The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-29

lowed by bow that seemed quite inconsis-
tent with this mans present condition.
My face must have shown surprise, for he
turned away abruptly and went out down the
steps to his work, while, with vague feeling
OF wonder and curiosity, I returned to my
pastry.
I was growing quite excited and flushed
with mingled success and heat when I thought
the man must have finished his work
[ ran into the drawing room to demand the
necessary money to pay him with.
/ hope my dear you will see him safely
off the premises" said my aunt, nervously
NO one knows who these people are. Pray
don't LEI him think there are only women
living here! This house is so dreadfully lone
ly, and there is the silver and all my mothers
jewels in the bureau"
I laughed; I am afraid, unsympathetically
Lonely, auntie, with the Greystones only a
quarter of a mile away, and Doctor Millar not
much farther! And, besdes,' I added, in
dignantly, the man is not a tramp!"
My dear, We never know and it is always
best to be careful said my aunt, handing me
coin from her purse.
[ looked at it for a moment in surprise, and
then ventuEed to demonstrate
Don't you think you have made mistake
auntie? This is a sixpencei'
"Of- course it is a sixpencei" exclaimed
Aunt Lucy irrftably; surely you give me
credit for knowing what I am about!
an hours hard work.
Nonsense, child, you don't even know what
hard work is to those men, and besides, six
pence an hour is very good pay indeed"
Experience told me that argument use
less at least where money was concerned, sc
went out of the room, flushed and angry
and ashamed and, for a moment, did not
notice that the man, having finished his work
stood waiting in the hall.
There was a smile of amusement on his face
as I looked up, which only added to my dis
comf1ture.
IF you will wait moment I will pay you,
said, and ran upstairs to my room
"It is too bad!" said to myself, wrath
fully. "Auntie ought not to be so mean; it Is
not as if she had any need to be! can't give
him that''-throwing the sixpence down on
the table in dsguest. 81 shall have to make
it up from my own money"
Then I suddenly remembered that the last
of my little quarterly allowance had been
spent three days ago-al1 but few paltry
coppers.
stamped my foot with annoyance.
Why had I been so foolish as to buy those
stupid gloves and those two new wells?
Certainly not because I needed them;
though, of course, at the time they had
seemed indispensable.
And now had nothing left-nothing Gas
glanced hastily through my purse) but those
few pennies-and-wha was that silver coin
tucked away in the little pocket supposed to
be reserved for stamps?
I remembered now, it was Harold'S form
an old two-shilling piece, most heroically
saved from his pocket money ten years ago
drilled with three holes to form a triangle
and given to me as Christmas present with
a very broad hint at the value of the gift an6
the sacrifice it had entailed the giver, and
many injur ctions me not to spend or lose
it. but to guard it carefully and tenderly as a
keepsake
Poor old Hail. I laughed ut would take
a little of the concet out of him if he could
see what 1 am doing now; but my conscience
did not smite me very severely, nevertheless
as took up the form and the sixpence and
went down stairs to give them to the mystic
rious stranger.
He thanked me quietly he took the
money, and then his glance fell on the drilled
form and he looked from it to with the
same half-whinlsical, but very pleasant, smile
that had noticed before, and I grew hot anG
red as 1 suspected that he guessed all about
it, 1 was turning abruptly away when his
voice recalled me.
81 beg your pardon" he said would Il
Inconvenience you to allow me to wash my
hands?
The request was unusual, of course, and
rather startling, and yet 1 looked at him
again. it somehow seemed quite natural thai
he should make it. His was not the kind Of
face that one associated with dirty hands.