Warren sheaf., 1899-11-16

SfSAJ fUdJ ASA having BY .
:tematic employment, mother
Ny dear, brave girl,'' and Mrs. Haw-
ley folded her daughter in warm em-
brace. Il am proud of you, Kate
Don't be proud yet. Wait until Il get
to teaching" said: honest Kate. s.I will
write my application at once, for every
day is precious, now that September
is SO close at hand.''
s Her anxiety to get the mail5was re-.
doubled during. the next week; but she
tried not. to show it, for fear Jack would
suspect the cause, and she wanted to
give him a genuine surprise.
But as day after day passed without
bringing the reply to her application,
she began to look pale. and worried.
i can't understand why don't get a
letter" she: said, over and over again,
to her mother. ut seems so strange"
Probably the place was filled before
your application arrived,"' said Mrs.
Hawley.
y Then they ought to apprise me of
the fact said Kate. "It is so late now
that itswould be useless for me to APP
ply to the agency again. The schools
all over the country will begin in less
than two weeks. Poor Jack! lam glad
we didn't tell him about it. If it sfsuch
a terrible disappointment to me, what
would 1t have been to him ?'' z
And at that very moment 'spoor Jack''
was carrying about with him in the
cornfield the letter his sisterwanted SO
much: It had been given to him by Mr..
Filling several days before, and he had
thrust it carelessly into his coat pocket,
and straightaway forgotten? all about it
in the excitement Of hearing his neigh.
Dor tell of a lucky haul of black bass
which had been made in the river that
morning. @sa ~ Z,
Kate wrote again to Camden, and on
the day when an answer, was due she
walked all the way to the village, a dis
tance of two miles, to get her mail her
self, feeling that in the present state
of her mind she could not trust that
duty to even Mr.. Pilling. :
She returned at dusk, looking SO pale,
languid and distressed that her mother
was really frightened. ~
"What is the matter, Kate?. Are you
ill?" she cried. q:
:. Kate made no answer, but silently
drew from her pocket a crushed and
tear-stained letter, and threw it on the
table; then, throwing herself on the
sofa, she covered her face with her
hands and began to cry silently.
Mrs. Hawley opened the letter and
read it aloud. It ran as follows: -.
Miss Kate Hawley: , @
Your note of inquiry is at hand, and, in
reply, would state that I returned a
favorable answer to your application three
weeks ago, and requested you to inform
me II you would be ready to enter upon
your duties September 4. After waiting a
reasonable time to hear. from you, and re-,
celvlng neither letter nor telegram I sup
posed you did not desire the position, SC
offered 1t to another lady, who is now with
us. Regretting that my letter failed to
reach you, I remain, So s
yours respectfully, i
B . il "CHARLES HARTLAND."
Don't cry; please don't cry, Kate .
said Fan, down whose own cheeks the
tears were streaming. 'It wasn't your
fault, dear.'' ~
What's all this fuss about?" asked
Jack, coming in with milk pail in
each hand. whats gone wrong,
Kate?" 49,. t,.. .,..s -,
Kate felt.too wretched to care to keep
the secret any longer, and so sobbed out
the whole story from beginning to end.
I'VE can't understand how the letter
was lost" she said, in conclusion. 'sMr.
Pillng is the only one outside the fam
lly who ever brings our mail, and he is
always very careful of it, -+
jacks face. turned suddenly white,
lie put his hand in his pocket, hesitated
moment, then drew it out again with
something in it. .-. ....s5s
"Is that the letter?'' he asked, hold
ing out the one Mr.. Pilling had given
him in the cornfeld, three weeks ago.
There was no need to ask questions.
Jacks face told them all they wanted to
know, and they let him leave the room
without a word, and when he did not
appear at supper time they did not re-
mark upon his absence. .-...,
But when supper was over, and the
lamps had been lighted in the sitting
Aoo1A1, cA1S SI11l AC Olu uOG COluC H., nate
crept upstairs to his room, and, enter
ing softly, found him lying on the sofa
in the dark, his face. hidden on his
arms. as3s.9~
slack, dear Jack!' she whispered,
never mind. Early next summer I will
apply to the agency again, and I am
sure to. get a place them
For a moment Jack did not answer.
Then suddenly he sat up and let his sis
ter see his white, haggard face.
Il deserve it all,'' he said, in a low,
tense voice. Its a just punishment,
but, oh, Kate, it is such hard one!
And even if you do get a place next
year, and go to college then, i can
never forget that I have lost asWhole
year!" 5 Il
Henever did forget it. 5. Z.
The year Of waiting was long and
weary one, and stamped itself indelibly
on his memory, but in it he learned to
overcome his one great fault--he was
cured forever of the edlessness which
had cost him so dear. &C olden Days.