Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1901-11-02
original goldfish, you know. May I
cali you o Mimosa San2

VIDE eyed aStonlSnmenC.
81 do! like why, here's the very
thing, taking some large yellow
marguerites from a vase. Look
There. You put these in your hair
Just behind your ears and
you're q geisha. Sect" turning her
toward a mirror. 'FYou do look
jolly.
They looked at the reflection to-
gether, as though it had been a pic
ture.
| els it agame?" she asked, smiling
at his amused face and forgetting
her awe. of. ham,
Yes; you shall sit on the floor
again and sing to me-" s.
81 can't sing-only hymns"
eThen, failing that, you shall
come and talk to me while / have
my dinner; then we'll stroll in the
gardens, and I'll have smoke
Hepzibah was delighted; this was
going to be better than watching
goldfish and reading books.
Mrs. Vincent returned early,
knowing she had left her little guest
alone. The drawing room was light
ed up and Cons well known voice
| was waited into the night. He was
singing little coon song that was a
Rouo-;4o rr;4b I,1,o
Say, boys, have yer seen gal
That's lookin' fer coon like me
while Hepzibah sat near the piano
[ softly hu1nming the tune after him,
with the yellow daisies fastened in
her waist belt and happy smile in
her eyes.
Two months passed, and then
there came a letter from Mrs. Wort
ley, which said:
'eMe and her father thinks Ep-
py's been long enough at yours, dear
HepMbah, and, thankin' you very
much for your kindness, would be
glad to have her home, bein' har-
vest an us busy"
ooh, Conf Mrs. Vincent cried.
"Just as she was getting on so nice
ly, and I'm so fond of her"
"Can't you write and ask them to
leave her a bit longerp' looking up
from his paper.
At this juncture Hepzibah came
in, and Mrs. Vincent held the letter
out to her
'Your mother wants you to go
home, my DEAR" she said. ."She
thinks you have been here long
enough
Ali the color faded from Hepzii-
bah's face and it was a second ere
she spoke. In that second Mrs.
Vincent looked at Con, but he had
gone back for his paper.
81 have stayed long time" Hep
zibah replied deliberately, SO that
there might be no betrayal in her
voice. II think mother is. quite
right; she'll be busy, as she says"
No word from Con. A cold dread
settled upon Mrs. Vincent's kind
heart. Had she brought suffering
upon this child unwittingly? Her
intentions had been for the best.
She blamed herself bitterly; she
could not blame Con, who had
laughed at her matchmaking from
the first and was laughing now, may
be. And Hepzibah? AS thought
answerjhe girl raised her eyes, and
Mrs. Vincent was stricken with re-
morse at the tale they told.
=
81 don't reckon that's done our
Eppy much good, goin' ter town,
MASTER" Mrs. Wortley told her hus-
band for the hundredth time. 'sThe-
mawther can't eat her yittles, an
as lost all her color"
"She'll dew nicely in a while;
them people has turned her head WI
lot O. nonsense about fine clothes
an pianner playin'," returned Eli
jah complacently. But Mrs. Wort
ley was a mother, and mothers see
with different eyes from other folks.
Hepzibah had been home week.
Was it week? It seemed like a
decade. She had taken up the
threads of her old life at once, but
it was a woman-not child-who
went in and out-a woman who
was trying to forget.
.Draw a pail O. water, Eppy,
Mrs. Wortley called looking up
from her breadmaking. Hepzibah
took the pail and went ont to the
well. AS she fastened the hook on
to the handle a man came round
the bend Of the road whistling a
well remembered tune. 1t was not
the postman this time.
Say, boys have yer seen gal
That's lookin' fer coon like met
The pail fell with splash as far
4 TT .