The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-06

agreement was 10 be met by instant dis
missal.
As may he surmlsed Of people who had
for months been on the brink Of starvation.
they were only too glad TO get groceries
and clothing on any terms. and Miss
Bertha's prices being no higher than those
of tie other shops, the workmen and their
families Kept faithfully to their written
promises.
There must have been some old trading
blood in the Hoffnanns. for Bertha dercl-
oped a real bookkeeping genius in those
busy days. She discovered az If by instinct
where goods of the best quality could be
bought cheapest. and in n short time many
more important people than her workpeople
were glad to be admitted among the NUM-
her of her customers. And so the fine man.
sion rose fair and stately out on the old
Coo'gowan O'Kearney land. in the middle
of the Hoffmanns' garden a mansion even
finer and more commodious than the one
given up with such heartbreak by the luck
less family. The townspeople speculated
about its purpose, and the general opinion
was that one or other OF the spinsters mad
n notion OF marrying. and being neither
young nor handsome. deemed 1t necessary
to add substantial and fetching attractions
to offer with their hand and heart"
Terrible fooiishness it was for a pair Of
ould cratures-the eldest of 'em with one
leg In the grave. as you might say. to be
thinkin' of woridliness and marriage-ln-
stead of sitting ut a!se an reading their
pious books an preparing for their eter-
nifty"
Some Of this talk. no doubt. reached
Bertha's ears, hut she worked away busily
and happily. finding in the progress of the
building and the success of her shop enough
of happiness to drown every ill-natured
sting. One April evening when the snow
OF the cherry trees in the garden was float
ing In a breeze that was sumrnerlike in its
softness, Bertha stood at the porch door
perfectly satisfied with her house. From
attic to basement everything had been well
planned and was well finished. Judgment
and good taste. sold materials and skillful
workmanship were everywhere evident. and
with n sigh of satisfaction she locked the
door behind her and went home. Aunt Liza
beth. who was ailing a little, had taken but
a faint interest In the house and shop, and
yet tonight when Bertha brought out her
carefully balanced accounts and showed
that the expenses OF the building were
actually forty pounds less than the profits
Of the shop. she could not repress an ex-
clamation OF surprise and admiration. That
ma gnifcent mass OF masonry. those noble
rooms, the possibilities for beautiful refined
living oil out Of a 'tr!hing shop'-it waa
wonderful!
Just then It happened that the death Of
Colonel Patterson OF Kilcullcn Houss oc- !
casioned many changes in his family. The +,
JIG tllul kllNtlCsttu pcAh's "aS kHc SAFE Ol |
the furniture Of that comfortable home. It !
was a forced m%atter-the family was i'm |
patient to have 1t over ana to get away |
and everything went. as was said. "for a
song" Bertha's surplus forty pounds pro-
cured the handsome furnishing of four or
five room. and the complete equipment of
the kitchen. While the last touches were
being given to the curtain-hanging and
other final arrangements, Bertha heard that
the doctor had been going to the O'Kear-
ney's lodgings for some days. and then It
was known that one of the ladies was I'll
OF fever. It was a light enough case of
typhoid, but the word fever had untold
terrors for Kilcullen. which in the pre-
drainage times ten years ago used to have
a visitation of typhus yearly. The alarmed
neighbors. working on the fears Of the
handler-landlord made him insist on the
removal of the patient from his premises to
the only other available shelter-the work
house hospital-and this was about to be
attempted when Bertha heard of 1t.
The Union ambulance stood outside the
door. around which a curious crowd was
collected when Miss HOFFMAN, arrived !