The suburban citizen., 1900-03-31

81 Mr.. Van IWIstern,
~ whose line ran back
- to the Dutch Com.
panies, in order to escape the shame
Of bankruptcy, comm itted--. Any
way, during twelve long years Sophy
had worked for and nursed her invalid
mother.
Sophy was in charge of the laces at
Benner's and earned o fair salary,
Each summer, when she received her
two weeks vacation, she would send
her mother up to the Gray Mountain
House. Sophy remained in the fiat
and did the dressmaking to last her
mother aud herself during the winter.
Her mother would have preferred to
remain with Sophy, but the daughter
was obstinate in this particular. As
she was all docihty in every other,
old Mrs. Van Twistern yielded.
Now, Sophy would wander down
Gray Mountain Valley with her book
and her knitting, trying to pick out
quiet corners of shade, which she
would fancy her mother might have
chosen. Sophy knitted wristlets and
collarettes and read books like "Rob-
ert Elsmere." Sophy was thirty-six
and she knew herself to be an old
maid.
On the second day Of her stay, as
she sat knitting and reading by turns,
she heard sweet child's voice sing
ing:
doant love nobody,
Nobody loves mel
Two or three times this bit of the
coon song was repeated, and each
time with greater gusto. Then
Sophy saw coming down the path a
dirty little girl OF about five or six
years, in a dirty pinafore, with, it
must be said, very dirty tGngle Of
golden ourls falling upon her cheeks
and her shoulders.
want some candy, little girl?"
Sophy called timidly.
"YepW was the stout reply, and
tho little vagabond ran up to her with
greedy eyes and lips.
"Cln't you say please?"
'Yeth, kin. L always say pleath
to Mr.. Bosely who gives me crackers.
"Will you say please to me?'
ST wiLl-if you always give me
candy"
"Then there" Sophy replied, and
she held up marshmallow in cold
magnetism before the child's longing
eyes.
"Pleathi Pleathl Pleathl" shrilled
the little gourmand.
Sophy snRtched the child mp and
kissed her smudged cheek. She
crammed marshmalow after marsh.
mallow into the tiny mouth. Any.
body would know Sophy was an old
maid.
whats your namo, little girl?"
she asked, softly patting the tangled
curls.
"Dot."
Dot" Aud your other name?"
Mountain House Dot"
where's your mammal"
"Sho's rich lady-she wouldn't
have nuzziug to do with me.
where's your papa?"
Sophy was surprised to hear her re.
ply as though by rote. "Pap's dead.
de was N. c."
ooh, you mustn't say that"
"But be was"
Sophy stared atthe child, mystified.
''I WON'T" Dot said, shortly, 'ff
you'll give mo some more-more candy
-pleath."
''Where do you liveP" Sophy asked.
'Didn't 1 tell you that Tm Mount.
ain House Dot? In thummer, when
the house is crowded, L thleep with
Jim, the man what drives the stage,
in the barn. In winter Jim and me
thleeps in the attic. D'you ever
thleep in a attic? Geel It's cold.
Say, what's your name?"
"Will you come to see me again il
tell you2"
"Will you have candyF"
''Yes."
whats your name?"
"My names Sophy."
"Geel What funny name. Good
by, I'm goin' up to see Mr., Bosley.
He's at HamiPs, on the hill. He's
got crackers" "
Sophy kissed the smIdged cheek
again aud crammed two more marsh
mallows into Dots hand. The child
leaped from her knee and ran up the
hill, singing:
I doan't love nobody,
Nobody loves me.
Sophy thought of the begrimed lit.
tie Dot long after she was out Of sight
and the echo Of her song had faded
away. What q way for a child to
grow-like weed---and a girl, too.
What kind OF a mother must that be
who bore herP How happy should
any mother be to have such child.
II Sophy---- Then Miss Van Twis-