The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-01-09

ness, she had drawn the line hitherto
at thieves. But the mans face was
white, and she heard clatter of feet
down the road-probably the police
Betsy, the guardian angel, was out of
the way-humanity, as usual, won
over prudence-Miss Mary opened
the door.
You may lie on these rugs in the
Kitchen" she said to him, kindly,
and tomorrow 1 will bring you some
breakfast, if you will go away early
before my servant gets up"
The man murmured incoherent
thanks. Miss Mary, being nervous,
forbore to look at him, and retired to
her own apartment, not without some
qualms of conscience. Betsy, who
came in later with the latch-key, from
chapel, suspected nothing, but Miss
Mary's evil fate willed that, towards
the small hours of the morning, she
should wake up hungry. Being
frail, timid old lady, she slept lightly,
and now, remembering that the bis
cults were down stairs on the dining
room sideboard, she wandered down
stairs in search of them. She had for
| gotten for the moment about her last
nights visitor and slipped down as
noiselessly as n mouso. But what was
her horror to see by the faint morning
light, at the half-open dining room
door, figure movingl Miss Mary,
as she stitled shrek, recognized the
man she had befriended. He was
holding her silver teapot up to the
light and inspecting it carefully-the
l utl,
cwner during her brief period of
happiness, forty years ago. She had
invested her savings in it, prior to her
expected marriage. ?
what, would you rob meg"
thought Miss Mary, and her heart
waxed fierce.
Rob her, who had so long be.
friended the needy and the destitute !
But, like Bishop Myriel, with his
silver candlesticks, her anger was of
short duration. She would let the
man go. Probably he needed the sill
yer more than she, and so strange are
the workings of the human mind, that
she remembered, even IN that moment
of fear, how her mother had always
said that brown fourpenny teapots
made the best tea.
She was still standing as if spell
bound, afraid to move, when the mau
| happened to turn his head, and the
light fell full on to his face. 1t was
only an old mans face, worn, gaunt,
surrounded by grizzled hair and beard,
and marked by sin and crime, with
something, perhaps, as many crimi
nails faces have, that seemed to recall
better days:
I'm the morning light his face for a mo-
ment
Seemed 10 assume once more the forms OF
its earlier manhood"
Miss Mary looked, looked again,
and, like Phineus of old with the
Medusa's head, she seemed to turn to
stone. Then her legs tottered under
her, the dawn became black before
her eyes, and she fell down on the
rickety stairs in dead faint.
Betsy, coming cautiously down
stairs few hours later, and prepar.
ing to scold her mistress for forget
ting to fasten ihe shutters, nearly
tripped over little fragile, shrivelled
heap, cold and unconscious, wrapped
in its well-known darned dressing
gown.
Miss Mary recovered with Betsy's
loving care. Her visitor of last night
had made himself scarce, and, whether
startled by the noise of Miss Mary's fall -,
or by few rays of lingering grace in
his own conscience, had left the pre-
cious silver teapot. So, beyond saying
that she had had fright last night,
and being reprimauded for not putting
the teapot away, nothing further, to
all appearance at least, resulted to
Miss Mary.
But the bright old lady faded and
became older from that day. Her STEP
sounded less alert, her voice less
brisk. The children in the streets
sc arcelyrecognized their benefactress
she seemed TO have lost the Joy OF
life. Betsy was in despair; she alter.
nately coaxel and scolded her darling.
''Do you want to die" she com
planned. "and leave yer poor old Bet.
sy? You con ave the Kitchen brim.
full O. tramps, my sweet, if you'll only
git well an laugh again
Miss Mary looked at her sadly.
ono, Betsy" she said don't want
me 20 live. I'm sorry TO leave You,
dear, but it seems as II something had
gone here, ~ pointing to her heart with
n pathetic gesture. Something seems
TO have snapped inside me- Life
doesn't seem the same TO me any more
now. ] don't know how it is.
Miss Mary did not know, but it had
only happened TO her as 1t happens TO
many. She had lost her romauce-the
love-story which had been the life of
her life was gone
IL had for 40 long been n part OF
her, entwincd with her very being.
that, like the ivy parasite with the oak,
it had involved i'm it's destruction the
life beneath II.
Miss Mary sickened and died. the
local physician said Of lauguor. Not
even old Betsy Mills, who mourned
for her more than the children and the
bcCgars themselves, could have
guessed at another reason.
Lake ErIc's sudden Rise.
ON July 49, between g and qo'eIocL