Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1900-06-01
Y70OW do wish we could have
- I.iIAlaln 1aG i.aL.il1.a4 I L..

~'N'iihS CNSl hdppeuS W us, Sdlu
her cousin Catherine, with smile, as
she bent forward to pick up dead leaf
off her pet geranium.
Millicent and Catherine More were
girls of % and 25-"old maids the IT.
year-olders called them-who taught
school and supported themselves COM
fortably by their own unaided efforts.
Mlllicent was pretty, with red lips, a
clear, bright complexion and hair touch
ed with the warm auburn gold that
artists copy and poets rave of, and
Millicent had not quite given up her
little dream of love and matrimony,
but Catherine never spoke of such
things. Catherine was not absolutely
fright, but Catherine was small and
plain, with ordinary gray eyes, hair
like everybody else's, and not the slight
est pretensiOns to beauty.
But the two cousins were very happy
together after their own unpretentious
fashion, Millicent supplying the senti-
mental and pOetical element and Cath
crime contentedly devoting herself out
of school hours to the housekeeping.
And upon this particular December
afternoon, just as the girls were de-
ploring the monotony of their daily life,
the postman tapped at the door with a
letter.
"a letter." cried NIillicent.
"FOr me" echoed Catherine.
And the cousins read it, with their
arms twined about one another and
their heads very close together.
Uncle George is dead in Australia"
gasped Millicent.
"Oh, Milly-and he has left an orphan
boy! added Catherine, the tears brim-
ming into her eyes. 1--WE must adopt
him, Milly-we must bring him up"
Millicent drew back a little.
81 don't see why" she said, somewhat
coldly. Uncle George never did any
thing for us"
1--WE never asked him to. Milly."
"But he knew we were forced to sup
port ourselvesv'
Perhaps, dear, he was even poorer
than we.' At all events, he is dead now
and this child is left alone in the
world. III sit down and write to the
lawyer this minute"
"Stopw said Millicent, compressing
her lips. "Do you mean that you really
intend taking n great rough, half-civ-
ilized boy into this house?"
Certainly | do" said Catherine, ear
nestly. "Oh, NIilly-a motherless
childw
"In that case" cried Millicent, 81
shall not remain here. II you choose
to open n gratis orphan asylum it is no
reason that my slender income should
be squandered to feed your fanciesw
But, Milly, your salary is larger than
miner
And | do not mean TO scatter it for
mere chimera. This child has no sort
of claim upon either of us. Let the
Australian authorities provide for
him."
And Millicent More could not be per-
suaded to take any other view of the
question than this. The next day she
told her cousin that she had made ar
rangements to secure home with Miss
Keturah Bayley, who took "a few Sc
lect boarders," in the next street.
And then Catherine sat down to con-
slider ways and means. She had taken
the house for year-there was no re-
ceding from the rent question.
"Ill let the lower story to Mrs Hop
per, the milliner," said she to herself.
81 never used to like the idea of living
in half a house, but all pride must be
laid aside now. l will take the back
bedroom myself and little Willie shall
have the front room that looks out on
the street. / shall have to do without
my new silk dress and to countermand
my subscription to the illustrated En-
cyclopedia,' but shall not mind that;
I'll discharge Hannah and engage little
Dorcas Brown, who is so fond of chill
dren and has such n winning way with
her. And l know we shall get along
lenddly-though, to be sure, shall
have to ask Lawyer Goodale for copy
Ing to do at home in the evenings, for
| must be laying up little something
against Willie's future education"
For 1t never occurred to Catherine
More that she was doing brave and
heroic thing in denying herself for the
benefit of one whom she deemed yet
poorer and more helpless than herself
nor to Milllcent that she was acting
the part of recreant.
The little room in the front of the
cottage second story was fitted up pret-
tlly for the orphaned Australian boy
Catherine had sold her cabinet organ
to buy the furniture-and Dorcas in Il
clean white apron and ribbons was
bustling around, while Mrs. Hopper
had already arranged her stock of bon
net frames, ribbons and artificial flow
ers In the lower windows.