The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-08-20

defantly, everything and every
body except, of course, you, Aunt
| Hester"
Kitty, dear, don't talk so wickedly,"
replied voice so feeble and tired
though sweet, that there was no need
TO be told Aunt Hester was i'll.
ITS quite true repeated Kitty; Il
do hate everything. l hate never hav-
Ing any money and living in these two
poky little rooms, and not being able
to take you abroad, which the doctor
says would very likely make you well
again, and having to slave day after
day teaching those horrid children
who never seem to learn anything. |
loathe II all! | can't help not being
patient like you, Auntie, and If 1t is
wicked to hate things, why then /
must be wickedv
The girl stopped, completely out Of
breath, and the elder woman sighed
but said nothing. She knew how hard
the poverty of their lives was to the
pretty girl of eighteen, who had
youths natural desire for pleasure and
pretty things. She understood how irk-
some it was to Kitty to teach three
dull children for five hours daily for
the munifcent sum Of Fla year,
which money, with the addition Of a
very small annuity of hers, was all
they had to live on. She knew, too,
better than her niece, better even than
the doctor, that SO far as she was con-
cerned, it would soon be over; that
not even the visit to Switzerland, so
easily advised, SO impossible to OBJ
tain, would make very much differ
ence or very materially lengthen the
days before Kitty would be left TO
fight the battle of life alone.
"Only f60," she went on bitterly. 81
have worked II all out. For ESQ we
could both go to Lausanne for ten
weeks. You know that pension where
Lizbie stayed; they would take the
two Of us for f3 week; that would
leave plenty for the journey. Fifty
pounds! less than heaps of women
spend on one dress! call it hateful
horrible-unfair. Why should We have
nothing and others so much?"
She made for the park, and as she
was walking along one Of its most de-
serted paths her foot knocked against
stone, which she kicked impatiently
away. The softness Of the stone
struck her, and she looked down to
find she was kicking purse. She
picked It up and examined 1t carefully.
1t was nearly new, OF green leather,
curiously worked with black, and the
monogram, "A. K" stamped In gold
In one corner.
1T is so light there can be nothing
in it," she said to herself, and opened
it. A shilling and four pennies fell
into her hand, and then some pieces of
folded paper, five Bank Of England
! notes for f10 each. There was no one
near. Kitty's head swan, her eyes
grew misty, she felt sick and faint as
the temptation unfolded itself to her.
Here was the exact sum needed to re-
store Aunt Hester to health: there was
no name in the purse, no clew TO the
owner; surely, since 1t had come TO her
at that mement when she so much
needed ESQ, 1t must have been sent by
Providence. Surely it would be only
right for her to keep 1t. Thus she rea-
soned, knowing the weakness of her
arguments, realizing, but refusing to
consider, that she contemplated com
hitting a theft. And after the theft.
lies would be necessary, for IL Aunt
Hester had the faintest idea of how
the money was obtained, she would
certainly refuse 10 even touch 1t, and
would insist on making every effort to
find its owner.
If Miss Ormond had not been the
most simple-minded and unsuspecting
of women she would never have be-
Ilieved that Mrs. Harper, the by no
means rich mother of her nieces pu-
pills, would give her a present of ESQ,
for this was the very feeble lie by
which Kitty accounted for her posses
sion of the money. Miss Ormond was
anxious TO write and thank the lady,
but Kitty averred that Mrs. Harper
had made a condition she should re-
ceive no thanks for her gift, and Miss
Ormond, into whose guileless mind no
shadow of suspicion entered, obeyed,
though a little unwlIlingly. "Such a
magnificent, such princely gift"
she kept on murmuring gently, at
seems rude and ungrateful for me not
to thank her, but of course we must
do as she wishes. | hope, Kitty, you
said how deeply grateful we both
are"
A week later and the dingy lodgings
were left and aunt and niece started
for Switzerland. Aunt Hester bore the
journey very well, and they were soon
Installed in a comfortable pension
overlooking the azure waters of Lake
Leman, on the other side of which in
snow-clad majesty the peaked Alps
keep guard.
Then suddenly one. day when they
had been in Lausanne for six weeks,
and Kitty congratulated herself that
her aunt was so much better she had
not sinned in vain, the end came. Aunt
Hester returned from a walk, felt
tired, and went to lie down. In two
hours the suave little Swiss doctor
was assuring the almost frantic Kitty
that nothing could save Miss 0rmond.
'If all your famous London doctors
had been here, Mademoiselle, they
could have done nothing. Her heart
failed suddenly. l sympathize much
with you"
Mrs. Allen, the lady with whom she
lived, was so sorry for the lonely girl
that she always asked her to join any
little entertainment that took place,
Kitty never accepted these kindly
meant invitations. She was so un.
happy that she had no heart for any
thing of the kind. One evening, how
ever, she relented. A small musical
party was to be given and one Of the