of, Would you have this gingham
waist shirred at the top. or laid in plaits
all the way down. Doris?''
The little drcsmaker'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 ponr
Doris. AL puckered up close and tight,
aud somebody 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
"shirriug." and there was nobody at
hand to ''cut the gathering rhreads.D
| Doris answered Mrs. Gillespie as best
she ould. 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 10 stay al! night. Doris
wanted to be alone where she could
| Think hard. and the society OF Sarah
Jaue. " ho would have been her bedfel-
low. Was not conducive to coutempa-
ton
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 II the poor soul is there all
alone" thought Doris. ANY other
neighbor could run in and see after him
in friendly way, but that's all out Of
the question for mel"
When she reached home. she reused
her fire ou, Of its all-day sluggishness
and sat down before it without lighting
lamp. She could think better in the
dark.
Il wonder when those payments
must be made" she said to herself. Al.
the 18th OF February now"
Suddenly iwofold idea buzzet
through Doris Hi!burn's brain like ,
Fourth OF July pin wheel" and hei
plaintive little face grew hot and ros,
in The dim. fire-!ighted room.
"lf only dared!" she said half
breathlessly-theu with gathering
boldness, why not? No one will evei
fad it out, and Eben will Tot dream Of III,
doing such a thing. 1t may tide h in owe
SO he will pick up and get well. II ma,
be only the drop 10 the bucket. or /, ma,
be the full gallon, bu, I'll risk it. W hich
ever it is"
Pleasant dreams turned her humbi
pillow into cushion of down. an,
draped her bare walls with the cloth o
gold which too often. alas! must turI
to hodden-gray with the first touch O
dawn.
But Doris cloth of gold kept the glim
mer of its threads through all the mex
day. At noon she got through her din
ner early, and excused herself to do a
errand. She hurried along the quie
village streets TO the business quarter
and when she met a group Of gleefu
schoolgirls joking over the valentine
, they were going to send. she pressed he
: hand over little thin book in her uf
and wanted TO skip and laugh as tn
schoolgirls did.
: The official who waited on her SCENE
little surprised at the pature OF he
errand.
He needn't stare so. I have a rigt
I TO do what I please with my own,
thought Doris. trifle Indignantly. ~
! with certain feeling that she WAS d.