The Forrest City times., 1902-01-31

opinion.
 Mrs. Oberbaugh. whose views were known to be strongly on the side of matrimony as a general principle. made no remark. but. aS she walked home with Mrs. Lasher. confided to 1 that lady her idea. that though Mi ] randa was full of grit. she'd got harder row To hoe than most people suspicioned.
 After that Miranda scarcely ever went out. but as she had always been 1 Of retiring nature. her absence from l apple cuts, husking and sewing bees l diC not provoke much comment As l the winter went on. however. it began i to be whispered hat she was growing l miserly. like the relative from whom | she had inherited her fortune When she ceased making purchases at the i village store the air grew sensibly colGer. but when if became known that old man Renseller had twice brought her heavy boxes from Pine Hill, then 1 the indications of an icy period were unmistakabIe.
 The first snow had melted when. one afternoon. Mrs. Oberbaugh resolved to brave public sentiment by calling on the ostracized offender.
 Though this visit was made in de- fiance of public opinion. she was not l prepared to deny the justice of the general attitude assumed toward Miranda. who unquestionably had been guilty of serious offeRse. and if opportunity offered she proposed mak- ing her see the error of her ways: but above this she had always had a soft corner in her heart for the disappoint- ed. gentle old maid. After all, she ar gued. Miranda might possibly have some excuse for her conduct, as there had been occasions when her own mind had sadly lacked conviction in regard to the purity of the store coffee Whether Miranda was aware how her shortcomings were regarded was by no means certain. in which case Mrs Oberbaugh decided 10 break the mat fer to her gently but firmly.
 Receiving no answer 10 her knock ing. she stepped over the thre shold into an icX-eold room. where a form was lying that looked Ike the ghost of the woman she had known. She ap- preached the bed. to find white drawn face with elassy eyes, a hand too feeble to return her clasp and a voice that spoke in broken whispers.
 "Sakes alive. Mirandy. Gidn't know ez how you was down like ths.'' v
 -am-starving." was the whis- pered reply.
 Without another word Mrs. Ober- baugh started home. returning with resteratives and food, which partially revived the sufferer.
 "Warn't there no one ez you could call to. 10 let LIS know you were down sick? Where's Nour coal? I'll build fire right away; this place ud freeze a bear"
 Mrs. Oberbaueh made hastv survey of the back regions. and opened aev- eral doors, but was rewarded only by the sight eff empty shelves. and then for the first time she noticed how scan- ty was the bed covering
 Mercy on Us. MranGN, where's your things? Hey you been robbed 9"
 No Il sold - everything - for bread,'
 Mranda's visitor regarded her with eyes full of pity; il was clear that he poor creature had become a miser.
 Why, Mirandy, you're rich wom- an. You've got $3.0O0 in Marketville bank"
 The dying woman put her thin hands over her face to hide from her sight he honest, kindly eyes that asked for a confidence she was so 10th 10 be- stow.
 Sit down, Martha. and I'll tell you; you was always good to me. an'-I know-youll keep it-a secret. He- he-took it all"
 "What. .-thet city chap?"
 'Ies; he asked me--to lend il to him for few weeks-an' so I drew it out-an' then-as he never wrote l went 10 New Iork-ah' oh. Martha NIartha-'
 But here the feeble voice was choke q with tears, and some time elapsed be- fore she could finish the cruel story
 Il found that he-an' oh Martha, I was 50 fond of him-hc was "a swim dler an a convict," Mercy on ns! you poor, sutferin' soul, an you've been starvin all this wiuter,"
 Well, I thought-the end-would eome-an' nobody need-know the truth"
 "Oh. Mirandy, you might have known you could have trusted me. An to think thet you've been wantin'. and the Corners all lookin' to one side, cause it was said you was doin' your marketin' down 10 Pine Hill"
 \ faint smile passed over Miranda s wan face as she thought of the suc- cess of her stratagem,
 Them boXes-I got al Pine Hill- an filled them with stones-'cause- T didn't want any one to 'picion-how that-my money was gone. thought : they'd guess hat Arthur-got it.