Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-06-14
BY MARY j. HOLMES
vi.

ordered her TO tie on her sun-bonnet and
run across the meadow and through the
woods until she came to Il rye Stubble,
then follow the footpath along the fence
until she ca,nc to another strip of woods,
with a brook running through it. And
just on the fur edge of them woods" said
She. you'll see the men folks to work."
and do tell en- to come to their dinner
quick
Ii was a mild September day. and
Mary determined not to hurry. She had
net gone far when she came suddenly
upon Il boy and two little girls, who SEEM
ed to be playing near the brook. In the
features of the boy she recognized Henry
Lincoln. and remembering what Billy
had said of him, she was about turning
away when the smallest of the girls
espied her, and called out: Look here,
Rose, l reckon that's Mary Howard.
I'm going to speak to her."
Jenny Lincoln, you mustn't do any
such thing. Mother Won't like it," an
swcred the girl called Rose.
But whether mother would like it" or
not. Jenny did not stop to think, and
going toward Mary she said: "Have you
come TO play in the woods?"
NO. was Mary's reply. 81 came to
call the folks to dinner"
"Oh, it was you that screamed so loud.
/ couldn't think who it was, but it can't
be dinner-time?'
Yes, it's; it's noon.''
We'll, we don't have dinner until 9,
and we can stay here till that time.
Won't you play with us?"
NO. l can't; l must 90 back and
work" said Mary.
Work" repeated Jenny. 81 think
its bad enough to have to live in that
old house without working; but come and
see our fish pond;' and taking Mary's
hand, she led her to a wide part of the
stream where the water had been dam
med up until it was nearly two feet deep
and clear as crystal. Looking in, Mary
could see the pebbles on the bottom,
while a fish occasionally darted out and
then disappeared.
IL made this almost all myself" said
Jenny. "Henry wouldn't help me be-
cause he's so ugly, and Rose was afraid
of backing her fingers. But I don't care.
Mother says I'm n great-great-T've for
gotten the word, but 1t means dirty and
careless, and I guess l do look like a
fright, don't II"
Mary now for the first time noticed the
appearance of her companion, and readi-
~ guessed that the word which she could
not remember was "slattern." She was
a fat, chubby little girl, with a round,
sunny face and laughing blue eyes, while
her brown hair hung around her fore
head in short, tangled curls. Altogether
she was just the kind of little girl which
one often finds in the country swinging
o. gates and making mud pies.
Mary was naturally very neat; and in
reply to Jenny's question rs to whether
she looked like a fright, she answered,
II like our face better than 1 do your
Dress" because it is clean"
why, so was my dress this morning."
said Jenny, "but there can't anybody play
In the mud and not get dirty"
Jenny drew nearer to Mary and said:
"1f you'll never tell anybody as long as
you live and braeathe, I'll tell you some
thing"
Mary gave the required promise, and
Jenny continued: II shouldn't like to
have my mother know it, for she scolds
all the time now about my vulgar
tastes though I'm sure Rose likes the
same things that 1 do, except Billy Ben
der, and it's about him 1 was going to
tell you. He was so pleasant l couldn't
help loving him, if mother did say I
mustn't. He used to talk to me about
keeping clean, and once I tried a whole
week, and 1 only dirtied four dresses in
Ill that time. Oh! how handsome and
funny his eyes looked when 1 told him
about it. He took me in his lap, and
said that was more han he thought a
little girl ought to dirty. Did you ever
see any boy you loved as we'll as you do
Billy Bender?"
Mary hesitated a moment. for, much
as she liked Billy, there was another
whom she loved better, though he had
never beer one-half as kind to her as
Billy had. After a time she answered:
~Yes, I like, or l did like, George More
land, but l shall never see him again.
and then she told Jenny of her home in
England, of the long, dreary voyage to
America, and Of her fathers death; but
when she came to the sad night when her
mother and Frankly died, she could not
go on, and laying her face in Jenny's lap
she cried for a long time. Jenny's tears
flowed, too. and she, softly caressing
Mary, said: "Don't cry so. for I'll love
you. and We'll have good times together,
too. We live in Boston every winter,
but it will be most six weeks before we
go, and I mean to see you every day."
I'm Boston?' said Mary. inquiringly.
George lives in Boston,"
Jenny was silent a moment, and then
suddenly clapping her hands together,
she exclaimed: II know George More
land. He lives just opposite our house,
and is Ida Seldon's cousin. Why, he's
most as handsome as Billy Bender, only
he leases you more. III tell him about
you. for mother says he's got lots of
money. and perhaps he'll give you some"
Mary felt that she wouldn't for the
world have George know she was in the
%poorhouse, and she quickly answered,
"No, no, you mustn't tell him a word
about ME. 1 don't want you to. Prom
Use that you won't"
CHAPTER VII.
One afternoon about the middle Of Oc-
tober Mary sat under an apple tree in
the orchard, weeping bitterly. 1t was
in vain that Alice, who was with her,