The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-11
An EXCHANGE.

II hate everything in the world" as
serted the girl, sweepingly and defiant
ly, everything and everybody except,
of course, you. Aunt Hester
Kitty, dear. don't talk so wickedly,"
replied a voice so feeble and tired,
though sweet, that there was no need to
be told Aunt Hester was ILL.,
It's quite true" repeated Kitty, Il do
hate everything. l hate never having
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. L loathe
it ALI / can't help not being patient
like you. auntie, and if it is wicked to
hate things, why then 1 must be
wicked"
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 Is who had youths natural de-
sire for pleasure and pretty things. She
understood how irksome it was to Kitty
to teach three dull children for five
hours daily for the munifcent sum of
e14 a year, which money, with the ad-
dition 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
concerned, it would soon be over, that
not even the visit to Switzerland, so
easily advised, so impossible to obtain,
would make very much difference or
very materially lengthen the days be-
fore Kitty would be left to fight the
battle OF life alone.
only ESQ.," she went on bitterly. Il
have worked it all out. For ESQ we
could both go to Lausanne for ten
weeks. You know that pension where
Lizzie stayed; they would take the two
of us for e3 week; that would leave
plenty for the journey. Fifty pounds!
Less than heaps of women spend on one
dress. 1 call it hateful-horrible-un
fair 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 a
stone, which she kicked impatiently
away. The softness of the stone struck
her, and she looked down to find she
was kicking a purse. She picked it up
and examined it carefully. 1t was near
~ new, of green leather, curiously work.
ed with black, and the monogram, "A.
X" 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
910 each. There was no one near. Kit
tvs 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 restore Aunt Hes
ter to health: there was no name in the
purse. no clue to the owner; surely,
since 1t had come to her at that mo-
ment when she so much needed $50. it
must have been sent by Providence
Surely 1t would be only right for her to
keep it. Thus she reasoned, knowing
the weakness of her arguments, real
izing. but refusing to consider, that she
contemplated committing a theft. And
after the theft lies would be necessary,
for if Aunt Hester had the faintest idea
of how the money was obtained, she
would certainly refuse to even touch it,
and would insist on making every enOrc
to find is owner
If Miss Ormond had not been the most
simple minded and unsuspecting OF
women she would never have believed
that Mrs. Harper, the by no means rich
mother of her niece's pupils, would give
her a present of $50, for this was the
very feeble lie by which Kitty account
ed for her posse ssiOn of the money. Miss
Ormond was anxious to write and thank
the lady, but Kitty averred that Mrs
Harper had made p condition she should
receive no thanks for her gift, and Miss
Ormoud. into whose guiieless mind no
shadow of suspicion entered, obeyed,
though a little unwuIiugly. such a
ma gniicent, such prlncely gift" she
kept on murmurirg gently. 1T seems 50
rude and ungratefal for me not to thank
her. but CT course we must do as she
wishes. l hope, Kitty. YOU said how
deeply grateful we both are''
week later and the cingy 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 over
looking the azure waters Of Lake Le-
man, or the other side of which in
snowolad majesty the peaked Alps keep
guard.
Then suddenly one day when they had
been in Lausanne for six weeks, ana
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 have saved Miss Ormnnd. IF all
your famous London doctors had been
here. mademoiselle. they could have