The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-03-29

her ears, and swapping black eyes.
At first glance she and her daugh-
ter, pretty pink and white, golden
haired blonde of about fourteen, or
thereabouts, seemed the only occu-
pants of the room. The fire had been
covered for the night, and the girl
Jane sat by it, and when her mother
whispered again in more emphatic
tone, "Jane. kick the fender" she
proceeded to admonish that unoffend-
ing piece of furniture, which, being
of sheet iron, and aided by the rattling
of the shovel and tongs, made consid-
cradle noise.
l have said they seemed the only
comprehensive glance showed that
such was not the case.
In the back room, in sort of an al
cove, was bed, and on that bed lay a
man known as James Thompson, and
who was husband to the black-eyed
woman, while Jane was their youngest
daughter.
James Thompson seemed to be
sound asleep, so sound that the clang
of the shovel and tongs. aided by
Jsne and the fender, made no impress
gion upon him, but the moment Aunt
Harriet, as she was known to the
neighbors, removed his trousers from
the lower right-hand bed-post, where
they hung, and thrust her hand into
the pocket, bringing forth a handful
OF coin, with its peculiar chink, chink,
sandy-haired, gaunt figure raised up
in Che bed, and said:
''Harriet, woman, what are you
robbing my pockets for?"
The black-eyed woman gave him no
answer, but turned to the girl, say
ing, Jane, go to bed"
The girl crossed the room, opened
door and went upstairs. Then,
turning to the bed, the woman con-
tinued:
S,...'Now. Thompson, the time has
come; we might as well have it out"
Then she drew o small rocker to
the side Of the bed and sat down,
while the man sank back on his pill
low with sort of groan.
''James Thompson, you and me-
when excited Aunt Harriet always fell
into bad grammar-'you and me
might just as we'll come to an under
standing, and You needn't groan about
it, either. When married you, near
onto twenty years ago, everybody said
L married you for your three farms
and your money. However that may
be, young woman in exchange for
herself should have something, and
you know 1 lave made you a good
wife and your four daughters and son
good mother. Look back and you'll
remember talk we had when you
asked me to be your wife. You re-
member how you told me that scan
dalous story of Melissa Orvis, the
lsphan girl who worked for your
mSther.
G.ts'Harriet," came again from the
pillow.
Don't stop me, say. You mind
the girl well enough, and you know
her child, too; your child was only a
little over year old when I married
you, and you know, too, that one OF
the conditions of our marriage was
that you should care for and educate
young James Thompson, who 1 held
in my own arms while his mother died
and when I had him christened by
your name, had the heart of a wom-
an in me, and I could not have the
child in the house with my own chill
dren, but you know as we'll as dc
that have always looked after his
raising and his education. and tina,
until he was twelve years old he
thought me his aant and you his
uncle.
"Lie still, Thompson. I'm moi
done yet. You know how stingy and
mean you have always been; how, al
though You are the richest man in the