El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-01
Mars hETAAORPHOSIS.
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By Adelbert
r.. Caldwell.

She was such fOrlorn looking nS-
ure as she shufIied along the frozen
river read in tire late November sun
shine.
II believe / never saw such an aim
less. shiftless family i'm my life" de-
clared Judge Hilton emphatically as he
and his daughter Mildred detected the
thinIy clad figure before them. IF
ANYTHING. she's rs bad as the rest,
though when her mother died I imag-
ined the responsibility of caring for
the family would have a beneficial in
nucnce on Nan. Instead | actually be-
iievc it's had the opposite effect Just
look at that torn dress and ragged
shawl If a girl had any spunk. she'd
never nc seen on Il thoroughfare as
public AZ this is in. such Il slatternly
condition"
But think. father" and Mildred look
ed up considerably, ''how hard she
must be obliged to work even to exist
the family as Uncle Joe used to say
/ believe she has load of evergreen
now to sell for winter decorations 1t
isn't an easy lot by any means the poor
girl has" And Mildred tucked the
thick robe more snugly about her.
Nan Hascall lived i'm the old aban-
doned mill down by the falls Twas
all the shelter Job Hascall could get
after his wife'S death, for rents were
not easily obtained when it was known
that the family's one source of income
was cut off
Mrs Hascall had somehow succeeded
rs by almost miracle. frail as she
was. in providing food and shelter for
the growing family of ten.
Job was forever Iounging about the
bostoffice steps in summer. and his
winter watch tower was the settee in
the west window OF the small variety
store near the tavern
"P'rhaps next week I'll bc able to get
4 job somewheres." he would say in
the early spring days, as in shame
faced manner he went by his wife at
the washtub. bent on his accustomed
lettering ground. and when the first
frost came in the fall he would brace
himself to declare: 81 may get a
chance loggin fore winters gone
Wouldn't wash all the time Better
let some few things 90"
But 10 let anything Ego" was impos-
sible and keep the roof over their heads
and shoes ON the many pairs of feet
The morning after Mrs. Hascalrs
burial Job said to Nan: do the best
you can. child. 'Tis all we can do, even
the best of us, and p'rhaps sOmethin
viii turn up"
However. nothing had. save the rent
bill. and rs there was nothing with
which to meet it they were obliged to
move into the tumble down mill
II guess we can live here awhile"
concluded Job, eff we can get 'nough
to eat and somethin 10 wear. No mat
ter il we don't have the best"
After her mothers death the strug
gle for existence rested almost wholly
on Nan. How she managed to get
along was n six months mystery Aft
er that the people ceased to wonder.
and the Hascalls lived only in their
Own thoughts.
"WhO do you imagine will get the
scholarship and money for expenses at
the seminary" asked Mildred as they
were going up the half mile hill before
reaching home
al haven't an ideal Yes. | have toe.
I shouldn't say that And Judge Hilton
locked out of the carriage thOughtfully.
''Either Ralph Holman or Ethel May
nard Will get it. They're by all odds
the best spoilers in town"
81 don't know" deliberated Mildred.
"When Nan was in school. she had the
reputation of being able to spell any
word given her No one ever got above
her. To spell well seemed to be her
one ambition. She never recited cor
rectiy in geography Were she asked
where Russia is it might be the longest
vfr in, Nf.,it fl,< FOL % Tao.
land for anything she could tell, and
she never WAS accused of saying the
multiplication table accurately"
But she will not CO." laughed Judge
Hilton.
''No; don't suppose she will. but il
she should she'd give them a pretty
hard push-and might win. OF course
no Partially could be shown in such
q contest. 7 wish she'd co." impul-
siveiy.
Aud at that very moment Nan herself
was meditating on the same subject.
''f'd like to go, just to show them Pm
not all fool. Don't care nothin for the
prize. What would 1 want of a scholar
ship" And Nan smiled grimly at the
thought of such a thing. But 1 can
speii. if don't know anything else"
A sudden, defiant glance shot from
her deep. angry eyes.
''I'il go if / don't want it, just cause
IL hate them-the whole kit, George
Lewis, Ethel Maynard. Ralph Holman
and all 'cept Mildred. She's the only
enc that's ever treated me decent.
Guess they'll be surprised when they
zee me there" Nan snapped off a
twig by the roadside. "And I'll beat
them too"
After that. wherever Nan MaS-gath-