The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-01-21
A Timely
/: Dividend.

\" Kings had eome to q pretty
sorry pass with the Yoakums.
and II was about all Miss
Flo could do to keep up her
spirita. Her mother and sister Ind
come to look upon ner as the mainstay
Of the little family, because she man.
aged to exc out about 81 q week regu-
lariy addressing envelopes. Marie bad
earned q few dollars in the two years
since their father had died, but the
demand for the foolish little cupids
and ferce-ioolling fairies which she
painted on cardboard didn't hold out
long after Christmas and Easter. To
De sure, they had one roomer who paid
$50 q vice., but It's quite q trick for
three grown women to sustain life. to
say nothing Of appearances. on an Nv
erage income Of about $3.50 a year.
Flo tried to make q joke Of 1t, but
when mamma really wished to 80 out
and each Of the girls vas obliged to
contribute q garment. q pair Of shoes
or o hat to make Mrs. Yoakum's toilet
complete, Il was not easy to keep up
the laugh with which the handsome
Flo managed to greet each Of their
successive hardships. They lived In
o di2gy two-story house that would
have been ~ squalid within as with
out II Il had not been for the scrupu-
Ions cleanliness and incessant INDUSTRY
OF the two girls. They kept everything
as clean as o new pm, Dut despite tneir
gentle ways and everlasting care. the
old tapestry on the parior foor was
mapped and diagrsmmed into thread
bare Islands. canals and estuaries. The
Old hair-cioth furniture. besides being
q oecade out or cato. was Ill OF noies.
xickeU u scarred Never might
mother ana daughter. nor yet the TWO
sisters. 90 out together. They hadn't
enough clothes to 80 around. Company
was out or the ques;ion-that Is. male
company. Tor. though both Flo and
Marie were very pretty. pride re-
strained them from disclosing the
scantipess Of their. possessions even to
the grocer's clerk. who, having fallen
desperately In love with Marie. sought
70 improve her acquaintance by call
1ng.
She was out. Flo told him. and there
after poor Marie was debarred' from
an occasional visit to the store In which
the ardent clerk worked, languishing.
When Mr. Yoakum died he left moth
ing but his insurance policy for 5000.
1t wouid have been q fortune for his
economical wife and daughters, but the
Insurance company In which the policy
was written became involved about the
time the Yoakum claim was presented,
and the Yoakums knew no more than
that a receiver or something Of that
sort. had been appointed, and that there
wasn't much chance Of their getting
anything out OF the policy. For q few
months they had cheered one another
with r hopes that there must be q
settlement. but to NIL their letters. com.
plants and urginss not q word OF
tangible announcement came from the
receiver. Then they sold their piano.
moved into q cheaper house and began
10 look for positions. Mrs. Yoakum
scrimped and saved In the kitchen. the
girls mended. darned, patched, washed.
troned, scrubbed and shaved to keep out
OF debt. When the roomer. an elderly
bookleeper. usualIy rery ~punctual Wa
n dav late with his weekly rent the
household mensr was immediatelv
and unayoidably contracted.
One morning having discovered that
TIE last milk ticket was gone and that
there wasn't a cent Of money! In the
house, Flo encountered the miikman at
the back door and told him, with g
sweet smile, that they didn't want any
milk. 1rhis was not a falsehood, since
what they really wanted was cream
but IT didn't help to make the black
coffee and dry toast any more palata
Bile. While Mrs. Yoakum and her tive
daughters were engaged In q kind OF
hysterical effort to make light of this
the most frugal meal they had yet par
taken Of. thefe was q loud knock at the
front door. Flo dropped her ragged
napkin and run to the window. Shit
should have gone to the door direct
but It was too late for the postman
and-well, proud folks In such cases G.
hers have to be diplomatic about ad
uniting visitors. There was q carrias,
at the curb! She flashed back to thu
dining kitchen room and hastily ap
prised her mother and sister, who fev
ut once to the family bedroom to max,
ready for q distinguished caller. FL,