The Monticellonian., 1898-02-11

enjoy her dinner She had always prided herself oH her Hanging Of I skirt, but thai day her rieht hand had faFgot- len is cunning.
 Don't worry, Doris, said Mrs. Giles pic, putting another slice of boiled nut lon on the dres4maker,s plate Lay t hy til tomorrow. and begin Sarah lanes school eineham. ?
 Well, if you don't care" sad Doris, with look of relief. "it would be q great Tiff off my mind.9 and she ate three pieces Of mutton h her satisfae- ton.
 Did you know }Bai EbeH DoolIt3e was Siek2a said Mrs. Gillespie after dia- ner, as she pied her bast.ee-Eeedte.
 Doris looked up from the sewing ma chine so quickly that a keen observer might have said she was startled, but Mrs. GileSple's glasses covered ansus- peeting eyes.
 "Fhey sav he's threatened with a fever No wonder. Living alane. and doing his oNn cooking ard farming both, when any man iH his senses would have hired q hoHsebeeper long ago or got married. which would have been better still They say hes worrying abaut some payments he cant meet Hext month. and take il altogether, I shouldn't wonder if he was pretty had off Would you have this elngham waist hired ri the top. or laid ir plajts all the way down Doris 2'
 The >ittie makers heart was 4V
 panon must hear it. But the placid face opposite vas absorbed n tbe plat ings aud shrrings.
 Its all shirrines,' thought poor Doris, "all puekered up close and fight, and somebody's got 10 cut the gather ife threads before things will come out straight (She and Eben Doolfttle had once been much more than friends. b4t Fate had undertaken to do some "shrriRg," and there was nobody at hand to "eat the gathering threads.'9
 Doris answered Mrs. Gillespie as best she could, and started the machine aeain
 When night came she rolled up her scissors thimhle 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 bedff.- low was uot conducive 10 contompla- tion.
 On her way home, she passed a low brown house standing back from the road-a house dark and silent, but which quiekened her pulse by ifs mere outlines.
 'I wonder if the poor soul is there all alone" thought Doris. aAny 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 out of its all-day sluggishness. and sat down before it without lighting a lamp. She could think better in the dark
 "I wonder when those payments must be made" she said 10 herself "It's the 18th Of February now"
 Suddenly twofold idea buzzed through Doris Hlburn's brain Ike Fourth of July pin wheel" and her plantive little face grew hot and rosy in the dim, ire-lighted room
 "If l only dared!" she sad half breathlessly with gathering boldness, "Why not? No one will ever find itoutand Eben will not dream of my doing such thing t may tide him over, so he HiH pick tip and get we'll Ii may be only the drop in the bucket, or fl may be Iuil gallon. but fnrisk it. which ever .is,'
 Pleasant dreams turned her humble pillow into a cushion of down, and draped her bare walls with the cloth of gold which too often. alas, must turn to hoddengray with the first touch ef dawn.
 But Doris cloth of gold kept the glim- mer of it's threads through all the next Jay Al noon she got through her din