The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1900-02-15
i BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

Inex Balcombe had made her family. sht
knew it, the family knew 1t, and 90 die
q great many other persons. Perhaps thu
Balconies wished that the other persons
had not been so well informed. but really
they could hardly have escaped the knowl-
edge
When Inez was little girl her fami-
ly lived in a part the city which was not
only poverty stricken but positively dis
reputable. She looked with speeches.
envy upon the homes of her schoolmates In
clean, innocent parts Of the town and she
thought how beautiful it must be to ask
\ girl to go home with you. Inez never
asked one home to play With her. Could
she have taken the girls she knew down
those miserable streets, past the saloons
and upstairs above her fathers pawnshop.
where the family lived?
When, later on, she began to 60 to church
entertainments and high school hops. and
young men walked home with her. her NOR
tfhcatiOn grew more intense. She often
ran out Of the door and hastened away
And one night she turned In at the house
of friend who lived six blocks from her
house and let her escort think 1t was her
home. But her conscience and her better
pride reproached her for this deceit and
she never did it again.
school and after she had finished her faith
or promised to pay her expenses while
she took a year at the normal school.
She was astOnished at this. She had
never supposed that he observed her hard
work at all or cared one way or the other
about her education. Shen went. came
homo and secured position as teacher
without difflculty, for the school board re-
membered her as graduate Of high aver
ages and brilliant valedictory. 1t so
CHANGED at this time .Inez came into the
possession Of couple Of thousand dol
lars in a most unexpected way An old
school teacher died-a spinster with no
kith or kin.
This bequest is for a true American
girl" the will had said with frank ex-
PLANTATION Of her act. 1T is for girl who
will rise in spite of adverse circumstances. :"
Inez took the money and made a pay
ment on a house up town on a green and
quiet street in the midst of her old high
school friends er father assumed the re-
sponsibility of one-half Of the additional
cost Of the house and Inez set about the
pleasant task of furnishing it.
Perhaps this was the greatest triumph Of
her life, because the beauty with which she
surrounded herself was SO great a revolt
from the ugliness to which she had become
habituated. Where the taste came from
might we'll puzzle the sympathetic neigh
bors. Was it ayatism? Had some forgot
ten ancestor loved fair things? What she
did In the way of decorating was not, per-
haps. as astonishing as what she did not
do. She restrained herself with the instinct
OF an artist. The walls of her drawing
room were a gray green, unflgured; her car
pet had the same tone with fleur de lis in
a darker shade. The shelf of the old fash
toned fireplace was decorated with two
good vases Of excellent tone and a photo
graph or two The chair were unpreten-
tious and selected for the comfort they
oil
at the windows, and on the walls a few
beautiful pictures in which the girl had put
the greater part of her money. The neigh
bOrs who called-and with full appreciation
Of the obvious evolution of their friend they
fastened to do Severe amazed at the
modesty and harmony of this apartment
The other rooms were no less artistically
treated and the hideOus incubi of the past
was sold to please 1nez at anything it would
bring. The Balconies shuffled off ugliness
and emerged in beauty so far as it's house
hold belongings were concerned.
1neZ began to have suitors among the
most desirable young men in her new
neighborhood. Her pluck her aspiration,
her dignity, and her loyalty inspired respect
and affection. She who might have gone
her ambitious way and left her family be-
hind had chosen to stand faithfully by
those she loved and to refuse to go where
they could not follow. 1t was a fine spec
tacle, and there, were not lacking plenty to
appreciate it, Also there were not lacking
those who jeered.: But those who jeer never
matter.
Now Inez had heard nothing from her
father about all the changes in their lives
He arose early and went away to his work
and did not return till late. He was, in
fact, seldom by his freside. II he was
pleased that his daughters went out with
the sons of fine families and that they were
much thought of among the most intelligent
people in the little city he made no COM
ment
A week before her birthday of this mem
orable and TRANSPORTING year she found
her family restless with excitement
What are you keeping from me?" she
asked. Her mother flushed and looked
little troubled. As for the girls they gig
gled. but they looked plying, too.
WELL confessed the girls, "the truth
your birthday"
Has he? The dear man! Why, he never
got me a present before"
There were distinct signs Of nervousness
among the women the morning of Inez
birthday, but she kept a serene front and
sat down to her breakfast as II there was
nothing out of the usual about to occur
Mr.. BalcOmbe's face, which was usually
fnscrutable, as became one Of his occupa-
ton. was glowing with pride and JOY He
kept rumpling his hair, which stood at right
angles with his head and he rubbed his
hands together.
twenty-five today, Inez, Ell? Suppose
you feel about as old as they make 'em!"
do look that old, father?'
you look mighty handsome, Inez, and
that's fact And good clothes don't do
you any harm-not bit Of harm"
Let no maid think, however fair, she
Is not fairer in new clothes than old )"
quoted Inez.
you are telling the exact truth, dauRh-
ter And it's the same with houses. Now
haven't said much, but I have taken
note of all that's been going on here, and
of how you put them pieces of chiny on
the mantel piece and hung up them lace
curtains and I thought l would get some
thing to help you along. Just a trine,
you know" deprecating his present with
the royal air Of one who can afford to do
SO.
He went out Of the room. The girls
faces were study. Whether they were
going to laugh or cry was a question they
seemed not able to decide.
please try to like it," whispered her
younger sister eloquently.
moment later Mr.. Balcombe, with his
face happier than 1nez had ever seen it.
carrying q heavy burden in each
arm. Inez saw that these were picture
frames, and the next moment the things
were turned toward her. She beheld two
immense studies" in waxwork, one being
flowers ana the other fruit, in startling
lffelfkeness. There was no gainsaying
that the peaches looked At to eat and that |
they appeared to enjoy their proximity to |
the tomatoes, the russell apples, the lem |
ons and oranges, the carrots and other
highly cOlored productions Of the vegetable
kingdom. Now, was there any denying that |
dew might have felt at home settling mon |
the pink rose, the purple and scarlet