The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-05-02

wouldn't care ore Dit if YOU spent
every cent of 1t Ior bureau scarfs.'
Althea laughed a little nervous laugh
at her own absurd suggestion. and the
awful lines about Mrs. Swans lips re-
Taxed a little Althea's hopes arose.
After a long pause, during which
Mrs. Swan seemed swayed betweenth the
two extremes of anger and remorse,
she said abruptly: But 500 is a great
deal of money. What could l do with
so much ?"
Althea felt that the battle was won.
If she could only be discreet now all
would be well. To say the right thing
in the right way was what she must
do. The $40 gold piece was a peace
offering. and the success of it's mission
depended upon herself Wellington
marshaling his hosts at Waterloo was
not more circumspect than she.
"Oh, you can get rid of it, she said
brightly, never fear as to that part OF
it." She picked up her work, and went
on in the most matter of-fact tone.
You can get your linen for one thing,
and you can get one of those bingham
dress patterns that you thought so
pretty. Then you might make Mr..
Swan a present of an armchair with
part of it Hasn't he birthday or an
anniversary of some sort coming soon
that you can remind him of in this
way?"
Mrs. Swan vouchsafed no reply to
these bold suggestions. She sat stiff
and unyielding, but Althea saw that
she was interested in spite of herself,
and went bravely on.
You ought to subscribe for a couple
of good periodicals for Rob. He needs
them. 1t would help keep him away
from the saw mill. Haven't you nc
ticed that he never goes the evenings
my magazine comes?"
This last was a very adroit move on
Altheas part. Mrs. Swans life was
made burdensOme great share of the
time by her only sons prediction for
haunting the dangerous neighborhood
of the saw mill, and by his association
with more or less disreputable char
acters who frecuented the mill.
Then there is always the library
fund" went on Althea gayly. you
can give a dollar to that. ! had
planned to solicit so cents from each
family. But to help you dispose ofthis
troublesome 500 gold piece, | will let
you give more Then with the vast
sum which we expect to realize from
our grand last-day entertainment, we
will be quite rich"
Althea had planned to close her
career as a district schoolteacher by
laying the foundation of a library in
the Swan district. And lightly as she
spoke of the project its success was
very near her heart.
We'll" admitted Mrs. Swan, after
another prolonged silence, during
which Althea vacillated between hope
and despair, maybe l have been stub
born and blind. If l have, I've been
well punished for it. I'm going to
think it over. Anyway Althea, you're
good girl" And Althea was more
than satisfied with this meager adj
mission of Mrs. Swans forgiveness.
For three days Mrs. Swan went about
her work with the jerky abstraction of
one inwardly perturbed. Every morn
ing when Althea came down to break
fast she cast surreptitious glance at
the corner of the mantel where the $40
gold piece lay in serene purity of
metal
On tho foDrtb nCrrioo chic cauoht
her breath with little gasp of ner-
vous uncertainty when she saw that
the yellow disc was gone
Mrs. Swan was cutting thin slices of
ham for Althea's lunch. She glanced
quickly at Althea when she came into
pink, and her eyes were suffused with
a new, soft light.
Next Tuesdays our wedding ami
versary," she said in a low. joyous
tone. We've been married just Is
years. I'm going to get Hiram one of
those arm-chairs at Duffey's. I'll hitch
up and come along by the schoolhouse
this afternoon about O'Clock, and you
can come along and help pick it out
Which do you suppose he'd like best,
the leather or the plush?"
The leather, of course, you dear
little woman" said Althea, as she
walked around the table and kissed
Mrs. Swan on the forehead-The La
dies World.
Animals in Fable.