The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-07-29

s9l1s9 old maid. which means
IHll 7 ElIil that she had passed thlr-
llll - Ilgll ty.dye without either a
A2-29 serious courtship, an offer
OF marriage or the least Indication that
She would ever experience either. Once.
indeed when she was quite Il child
only twenty-four-there had been
young man. a very pious. well-man-
nered young clergyman, who-but that
seemed like dream to Miss Sophie Iow.
She might have doubted whether he |
ever lived if he had not given her that
little old Book OF Common Prayer and |
the faded daguerreOtype of himself in |
that little folding case in the corner OF |
the what not" He had been her one |
possibility" remote always. but now |
quite out Of the question since he had |
married his cousin 10 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 TO make ends meet in the little
household. she had sewed and mend |
ed. MIXED her cow, tended her own |
chickens, cooked. secured. and saved |
to keep Matte and the boy, Harry,
decently at school. She had even
found time to do some plain sewing
for the neighbors. and it was agreed on
oil sides that Aunt Sophie hadn't "a
ICnO ip hnl.- ~ MATTHIAS
wages as machine girl" in the but
ton factory helped wonderfully in this
small household, but it made the old
maids heart bleed TO see her set off
for the shop every morning. and poor
Harry, who was ten. looked very dis
consolatc lettering 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. lie had
''made place" for the child, and had
gone ont of his way TO advance her
In the works. with corresponding in
crease Of pay. Eut he was practical
business man for all that. and the
hours We're long. the work hard and
the wages not over much. 1t little
towns like Belleville everybody knows
everybody. and Mr.. K.ngsland had spc-
cial reasons for knowing Aunt Sophie.
Her brother had worked IN the fac
tory, anu it seemed quite fair and nat
ural that he should be kind to the
orphans. But this kind of interest
hardly explained his first visit to the
old maids house. nor the repeated at
tentions which he showed her. He was
forever asking her advice about the
treatment OF the girls at work in his
factory, and Sunday seldom passed
without visit. long or Snort, from
Mr.. kiuSs.and.
He WAS pleased to take tea with
them once o. twice, aud he showed
srch an interest in her children"
such a fatheriy regard for Matte. such
an amused friendship for little Harry,
such frank and generous desire TO be
kind to everyone. that little Miss So
phle came to regard him as something
less than wealthy patron, something
more than mere acquaintance. There
was no nonsense about him. and his
presence in the house, though canse
of restraint 81 first for both Matte and
her brother. came TO seem so natural
that the cheerful little housekeeper al
ways laid his plate for Sunday supper,
and the girl end her brother always
dressed In their finest and smiled their
sweetest when III $ knew he was com
ing.
Sometimes when the children wer,
not present he would sit In the yerandG
with Miss Sophie and tell her old stor
les OF his past life-plain. unvarnisheC
tales OF his struggles for an education
and n liy.ng-an unromantic story fui
OF the grim realities OF n poor boy
hopes and disappointment Hs ha'
never married. He had been too bus,
with the harsher affairs OF life
Il don't know that anyone woull
have me-" hc would laugh. I'm sixt.
years old. a plain old bear; now. don
you think so. Miss SoDhieY'
And she would reply with some trit
Old sophistry. as "Handsome Is q
handsome does" or "Ncyer too late I
mend" But when he was gone.
lonesome giant trudging away to hI
furnished room In the hotel. she woul
sit alone for hours after the chidre
had gone TO bed and wonder II hi
visits. II his confidential manner nm
talB. II his extraordinary interest
her and the little Ones 'meant an.
thing And II soi
Suppose she would say. lookin
Into her little mirror at her own roun
cheerful. handsome face. suppose
should? what? Ask you to mar,
him. What would you sayi''
And she would smile little dout
fully. as SHE shook her head, and. pu
1ire ont fhs I'Rht. 'ay down 10 think