Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1898-12-16

bHe was matter-OI-Iact ilttlc
woman, on the shady side of forty,
although, as to that, If she had chosen
TO keep the fact to herself, no one
would have placed her at day over
thirty-five.
She had come to New York to do
her Christmas shopping. There were
stores in her own town, good ones,
too. where she could have parted with
her Christmas spending money quite
pprofitably, but home shopping was an
everyday affair, while this, New York
trip was the one dissipation Of her
quiet, correct commonplace life.
People who knew her we'll said
she liked to get away from home at
holiday time,-there were scenes and
memories to run away from-that
there was an untold story away back
in her life somewhere. At all events,
the quiet little woman seemed unlike
her calm self as the holidays drew
near.
There were others, and they were
In the majority, who saw only the
Miss Rollins known by the world in
general, and smiled at the idea of any
thing sentimental, declaring If there
had ever been anything out Of the
ordinary in her life she would not be
one to run away from it.
Be that as it may, for fifteen years
Miss Rollins had not missed her
~ suh e;f e. hiO pitv She
always spent generous sum, too,
although she was not a rich woman.
The economies she practised before
and after this annual outing were
entirely her own affair. There were
q dozen or more on her list, children
principally who were always remem-
bered-their gifts were sent to them
from New York, giving them an
added value, perhaps. Miss Rollins
never returned till the holidays were
we'll over. She passed the last two
weeks Of every year in what was to
her a whirl of gayety, then returned
to commence the year again In the
old regular, monotonous round, her
only outside interests being the
weekly prayer meeting and the Sab
bath service. Occasionally, but by
no means regularly, she INDUCED in
a church sociable. AS the object OF
these affairs was to bring the peo-
pie together and make them ac-
quainted, she tried to live up to the
idea and do her duty in this respect,
80 she shook hands with the minister
and the deacons and certain of the
members, always being especially
careful to notice children and strang-
ers. After these occasions people
said to each other, What pleasant
lady Miss Rollins Isl" At other
times they merely remarked that the
little old maid was well enough in
her way, but something Of crank in
her desire to be left to herself.
This particular Christmas was just
like the others to Miss Rollins, ex-
cept that her pocketbook was lighter
than usual; not that that made her
unhappy-it was merely one of life's
happenings and she always took them
as they came, but 1t necessitated some
fine calculating to accomplish her
purpose. Instead of taking Mrs.
Bowen's second floor front, she con-
cluded the third floor hall room would
answer her purpose quite as we'll.
Her little gifts must be selected with
great care, in order that they might
give the usual amount Of pleasure to
the recipients, though possessing less
money value. AS to her own par
ticular pleasures, for she always in
dulged in several visits to theater and
opera, why, that was easily disposed
Of. The front seats were not at all
necessary; she had always INDUCED
In them, to be sure, but that was no
reason why she could not be happy
in back seat or even in the gallery.
Her sight and hearing were perfect
and her social standing could not
possibly be injured by sitting a few
hours with the people who, from
choice or necessity, bought half
price tickets. The money question
being disposed of. the little woman
proceeded to enjoy the holidays in
her usual manner, with these few ex-
ceptions.
The hall bedroom was clean and
comfortable, though it was somewhat
cramped. There was room for her
trunk-just room and nothing to
spare. She did sigh little over that,
for she was accustomed to plenty of
room, so her kind-hearted landlady
came to her relief by offering to let
her put the trunk in the third story
back room, which was empty just at
present. The man who occupied 1t
had gone off in the country some
where for the holidays. He was
Californian but was spending the
winter in New York. Mrs. Bowen
did not know that he had any regular
business, but he seemed to do great
deal of writing; perhaps he wrote for
the papers.
The mans trunk was in the room,
a trunk much like her own with the
1T NJ ~