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

est requirements Of a general shops Gus
toners IN such a town as KiIcu1len PeO-
pie wondered at this but it was set down
after the usual nine days discussion as
frake' of the notoriously ''frakish'
| was the privilege of the prosperous But
1t was soon discovered that the "frake'
| was not quite so senseless as it had at
nrSt appeared
Miss Bertha had interviews with sun
| Qry quarrymen, masOns, carpenters, etc.
| resulting in very general satisfaction 10
those long idle craftsmen. She engaged
| them at fair wages for the work on the
building of which she was to be archi-
| tect and contractor general. The one
condition attached to their employment
| was that they should agree to buv from
her (Miss Berthas) shop everything they
| wanted OF the kind sold therein.
| any infringement Or disregard of this
| missal 49,
AS may be surmised of people who had
TOT months been on the brink of starva-
tlon, they We're only too glad to get gro
ceres and clothing on any terms, and
MISS Bertha's prices being no higher than
| thoSe of the other shops, the workmen
and their families kept faithfully to their
| written promises.
4 There must have heen some old +radire
plood IN the Hoffmans, for Bertha de-
| Veloped real shopkeeping genius in
| those busy days She discovered as if
| by instinct where goods of the best quail
| 1ty could be bought cheapest and in
! snort time many more important people
than her Workpeople were glad to be ad-
nlltted among the number of ner Gus
! TONER'S. And so the fine mansion rose
| Ialr and stately out on the old CooIgoWan
" kearney land, in the middle Of the
HoIImans garden-a mansion even finer
ana more connections than the one given
up with such heartbreak by the luck.
| less family. The toWnSpeople .specuIated
aoout Its purpose, and the general opin-
! ION was that one or other of the shin
| STEERS had notion of marrying, and be-
ing neither young nor handsome deem
| ed IT necessary to add substantial and
| fetching attractions, to offer with their
| hand and heart
Tefrible foolishness it was for a pair
OF oqId cfatures-the eldest of EN- with
one leg IN the grave, as you might say
! 70 pc thtnkin' Of worldliness and mar
nage-instead of sitting at aise an read
| their eternity --.......-.
Some of this talk, no doubt. reached
| Bertha's ears, but she worked away bus
| ny and happily, finding in the progress
OF the building and the success of her
sllop 81 enough OF happiness to drown ev-
cry llI-natured sting. One April evening
when the snow Of the cherry trees in the
garden was floating in breeze that was
summertime in its softness, Bertha stood
It the PoFch door perfectly satisfied with
her mouse. From attic to basement ev-
erythlng had been well planned and was
We'll finished. Judgment and good taste
soma materials and skillful workmanship
We're everywhere evident, and with
sign or satisfaction she locked the door
penlnd her and went home. Aunt Liza
| peth' VINO was ailing little had taken
but faint interest in the house and
shop, and yet tonight when Bertha
brought out her carefully balanced ac-
counts and showed that the expenses
81 the building We're actually $40 lea
than the profits of the shop. she con1d
not repress an exclamation of surprise
| and admiratiOne That magnificent mass
OF masonry those noble rooms the pos
II 1rnE,1
out OF 'trifiing shop''-it was wonder
full! ~ "04loeI-
Just then it happened that the death
OF Col Patterson of Kilcullen House ~
casioned many changes in his family
The one that Interested Bertha was the
sale Of the furniture of that comfortable
nome. 1t was forced matter-the fam
lly was impatient to have it over and to
get aWay-and everything went, as was
sald Tor a song. Berthas surplus
$40 procured the handsome furnish
lf:g OF four or five rooms and the com
plete equipment of the kitchen While
the last touches were being given to the
curtain hanging and other final arrange
mentS, Bertha heard that the doctor had
been going to the O'Kearrey's lodgings
Tor some days, and then it was known
1hat one of the women was i'll of fever
1t was light enough case of typhoid
put the word fever had untold terrors
for Kilcullen, which in the pre-drainage
times ten years ago used to have a Wis
ltatIon OF typhus yearly. The alarmed
chandler-landlord, made him insist on the
removal of the patient from his premises
to the only other available shelter-the
Workhouse hospital-and this was about
TO be attempted when Bertha heard Of
it.
The Union ambulance stood outside the
door, around which a curious crowd was
collected when Miss Hoffman arrived
| there. They were listening-the Miss
| O'Kearneys Indignantly protesting
| against the intrusion of the ambulance
people and relieving officer and the firm
refusal of the latter to leave without the
patient. The health Of the whole town
! was not to be put in danger by SIGH peo-
| pie who were unwilling to leave their in
| sanitary quarters for a fine wholesome
| hospital. The doctor strove kindly to-
modify the apparent harshness of the
! proceeding, but the poor women could see
nothing in the removal but disgrace,
| and they would not give up their patient
Bertha came quietly forward and Law
| ing her hand on the trembling one Of Miss
| Rosina size said, Dear Miss O'Kearney
! there is no need whatever of the hospital
| II you will only let your sister come
| to CoolgoWan and accompany her your
| selves, it will be pleasanter and better.
| You Will find everything ready in the new
| house,
| The O'Kearneys were in that stage of
! acute distress when it seems the most
natural thing in the world to have de-
| liverance offered.
You are very good,'' Miss Rosna said
! simply, and they hurried off to prepare
| themselves and the invalid for the jour-
ney. The O'Kearneys had some of the
stole in them, yet when, out Of the
blooming garden. they entered the room
| SO exquisitely fresh and comfortable, I'M
| controllable tears filled their eyes.
1T is ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS murmured
Miss. Rosina. My God, what a deliver
ance!'' Even the invalid rejoiced, and,
| with Bertha's nursing, was quickly on
| the road to recovery. When she was