Middletown transcript., 1903-09-19
A Charade and Its Ending :.
MARGoT MAuDE

,ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
up to London. where they had ultimatel,
settled down in a tiny house at Hammer
smith.
Thence, Addie and Monica daily wen
to their situations as governesses ant
worked hard in their spare time to earl
little more. Thirty pounds year eacl
from their ituations-Addie had rather
more and Monica somewhat less-anc
the rest-a precarious uncertainty, de
pendent chiefly on Adde'S clever finger.
for neither Monica nor Mrs. Delahay wa,
a clever worker, and they made very
little between them.
Addie worked all day, and every day,
hardly resting moment. but even then
the result was small. How often she
regretted her education-her expensive
but almost useless finishing lessons! How
she wished that she had been taught
something to which she could have
turned in her need, and by which she
could have earned sufficient livelihood!
Mrs. Delahay was right. If Addie had
continued for few more months with
out any change of work, or lessening of
anxiety, she must have broken down.
Just when it was most needed, this invi-
tation had come from Nita Dellwyn.
One day, in the street, Addie had met
her old schoolfellow, who had insisted
on having her address and had written
most cordially to invite Addie to come to
Dellwyn's Hope on long visit. This
visit her mother was determined that she
should pay.
As Mrs. Delahay finished speaking,
entered. She was a tall, fair,
girl, who, if she had
her own wishes, would have
led an active outdoor life, would seldom
have opened book, and would never
have handled needle. Her days were
spent with her employers children-four
small ones, the teaching of whom in
volved the expenditure of much patience,
much self-restraint-and in the evening
she had to return to those small cramped
rooms, to the urgent necessity of losing
no time, of working on, although she had
The discouraging certainty of how little
her work was worth.
Monica was fairly strong, looked mod
.rately healthy, although thin. and was
pretty in fresh, fair, girli.h style. Her
shabby clothes did not detract from the
-efnement of her appearance; she was
,ery like her mother, with her blue eyes
md bright brown hair. Fortunately she
sas of a sweet-tempered contented dis
position, and she managed to put her
owe for her mother and sister in the scale
md balance them successfully against
Ter various hardships.
She looked swiftly at Addie when her
mother told her OF the chance that had
,een offered to her sister. Possibly for
me moment the longing for change
lmost made her envious; but after gazing
n her sisters face she said cheerfully:
Addie, you must go.
| will if | can manage it; but -
There must be no butts Fortunately |
t is summer-don't say that we never
AVE any luck! Mother and | can live
N next to nothing, and you must 60.
Addie was sitting near the window,
nth the light streaming full upon her
ace as she looked up and listened to
ionica.
Dear little Monica! she cried caress-
1gly. l wish you could accompany me.
l have had at least three changes to
our one-even if they have only been
18th the Tomkins children.
A fortnight later, one warm summers
ay, Addie was iourneying to the north.
he Dellwyns lived dear Middicombe,
nd Addie, alone in the railway carriage
II the last portion Of her journey, opened
he window wide, gazed across the coun-
", and breathed the fresh air with rapt-
re- After the sitting streets of HAM
lersmitb, how lovely were the breezes
,ming over the breezy moors!
Middicombe was small station, and
ddie was the only person who got out
the train there. On the platform was
er friend, Nita Dellwyn; she had come
/ person to meet her, accompanied by
smart footman, who took possession of
le visitors very moderate amount of
lggage.
How pale you look, remarked Nita, i'll
kindly tone. You have been too long
/ London, Addie. l remember at Mrs.
you were plump, rosy little |
ri, and now you are SO slim and white!
/ shall soon recover up here. l have
cen working rather hard You know,
ita-at least expect you know, though
have not told you-that we have lost
ir money, and Monica and have to
ork l tell you because / wish you to
nderstand the reason / have not the
othes which I
Hush! calculated her friend. | heard
lat you left Mrs. Fenwick's on account
some monetary misfortune-but it is
ou, not your clothes, that l want. You
i'll look well in anything, and if you
ish-
No! Addie interrupted. / am very
.ateful, dear, but please allow me to
eep in the background. | shall be hap
er, and the shabbiness of my apparel
i'll pass unnoticed.
You shall do just as you like, as long
you get rosy and well again, replied
ita warmly.
At school Nita had been very fond of
10 Delahays, although they had been |
er juniors, and the change in Addie-
ON the high-spirited little romp whom
Ie remembered to the worn-looking girl
,fore her-filled her kindly heart with
ty.
l shall soon be quite well. Have you 1
anu ,aaanlo otouipn uritl, Won Niko2 Z