Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-06-11
CHAPTER vIII.-tContinuedo

cowslips for dinner when she heard some
one calling her name; and looking up,
she saw Jenny hurrying toward her, her
sunbonnet hanging down her back, as
usual, and her cheeks flushed with vio-
lent exercise. AS soon as she came up
she began with, "Oh. my, amt hot and
tired, and l can't stay u minute, either,
for l ran away. But / had such good
news to tell you, that would come. You
are going to have great deal better
home than this. You know where Rice
Corner is, the district over east?
Mary replied that she did, and Jenny
continued: I'VE all went over there yes
terday to see Mrs. Mason. She's real
nice lady, who used to live in Boston,
and be intimate with ma, until three or
four years ago when Mr.. Mason died.
We didn't go there any more then, and
l asked Rose what the reason was, and
she said Mrs. Mason was poor now, and
ma had cut her. and when | asked her
what she cut her with. she only laughed,
and said she believed | didn't know any
thing. But since then I've learned what
it means"
"What does it?" asked Mary and Jenny
replied:
''If a person dies and leaves no money,
no matter how good his folks are, or how
much you like them, you mustn't know
them when you meet them in the street,
or you must cross over the other side if
you see them coming; and then when la
dies call and speak about them, you
must draw great, long breath, and Won
der how the poor thing will get along,
II, 4 f,,1I. T
positively heard mother say those very
words about Mrs. Mason; and what is so
funny, the washwoman the same day
spoke of her, and cried when she told
how kind she was, and how she would go
without things herself for the sake of Civ
ing to the poor"
After a moments pause Jenny proceed
ed: ''This Mrs. Mason came into the
country and bought the prettiest little
cottage you ever saw. She has lots of
nice fruit, and for all mother pretends in
Boston that she does not visit her, just
as soon as the fruit is ripe she always
goes there. Pa says it's real mean, and
he should think Mrs Mason would see
through it,
did you go there for fruit yesterday ?'
asked Mary.
'Oh, no." returned Jenny. Mother
said she was tired to death with staying
at home. Besides that, she heard some
thing in Boston about a large estate in
England, which possibly would fall to
Mrs. Mason, and she thought it would lie
real kind to go and tell her. Mrs. Mason
has poor health, and while we were there
she asked mother if she knew of any good
little girl she could get to come and live
with her; 'one,' she said, who could be
quiet when her head ached, and who
would read to her and wait on her at
other times Mother said she did not
know Of any, but when Mrs. Mason
went out to get tea, l followed and told
her of you, and the tears came into her
eyes when said your folks were all dead,
and you were alone and sorry. She said
right off that she would come round and
see you soon, and if she liked you you
should live with her."
So saying, she ran off; Mary, having
gathered her cowslips, sat down to think
of Mrs. Mason, and wonder if she should
ever see her. That afternoon, when the
dishes were all washed, she, as usual,
stole away to her books. She had not
been long occupied ere some one called
her, saying Mr.. Knight was downstairs
and wanted to see her, and that there
was lady with him.
Mary readily guessed that the lady
must be Mrs. Mason, and carefully brush
ing her hair and tying on clean apron,
she descended to the kitchen, where she
was met by Mr.. Knight, who called out,
"Hallo! my child, how do you do? Pears
to me you've grown handsome. 1t agrees
with you to live here, 1 reckon, but I'll
venture you'll be glad enough to leave
and go and live with her, won't you?'
pointing toward lady who was just
coming from Mrs. Parker's room and to-
ward whom Mary's heart instantly warm
ed.
fYou see," continued Mr.. knight, zone
of the Lincoln girls has taken mighty
shine to you, and it's queer, too. fol
they're dreadful stuck-up folks"
''If you please, sir" said Mary, inter
rupting him, Jenny isn't bit stuck-up.'
'Umphp' returned Mr.. Knight. .'Sht
does not belong to the Lincoln race, then
l guess l know them, root and branch
Lincoln's wife used to work in the fac
tory at Southbridge, but she's forgot al
Ludt, anu uOluS ueF uedu
high whenever she sees me. But that.
neither here nor there. This woman
wants you to live with her. Miss Mason
this is Mary. Mary, this is Miss Mason
The Introduction being thus happily
over, Mrs. Mason proceeded to ask Mar!
variety of questions, and ended by say
ing she thought she would take her, al
though she would rather not have he
come for few days, as she was going t,
be absent. Miss Grundy was now inter
rogated concerning her knowledge o
work, and with quite consequential al
she replied: Perhaps, ma'am, it look
too much like praising myself, considerin
that I've had the managin' of her mostly
but must confess that she's lived wit
me so long. and got my ways so well
that she's as pleasant hammered, good
tempered child, and will scour as brigh
a knife as you could wish to seer'
Saturday came at last, and long befor
the sun peeped over the eastern hill
Mary was up and dressed. just as sh
was ready to leave her room she hear
Sally singing in low tone, "Oh, there
be mourning = mourning : mourning :
mourning; Oh, there'll be mourning whe
Mary's gone away"
About nine o'clock Mr.. Knight drov
up alone, Mrs. Mason being sick wit
nervous headache. II should have bee