The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-29

why, no, 'tisn't bad news" said Mr..
! Hornbeck. Mrs Rouse, with kind consid-
I Grafton. rose to go.
Wen bring you over some candy to-
morrow, Mrs. Rouse" said Trotty. Trotty
was thoughtful of everybody.
You say it isn't bad news, father" said
Mrs Hornbeck, but you don't look as il it
was anything else
We'll" said Mr.. Hornbeck, mother the
letters from Mrs. Taylor; Sarah Taylor
It's to both of us. It's about you Trotty.
1 guess ia better read il out loud"
"Me?" said TTotty.
'Ah; Sarah Taylor, said Mrs. Hornbeck.
Her face had changed.
Ii was a long letter and very pleasant
letter. Certainly Trotty might have IN
derstood 1t without difficulty at a first
reading. But she looked bewildered.
They want me-" she said, Ito come
and live with EN-! Well l shan't so a
step"
MIR. Hornbeck cleared his throat. TT
might be good for you, Trotty," said he
Trotty laughed. you want to get rid
of me. fatherr' she said. That was a great
joke; Charley ha-haed
1T will be a bad days work for the
Hornbeck family when we get rid of you,
major" he father said. But you see,
Mrs. Taylor is your fathers cousin, and
[ suppose maybe she's got some claim
"Why, no, father said Trotty wide
eyed; "nobodys got a claim on me but
you and mother, and Charley and Lily and
the baby"
That's rightr' said Charley, loudly.
But that isn't all, Trotty," his father
said. They're well off. They live in a
nice big house. with a great lawn round
it; 1 was over there to Payson once, and
saw the place"
"Why! but, father" said Trotty sit
was thing too ridiculous to take seri-
ously; she laughed-"but 1 don't want to
go and live there. You and mother took
me when my mother died and l didn't
have anybody, and I guess nobody else
is going TO get me now
4 guess there amt, eitherr said Char
ley
Il guess there amt" Lily echoed.
Their mother had sat sltsnt and sober.
Now suddenly she spoke, with voice
oddly unlike her own.
IF we could have our way, Trotty,"
she said. nobody should ever get you. But
t's this way. I've been looking for this
letter from Sarah Taylor. / heard six
months ago that her last daughter was
married, and that took me back to the
time your mother died, Trotty-"
"And you took me-" Trotty put in.
Eyes; but the Taylors' came over here
and we had a talk. Mrs Taylor said
just your mothers friend, and that twas
she that ought to take YOU
Like to a seen her!" said Charley.
but she had three girls of her own,
end she saw how more than willing was.
She said. though that some time, If her
girls ever left her. maybe I'd hear from
her. And now her last girls married and
she and Mr.. Taylor are alone-and I've
heard from her" said Mrs Hornbeck.
She Looked Ia bt1f CHI Y.t41ft
"Trotty." she said, i've always known IL
the time should ever come that they asked
for you, we'd have to let you 60 It's
just this: They can do better by you.
They're rich folks, compared to us, and
you'H have a splendid home with them
You'll be ten times better off! There,
Trotty! 1 see our duty this minute, and
see it plain. zen just about break my
heart, but we've got to do what's for your
good Trotty."
I'VE haven't, either" said Charley. He
ratified the corn-poper fercely
Il guess we haven'ty said Lily But
their father spoke gravely.
Il guess, Major" he said, falterlng,
mothers right"
The candy was burning and filling the
kitchen with lbs smudge; but nobody no
ticed it. Trotty bent over the baby's high
chair; she hid her face against his club
by, warm check.
i've been here" she said with a sob,
"'nost ever since 1 can remember-ever
since Lily was a baby; and the first thing
YOU did, you made me red plaid dress
with pocket in it-and-I-I don't want
20 go and live with any Tayiors."
One evening, five weeks later, Mrs.
Rouse went over to the Hornbecks'.
Mrs. Hornbeck was darning stockings,
and Lily was helping her, with her awk-
ward little fingers. Charley was in a chair
by the stove, with a flannel cloth tied
round his swollen checks Charley had
the humps.
We'll" said Mrs Rouse IT can't get
used to it. 1t does seem so funny here
without Trottyi"
She had really meant not to say that
again-she said il every time she went
over to the Hornbecks; she could not
help 1t.
Funny" said Charley, somewhat
fercely--"if you call it funny?"
There, Charley said MS mother,
Hes been crochety. like that. ever
since Trotty has been gone" she ex-
planned to Mrs. Rouse. And 1 don't
know but we all have"
isn't 1t most a month";" said Mrs
Rouse.
IT'S four weeks yesterday" said Mrs.
| Hornbeck. For once, the decision had
been made that 1t was best to let Trotty
go to the Taylors, Mrs. Hornbeck, with
sad firmness, had lost no time In putting
the plan into execution. 1T seems like
four months"
-Four years." said Charley.
IT'S just awful" said Lily, lawful,
without Trotty."
81 can't blame them" said their mother,
between smiling and signing, nor scold
them. / feel just the way they do myself
/ My. how we do miss herl Father and ali
of us. We couldn't begin to tell.
III Trotty was here shouldn't be darn
ing stockings from Mondays wash Sat
uGday night; Trotty darned all the stock
ngs-she would do It, / do my best to
keep ahead Of my work. but without
Trotty, somehow-there, 1 won't complain
| another word"
! NO said Mrs. Ro use cheerfully, "for
I don't doubt but what Trotty's real well
off, there where she is.
No. she amt" said Charley.
"Of course she is' said his mother,
rebukingy. ITS a splendid thing for
Trotty TO live there They've got horse
and carriage, and a piano; she says So"
II suppose she's contented? You can