The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-29
AN OLD MAIDS SECRET.
tFrom the Record-Herald.1

Little Miss Sophie was an old maid.
without either serious courtship. an
without either a serious courtship, an
offer of marriage or the least indication
that she would ever experience either.
Once, indeed. when she was quite a
child-only 24-there had been a young
man, a very pious, well-mannered young
clergyman who-but that seemed like a
dream to Miss Sophie now. She might
have doubted whether he ever lived If
he had not given her that little old Book
of Common Prayer and the faded
daguerretype of himself in that little
folding case in the corner of The what
not" He had been her one POSSIBLE
ity," remote always. but now quite out
of the question since he had married his
cousin to please his father. and was
now a fat bishop as well as the father
of a large family.
For four years now Miss Sophie had
been "mothering" the two children OF
her dead sister. Until Matte grew old
enough and strong enough to go to work
Aunt Sophie had been hard put to it
ITO make ends meet in the little house,
MIXED her own COW, tended her own
chickens, cooked, red, and saved to
keep Matte and the boy, Harry, de-
Gently at school. She had even found
neighbors. and it was agreed on all
sides that Aunt Sophie hadn't "a lazy
bone in her body" Mattie's wages as a
machine girl in the button factory
hold, but it made the old maids heart
bleed to see her set off for the shop
every morning, and poor Harry, who
was TO- looked very disconsolate loiter-
ing away to school without his sister.
Mr.. Kingsland. the button manufac-
turer, had been very kind to Miss So
phie and to Matte. In fact, he had
made a place" for the child, and had
gone out of his way to advance her in
the works. with corresponding in
crease of pay. But he was a practical
business man for all that. and the hours
were long, the work hard and the wages
not over much In little towns like
Belleville everybody knows everybody
and Mr.. Kinsland had special reasons
for knowing Aunt Sophie. Her brother
had worked in the factory. and it SEEM
ed quite fair and natural that he should
be kind to the orphans. But this kind
of interest hardly explained his first Wis
1t to the old maids house, nor the re-
peated attentions which he showed
them. He was forever asking her adj
vice about the treatment of the girls at
work in his factory, and Sunday seldom
passed without a visit. long or short.
from Mr.. Kingsland.
He was pleased to take tea with them
once or twice, and he showed such an
interest in her children such faith
erly- regard for Matte, such an amused
friendship for little Harry, such a frank
and generous desire to be kind to every
one, that little Miss Sophie came to re-
wealthy patron, something more than
a mere acquaintance. There was no
nonsense about him. and his presence In
the house, though a cause of restraint
at first for both Matte and her brother,
came to seem SO natural that the cheer
| full little housekeeper always laid his
plate for Sunday supper, and the girl
and her brother always dressed In their
they knew he was coming.
Sometimes when the children were not
present he would sit in the veranda
with Miss Sophie and tell her old stories
of his past life-plafn, unvarnished.
tales of his struggles for an education
and a hving-an unromantic story full
| of the grim realities of a poor boys
| hopes and disappointments He had
never married. He had been too busy
with the harsher affairs of life
Il don't know that anyone would
have me-" he would laugh. TIN go years
think so. Miss Sophie?''
! And she would reply with some trite
old sophistry. as Handsome is as hand
some does" or Never too late to
mend" But when he was gone. lone
some giant trudging away to his furn-
| ished room in the hotel. she would sit
alone for hours after the children were
gone to bed and wonder If his visits If
his confidential manner and talk, II his
Extraordinary interest in her and the
little ones meant anything" And If
! so?
Suppose" she would say. looking
into her little mirror at her own round,
cheerful, wholesome face. suppose he
should? What? Ask you to marry him.
What would you say?"
| And she would smile a little doubtful
| ly, as she shook her head. and, putting
| out the light, lay down to think 1t all
over There was nothing particularly
romantic about Miss Sophie. She was
! a demure, modest little soul, but being
| a woman, she could not avoid rendering
such denouement for this persistent
| friendship OF a man whom everybody
admired and respected. It was in such
terms that she thought of him. He was
tno hero in her eyes. for the little old
maid didn't 1'go I'M for heroes. She