Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-11-23

How L do wish we could have q
ripple of incident in our daily lifew
said Millicent More, closing her book
with sigh.
Nothing ever happens to us" said
her cousin Catherine, with a smile, as
she bent forward to pick up dead
leaf off her pet geranium.
Millicent and Catherine More were
girls of % and 25-"old maids" the
17-year-olders called them-whO taught
school and supported themselves com
fortably by their own unaided efforts.
Millicent was pretty, with red lips, a
clear, bright complexion and hair
touched with the warm auburn gold
that artists copy and poets rave Of
and Millicent had not quite given up
her little dream of love and matrimo-
ny, but Catherine never spoke of such
things. Catherine was not absolutely
fright, but Catherine was small and
plain, with ordinary gray eyes, hair
like everybody else's, and not the
slightest pretensions to beauty.
But the two cousins were very hap
Ply together after their own unpreten-
tious fashion, Millicent supplying the
sentimental and poetical element and
Catherine contentedly devoting her
self out Of school hours to the house.
keeping.
And upon this particular December
afternoon, just as the girls were de-
ploring the monotony of their daily
life, the postman tapped at the door
with a letter.
"A letter. cried Millicent.
"For me?" echoed Catherine.
And the cousins read it, with their
arms twined about one another and
their heads very close together.
'Uncle George is dead in Australia"
gasped Millicent.
"Oh, Milly-and he has left an or
phan boy" added Catherine, the tears
trimming into her eyes. I'VE must
adopt him, Milly-we must bring him
up"
Millicent drew back a little.
II don't see why" she said, some
what coldly. Uncle George never did
anything for u.s."
I'VE never asked him to, Milly."
"But he knew we were forced to
support ourselves"
Perhaps, dear, he was even poorer
than we. At all events, he is dead
now-and this child is left alone in
the world. I'll sit down and write TO
the lawyer this minute"
"Stop" said Millicent, COMPRISING
her lips. "Do you mean that you real
ly intend taking a great, rough, half
civilized boy into this houseT'
Certainly l do" said Catherine,
earnestly. 'Oh, Milly-a motherless
childv'
'In that case" said Millicent, II shall
not remain here. If you choose to
open a gratis orphan asylum it is no
reason that my slender income should
be squandered to feed your fancies."
"But, Milly, your salary is larger
than mine!"
"And l do not mean to scatter 1t for
mere chimera. This child has no
sort Of claim upon either of us. Let
the Australian authorities provide for
him."
And Millicent More could not be per-
suaded to take any other view of the
question than this. The next day she
told her cousin that she had made ar
rangements to secure a home with
Miss Keturah Bayley who took "a few
select boarders," in the next street.
And then Catherine sat down to con-
slider ways and means She had taken
the house for year-there was no re-
f1,a
"I'll let the lower tory tos Mrs. Hop
per, the miIliner," said she to herself.
81 never used to like the idea of living
in half a house, but all pride must be
laid aside now. / will take the back
bedroom myself and little Willie shall
have the front room that looks out on
the street. l shall have to do without
my new silk dress and to countermand
my subscription to the illustrated En-.
cyclopedia,' but 1 shall not mind that
I'll discharge Hannah and engage little
Dorcas Brown, who Is so fond of chill
dren and has such a winning way
with her. And / know we shall get
along splendidly-though to be sure,
shall have TO ask Lawyer Goodale fol
copying to do at home In the evenings
for 1 must be laying up little some
thing against Willie's future educa
ton"
For II never occurred to Catherine
More that she was doing brave and
heroic thing in denying herself for the
benefit of one whom she deemed YET
poorer and more helpless than herself
nor to Millicent that she was acting
the part Of recreant.
The little room in the front of thu
cottage second story was fitted vi