The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-05


Her pride was hurt, moreover, and her
spirit chafed at being forced into what
she considered a false position; the law
yer's advice with, reference tozher per-
soral adornments ranked in her mind
and she was conscious of a secret, hu-
initiating longing, for which she heartily
despised herself, for some Of the girlish
fineries SO plentiful with other folks.
Having collected and packed her few
belongings and given a backward, regret
full glance at her room-such a poor,
mean little place, with its carpetless
boards and pathetic attempts at adorn-
ment-she went down to the sitting room
to await her aunt's return
1t would, perhaps, be Impossible to con-
ceive a more hideous' or c9nfortless
apartment than this sitting room. The
carpet was worn till every trace of pat
tern had disappeared from 1t, the curtains
were of dingy green, and the furniture,
massive and cumbersome, had been so
long in use that the horsehair coverings
literally bristled all over. Many a time
in the days of Moily's childhood. before
she had attained the dignity of long
stockings, had her poor little bare legs
been eXcoriated by the contact-she re-
tanned rueful recollection of it for long
afterwards. There is a poverty which
may be refined, an ugliness that is oc-
casionally picturesque; Mrs. Mackenzie's
parlor was neither, the one nor the other
1t was repulsive, as the girl had fire.
quently decided in her own mind; admit
ting of no possibility of artistic arrange
ment, and defying all her attempts to
make 1t even passably comfortable Yet
now she looked round her regretfully, al
most affectionately; 1T was home, after
all, the only home she had ever known,
where she had received unceasing kind
ness, where her presence was Invariably
welcome. What awaited her now in the
strange, unlooked-for future?
Poor aunt! how good she was, how
hard she tried to make ends meet-were
not her little economies undertaken, aft
er all, chiefly for her CNdollys) sake?
How cheerfullv and willingly she had
taken the orphan child to her heart,
though no ties of blood united them
and pinched and scraped in order to be
able to afford the additional expense en-
tailed by her presence! How c'everly she
had managed to- secure a good-even
particularly good education for her, how
ungrudgingly she had sacrificed her little
comforts on this account! Only within
the last few months had Molly been able
to contribute to her own. support, yet
Mrs. Mackenzie had never complained.
''She has always been too good, too
kind" thought Molly remorsefully, land
have never made her any return. How
could I ever have had the heart to be
cross to her, or laugh at her!'
When Mrs. Mackenzie burst into the
room few minutes later, her face red
with excitement, and triumphantly wav-
ing large parcel there was a suspicious
dewiness about her niece's eyes, and a
flush on her cheeks which she would
have commented on had she been Tess
preoccupied. ,r...@ - te a.
As it was, however, quite unconscious
that anything was amiss, she marched
over to the table, opened the parcel
Carefully undoing all the knots of the
string), and drew out It's contents with
a flourish, displaying them one by one
to Molly's astonished eyes.
''There!' she exclaimed, gleefully,
What do you say to that2 thought
white embroidered dress would be just
the thing for you to wear in the even
ings-see, 1t has one Of those loose bodiccs
"a blouse, the man called it-that can
be belted in and that can fit anybody
Here's blue sash, too-gracious, what
IS the matter, child?"
The sight of the good-natured face, ra-
diant in its unself1sh triumph, the thought
of the further sacrifices which this outlay
must entail, had been too much for Molly
in her present overweight condition:
the tears which she had been struggling
to repress burst forth all at once, and
making a darC at ner aunt, she Tell up
on her neck and sobbed.
well, upon my word, of all the ex-
traordinary girls!' began poor Mrs
Mackenzie, who naturally enough was
both aggravated and aggrieved by this
reception Of her gifts. Here she had been
tearing about the town and spending
great deal more than she could afford on
these things, hugging herself all the way
home at the thought Of Molly's rapture,
and as soon as the girl saw them she went
into floods of tears!
81 can't help it, auntie; I know I'm
silly sobbed Molly, "but you're so good
1 can't help crying
WELL" said Mrs. Mackenzie, more and
more mystified, 81 really can't understand
you, Molly Why on earth should you
cry because I'm good? 1 thought you'd
have been so pleased
And so 1 am" returned Molly, quick
to note the keen disappointment of the
tone. It's partly because [ am so pleas
ed that I am crying. It's because you are
so good and so kind, and such a dear,
dear old thing, and 1 know l have al
ways been horrid. But there-II stop
now''-looking up with lovely, liquid
eyes and scarlet lips. just breaking into
a tremulous smie-"Oh, auntie, how
beautiful! Just what have always long
ed for! I'm afraid they must have cost
a lot Of money
"Of course they did" said Mrs. Mack
enzie, now considerably Modified "A
very great deal Of money, 1 assure you
more than l ever spent at once before
But these things have to be done, you
see-I look on this as a duty
Here she shook out the sash, and laid
its accompanying ribbons beside it. BEAM
ing more and more as she saw MolIy's
unfeigned delight. The latter's natural
girlish love of pretty things was now as
sorting itself and effacing for the moment
all more painful thoughts.
I've never been SO smart In nv lifep'
she exclaimed, L really feel as if I
could kiss these little shoes! If only you
could afford it better-I have an uneasy
feeling that what is so much for me is
death to you, like the frogs in the table,
mot death, my dear" returned her
matter-of-fact relative. IT don't mean to
starve myself, you know, but of course I
shall have to economize-to pull in more
than ever.'5 Here she rubbed her hands
and positively chuckled. Heaven knows
what delightfully."- parsimonious visions
appeared before her minds eve. but
you must be careful, you know-put the
ribbons away in paper every night, and
turn the dress inside out before you
hang it up
In few minutes more Molly and her
precious hnery were slowed away inside
the cab, while her small box, with its
old-fashioned holland cover, was poised
OF the roof.
Il wish L could go with YOU" said her
aunt, who had taken up her. post in t1he
doorway. where she stood noddine like a
China mandarin: but there would be the
getting back to be thought of, and that
would cost money. God bless you, nv