El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-11
Her Gratitude.

Rufford was more feeble than usual.
And, what with Maria's sewing being
interrupted and a new milliner and dress
maker having set up at Beech village,
times were very hard.
"You must get me some more wood,
Billy" she said to her little brother.
1.-The fire nearly went out this morning
when you were at school, and the snow
was too deep for me to get out to the
wood pile"
wood piles all gone" said Billy. bit
ing a semicircular piece out or his Dreao
-"been gone for a week.
Gracious mer' cried poor Maria
"And where has all the wood come from
that we've been burning"
'T've been ripping the thorns off the
ghost house fence" observed Billy. Il
saw the other fellows doing it, so why
shouldn't L? And I've chopped up all
the wood in the stable"
''But, Billy, that is stealing" sara
Maria.
4sNo. it amt" announced Billy, with
the air of one who felt himself an au-
thority on the subject. ''The old fellow
that bought the ghost house has sold
the property to the railway company,
and they're going to lay line of rails
right through the back garden. The old
house would have been pulled to pieces
long ago if folks hadn't been afraid OF
pull at it any one else"
81 am quite sure that John Gregory
will lend us wood until 1 am able to or
der a fresh load if you go down and ask
him.
Here he comes now" said Billy, who
had been fiattening his nose against the
window glass. 4 think you'd better
borrow it yourself"
"Comin this way" said he, thought
I'd sion and inquire how the old school
master is
"Pa's pretty feeble" sighed Maria.
Hell soon mend again once the spring
sets in," said John, encouragingly. ANY
thing 1 can do for you, Maria, down in
the villageT'
81 need some more wood" said Maria.
wistfully, but 1 can't pay for it before
pas annuity money comes in"
"Oh, get out!' said John. PAY for
1t, indeed When our woodland is suf-
ferin-yes, actually sufferin-to be thin
ned out. I'll send you down load, Ma
ria, when
81 am not a beggar" said Maria Ruff
ford, with some pride.
'sWeIl, if you find a load left at your
ehed door one O. these days, you'll
know what it MEANS" said he. Don't
you want to run down the road a piece,
Maria? I'm goin to the ghost house"
ITO the ghost houseY' said Maria Ruff
1OrQ- w nat Tor
'After a big mahogany chair that was
left there" said John. "Old Dawton is
O curiosity collector, and he's bought it
for So. He's got me to take it to the sta
ton. He's goin to send it down to
place in London where they expect to
sell it for much more. I'm told folks are
goin clean crazy about such old things"
"Hallo" cried Billy, jumping down
from the window seat. eve burned up
<hot oho ho cd
the oven hot last week"
He turned a SomerSault out of the room,
and poor Maria, with downcast eyes and
burning cheeks, was forced to explain the
whole thing to John Gregory.
"Well, if this isn't FIX" said that in
dividual, with long low whistle. How
am / to fetch the big chair down to the
railway station if there's none to fetch ?"
''Oh, John, John, what shall we do?"
groaned poor Maria. do you suppose
one of Grandmother Rufford's old chairs
would do as we'll? There's half dozen
of them that have stood there ever since
I was a child. They're dreadfully old
fashioned"
And the result of the inspection was
that one of Grandmother Rufford's high
shouldered old chairs was cheerfully
brought down stairs and lifted into Johns
cart.
John Gregory came up again within
week or two.
"Well. Maria" said he, 1--WE got
customer for another o them old chairs.
There's a lady in London has seen that
one and offered SO for it, but it was be-
spoke. So when old Dawton told me O.
1t, says l. 4 know where l can get an
other of the same pattern, as near like
it as can be- Says he, Send it to my
shop then And if you're willin to sell it
on those terms
I aI,o
out of their dim receptacle in the gar
ret and sold, one by one, to eager dill
ettanti-a battered old wardrobe was
fixed up" by John Gregory, and spin
die legged table followed close and hard
upon it, until Maria's wood pile and flour
barrel were replenished, a new carpet
was bought for Grandfather Ruffords
room, and the rent and the grocer's bills
were triumphantly paid.
Its as if we'd found a bag of gold"
said Maria, with tears in her eyes. "And
It's all your doinSs, John"
''If you're really so grateful to me-
"Well?''
There's way you might show it"
Il can't think what you mean, John"
"Well, it's not for lack o. explainin
II" sighed the faithful John. Il want
you to marry me, Maria. Isn't that plain
enough"
"Oh, John, when you know 1 can't
leave par'
"Wcll then, let me come here to live.
I've no wish to part you from your ia
Their"
'Well, John, if pa is willing
John rose quietly, but resolutely. He
grasped the vegetable pan and lifted it
carefully off the fire.
'John,' cried Maria, "what are you
going to do?''
''To kiss you, Maria"
'But. John, the potStoes aren't DONE"
''Let the potatoes wait" said John.
ave waited long nough.'-London
News.