The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-05-30
BY MARY ]. HOLMES

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peated did she hear the words. .Whv
Mary, what is the matter? What's hap
penedg Then looking up she saw Billy
Bender, who raised her in his arms.
Laying her head on his shoulder. she
sobbed out: "She's gone-she's gone. and
there's nobody left but Sally. ssOh dear.
oh dearv'
Gone! Whose gomez asked Billy.
Jenny" was Mary's reply. "She's
gone to Boston, and won't come back till
next May; and loved her 80 much.n
On, yes KNOW" returned Billy. 81
met them all on their way to the depot;
but wouldn't feel so badly. Jenny will
come again, and besides that, I've got
some real good news to tell you"
About Ella p said Mary.
mo, not about Ella, but about myself: :
I'm coming here to live with you."
Coming here to livew repeated Mary
with astonishment ssWhat for? Are
your folks all dead?'
Billy smiled and answered, "Not quite
so bad as that. I went to school here
two years ago, and I know l learned
more than l ever did at home in two
seasons. The boys, when Henry Lin
coin is away, don't act half as badly as
they do in the village; and then they usu-
ally have q lady teacher. because it's
cheaper, l suppose, for they don't pay
them half as much as they do gentle
men. and think they are a great deal
the best. Anyway, can learn the most
when 60 to woman"
"But what makes you come here, and
what will your mother dot" asked Mary.
"She's got sister come from the West
to stay with her, and as / shall so home
every Saturday night. she'll get along
well enough. heard Mr.. Parker in the
store one day inquiring for boy to do
chores. So after consulting mother
offered my services and was accepted.
Won't we have real nice times going to
school together?"
Three weeks from that time the winter
school commenced, and. Billy took up
his abode at the poorhouse, greatly to the
satisfaction OF Sally and Mary and great
ly to the annoyance of Miss Grundy.
Smart ideaw said she, Ito have that
great lummox around to be waited on!'
and when she saw how happy his pres
ence seemed to make Mary, she vented
her displeasure upon her in various ways,
conjuring up all sorts Of reasons why she
should stay out Of school as often as pos
sible, and wondering what the world
was coming to. when young ones hardly
out Of the cradle begun to court! 1t
wasn't so in her younger days, goodness
| knowsw
Much as Mary had learned to prize
| Sally's friendship, before winter was
over she had cause to value 1t still more
highly. Wretched and destitute as the
| poor crazed creature now was, she show
ed plainly that at some period or other
of her life she had had rare advantages
| for education, which she now brought
i into use for Mary's benefit.
Each night Mary brought home her
books, and the rapid improvement which
she made in her studies was as much
owing to Sally's useful hints and Assist
ance as to her own untiring persever-
ance. One day when she returned from
| school Sally saw there was something
the matter, for her eyes were red, and
her cheeks were flushed as If with weep
| ing. On inquiring Of Billy, she learned
that some Of the girls had been teasing
Mary about her teeth. calling them
| sstushes."
As it happened, one of the paupers was
sick. and DR.. Gilbert was at that time In
the house; to him Sal immediately went,
and after laying the case before him
asked him to extract the offending teeth.
Sally was quite favorite with the doc
tor, who readily consented, on condsron
that Mary was willing. which ne much
doubted, as such teeth came hard.
.sWilling or not, she shall have them
ont. It's all that makes her so homely,"
said Sal, and, going in quest OF Mary
she led her to the doctor, who asked 70
look in her mouth.
There was fierce struggle, scream,
| and then one OF the teeth was lying upon
1 the floor.
s.Stand STILL" said Sal more sternly
than she had ever before spoken to Mary,
who. half frightened out Of her Wits
stocd still while the other one was ex-
tracted.
was finished, 'you look hundred pei
cent better"
For 4 time Mary cried, hardly know
- whether she relished the joke or not
but when Billy praised her improved
looks, telling her that her mouth wa
real pretty" and when she herself dr'eo
her eyes enough to see that It was I
great improvement. she felt better, ano
wondered why she had never tnousnt g
i have them ont before.
Rapidly and pleasantly to Mary tns.