The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-20

able to be up and about, however. by
uegTeeS sort of uneaSinesS stole into the
manner aj OF her sisters. A great change
mad come over them with their change
OF abode Their dress was carefully al
tended to, and their pretty surroundings
We're kept in all the dainty order in
Mhlch they mad found them, though at
what unearthly hours the latter work
was Gone on one could discover But
tnat MISS RoSina considered, was another
advantage Of living in the country; they
TIulo manage to do things unobserved
me renewed feeling Of well-being and
sauStact1on in them brought back tha
oId Keen sense of their own Importance
mat resented any suspected or obvious
PITY or Notwithstanding. That these
should pc from an inferior was very Bit
One day Miss Rosina said to Bertha.
VINO mad been out in the garden with the
cohVaIescent, I'm afraid, Miss Hoffman.
you must have thought it very unbIIsi,
nessIlke OF us not to have inquired before
now the rent for these rooms. 1t may
pc beyond us, you know"
Bertha detected something superior in
the manner, and a desire to set her
GOWN. My brothec may be home any dav
now, and 1T will be necessary, of course,
70 Know the rent you will expect
1t will be time enough to talk If ali
cheerfully. 0'''O
.'oh, but pardon me, that would never
Go He is very proud-none of ne can
forget what is due to our family, and and
name-and neither he nor we would wish
70 incur larger debt than we can paw
70 ne unoer ob!1gatton-to anyone. Please
are '0"i 'ei4 ilS
Bertha hesitated. She found it dffn-
CUT IN the face of these grim, narrow.
selI-SuHclent beings before her to offer
the house as gift, as it had ali along
peen IN her mind to do
90, But, she at length managed to saw.
- th ere must really be no question of rent
No question of rent?' demanded the
others haughtily, '-io
~ mean want to tell you about the
house: here it is on your own land, the
pullt (and furnished to the extent Won
seol on the profits from the sale of goods
% ~ the = Wprkmen employed on it, and 9TH
ers. 1t has cost me absolutely nothing.
SO that in offering it to your family az
me for '-''l'N
As a gift? Heavens above, are we
sunk SO low that the fruits of shopkeeping
RCsina. --'0
That a shopkeeper can insult the
y hearneys!' said Miss Selma TT is ir-
sur. cradle. Thank God our brother has
been spared IT.
Miss Alison coEtented herself with ris
ING and leaving the room, an example
lowing.
Uraccustomed waves of modification
succeeded each other holly in Bertha'g
face as she, too, rose and left She had
not much leisure to think of it, however.
Tor on reaching home she found her
aunt seriously i'll When the Hoffmans
Wen or dying, and, alas, it was not getting
Ill or dying, and, alas, it was not getting
Wen In the good aunts case. A fortnight
later she was lying in the Palatines'
purifying ground, inland and Bertha was
IRVING to take up her old life and its
duties with some of her old courage. 1t
was hard to do so, for when her grief
had by any chance a rest, there was
sure to rise before her the remembrance
q that last scene with the O'Kearnevs
leaving her Inundated and empty Of
every earthly interest. She was sitting in
her black grown, one evening, at the
window where she and her aunt used to
sFend cheerful hour before tea, when
she saw the OKearney coming up the
street, genial and kindly looking as ever.
She. did not know that he was at home,
and flush that prettily replaced her
now usual pallor, mounted to her cheeks.
He was coming to see her. She had much
ADO to still the trembling that came over
her, but there was, after all, no need
Tor so much agitation. He passed on
without stopping at the door.
They've told him, she groaned to her
SELF, after the first gasp of disappoint-
ment, they have told him of what I've
done and he too is shocked at the in
suit -
1t seemed too much, everything was
wrong and notwithstanding, and with ner
AeoSO OuIICu III ilSf aunt s cQd1r she W6pT
the bIttereSt tears of her life.
Miss Bertha! Miss Bertha dear
Whlsht, achree! The O'Kearney is coming
up whispered Peggy, the old servant,
and moment after the returned soldier
was in the room. He went straight up
to Bertha standing white and shaking,
and with all the marks of tell-tals grief
upon her that she had not had time to
wipe away.
poor child, poor child" he said gently,
drawing her to her old seat near the
window, poor little, lonely one, and this
is how I find you
Between her sobs, for his tenderness
had let loose her tears again, she told
him all about her aunt's death
'But you tell me nothing of all you
have done during my absence. All, lit
tie me-maker-noble one-I know what
you have done and striven to do for me
and mine. The sisters have mad the
grace to be ashamed of their reception
of your generous Offer and I an here
with their heartfelt apologies they will
be here with them, themselves tomor-
row. [ liked you always, Bertha T love
you, now-but I would not ask you to
join your lot with mine only that I have
recovered some means and standing Ut
last. The law suit, so long pending has
just been decided in my favor, restoring
to me enough of the old property to en-
able me to take my place i'll the county
again. Will you honor me by shari3g
that place, by becoming my Wife-my aar-
ling, little hausfrau-my dearest?'
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America by d. T. Pierce.)