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

bloom every flower Of sentiment In her
soft German heart. She was thirty and
plain Of feature, and this she knew, but
she was also aware that the O'Kearney's
blue eyes had sometimes, unconsciously
enough, rested on her with not a dis
pleased regard. She did not know that
hec eVer-busy hands, her bright eyes, and
wholesome complexion her satin-smooth
hair, and general spotless freshness were
q relief to the eyes of the man Of many
moping, slipshod sisters.
Lizabeth,'' she said turning from the
street where midway down it's length the
OKearney lodgings stood with their
t,s all awry behind the dusty panes,
isn't 1t dreadful to think of a man like
the O'Kearney throwing himself in with
that rag-tag and bobtail Of a pope's
army?
"Oh, there will be many as good men
as he in it, said the aunt, placidly Gro
cheting in the chimney corner. 1.-The pity
Of it to my mind is that any man should
be SO misguided as to join It,"
But he, especially-a gentleman"
l suppose it is a case of desperation
with him. Going off even with that for
lorn hope seems better to him. perhaps,
than eating his heart out here in his un-
happy home. He will have an active life,
and be out of sight, at any rate, of all
that misery"
81 often think I'd like to try and help
the poor old mother and sisters of his
But how? They'd resent an approach OF
the kind-of any kind on our part
Speak for yourself, Bertha. don't think
I'm ever going to make any advances to
them. They are eaten up with pride and
it isn't self-respecting pride. for if it
were they'd never allow themselves to
become such shiftless untidv creatures
Look at those windows of theirs-don't
they tell a story?"
But ladies, Lizabeth-how after all,
could they be expected to clean windows,
and to wash and scrub?''
She was of a later and more Irish gen
Grafton than her aunt and the pride that
shrank from the performance of mental
work of any kind as from a defilement
was more comprehensive to her than TO
the older woman.
THE disorder around them adds i'm
measurably to their unhappiness. I'm
sure" she continued. at would be easy
to remedy things a little for them, if one
might. But they'd never permit it,
"They would not" agreed the aunt.
They're like many others, determined to
work out their own destruction. Bertha,
let us have a rest dear, from these
O'Kearneys. If you want TO do good
there are plenty Of opportunities in the
lanes, and no obstacles to encounter
there"
buL Bertha mao no special drawing TO-
wards the lane people and their wants.
Those whom she desired to help were the
women of the O'Kearney household, and
these simply that he might be happier,
Or more content
The going away of the Papal recruits
was an occasion of much excitement in
the town. After they and their leader
were gone, and the place had fallen back
into it's usual stagnation, the duIlness of
it lay like lead on Bertha's soul. She
used to sit for hours in her room, the
swishing rain upon the window and out
in the churchyard, deepening her feeling
of loneliness and loss.
She could not keep her poor Soldier of
Fortune out of her head Bye and bye
news came. The chances of battle. like
everything else in his life, were against
him, as she knew they would be- He
would be coming home God sparing him
one of these days, but into what a home?
The sisters and mother were never seen
now, and the windows had curtains of
dust upon them that took away all need
for outer blinds. Miss Rosina, the one
who had been the beauty Of the family
had been heard to say that if she could
only live out of 'the horrid town. If
they could live in the country, away
from the prying eyes and prating tongues
and ''Vulgarity''- of this 'inferno,'' things
would not seem half so bad.
Bertha lay awake one whole night