The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-03
A TIMELY DIVIDEND.

Things had come 10 . pretty sorry pass
with the Yoakuns, and il was about all
Miss Flo could do 10 keep up her spirits.
Her mother ard slscer had come 10 look
upon her as the naiHstay Of the little
family. because she managed to exc Out
about s. q week regularly addressing en-
valopes. Marie had earned d few dollars
in the two years since their father died.
but the demand for the foolish little Gu
pids ana derce-l0oAing fairies which she
painted on cardboard didn't hold out
long after Christmas and Easter. To
b. sure. they had one roOmer who paid
500 a week. bat il quite a trick for
three grown women 10 sustain lie 10
say nothing Of appearances. on an av-
erage income OF about $50 q year.
Flo tried TO make j joke of il. but
when mamma really wished 10 go out and
each OF the girls vas obliged 10 contri-
butte q garment. q pair of shoes or a hat
10 make Mrs. oakum toilet complete.
il was not easy 10 keep up the laugh
with which the handsome Flo managed
TO greet each of their successive hard
ships. They lived in a dingy two-story
house that would nave been as squal4,.
within as without Il Il had not been FOR
the scrupulous cleanliness and incessant
Industry of The Two girls. fhey kept
everything as clean as new pin. but de
:.
care, the old tapestry on the parlor floor
was mapped and diagrammed into thread
bare islands, canals and estuarles. The
ord hair-clOth furniture, besides bein. a
decade out of date, was fun Of holes.
Tickety and SCARED. Never might mother
and daughter, nor yet the two sisters. 50
out together They hadn enough clothes
to go around Company was out Of the
question-that is, male company. for.
though both Flo and Marie were very
pretty. pride restrained them from dis
closing the scantiness Of their posses
sions even 10 the grOcer's clerk, who.
having fallen desperately in love with
Marie. sought to improve her acquaint-
anee by calling.
She was out Flo told him. and there
after poor Marie was debarred from an
occasional visit to the store IN which the
ardent clerk worked languishing.
When Mr.. Yoakum died he left moth
ing but his insurance policy for 5000.
j. would have been a fortune for his
economical wife and daughters. but the
insurance company in which his policy
was written became involved about the
time the Toakum claim was presented.
and the Yoakums knew no more than that
a receiver or something OF that sort had
leen appointed and that there WASH [
much, chance of their getting anything
out Of the policy. For a few months they
had cheered one another with vague
hopes that there must be a settlement.
but TO All their letters. complaints and
urgings not a word Of tangible encour-
agement came from the receiver Then
they sold their piano, moved into u
cheaper house and began 70 look for posi-
tions. Mrs. Yoakum scrimped and saved
in the kitchen, the girls mended. darned.
patched washed. irOned, scrubbed and
shaved to keep out of debt. When the
roomer, an elderly bookkeeper. usually
very punctual. was a day late with as
weekly rent. the household menage was
Immediately and unavoidabiy contracted.
one morning. having discovered that the
last milk ticket was gone and that there
wasn't a cent of money in the house
I 10 encountered the milkman at the back
door and told him, with a sweet smile.
that they didn't want any milk. This was
not a falsehood. since what they really
wanted was cream. but it didn't help to
make the black coffee and dry toast any
more palstable. While Mrs. Yoakum and
her TWO daughters We're engaged IN a
kind Of hysterical effort TO make light of
this. the most frugal meal they had yet
partallen Of there was loud knock at
the front door. Flo dropped her ragged
napkin and ran to the window. She
should have gone TO the door direct. but
j. was too late. for the pOstman and
Well, proud folks in such cases as hers
have 10 be diplomatic about admitting
visitors. There was a carriage at the
curb, She flashed back TO the dining
kitchen-roOm and hastily apprised her
mother and sister. who few at once To
the family bedroom TO make ready for
distinguished caller Flo put her back
hair to rights. and with a fiutter at her
heart, opened the door