The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-01-21
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his quest.
"Will you tell me, please, in which of
these small establishments resides Sarah
Eastbell?" he asked.
The girl paused. and then swung her
self rapidly round and faced him.
What next?" she cried apgrily, land
what's next after that 2" she added; I'm
Sarah Eastbell, and If you have any
thing to say against me say 1t. I'm not
ashamed of my name; never was-I
never did anything wrong in my life
now, then, what is it that you wantT
"You are Sarah EastbellT' said Reu-
ben, with a new interest asserting itself;
then you are--no, you can't be-" added
our hero, exhibiting again that incoher-
ence which had already bewildered the
waiter at Muddleton's.
"Will you tell me what you want
here" asked Miss Eastbell, peremptor-
lily.
Il want to see an older lady than your
self, of the same name, and residing, l
believe, in one of these almshouses.
"Oh, indeed-what forp was the eau
tious inquiry.
"a friendly call-that's ALL" answered
Reuben.
my grandmother is not well enough to
see company"
"She will see me-" replied Reuben Cul-
wick.
The statement concerning Mrs. East
BELLS idiosyncrasies was destined never
to be completed, for short, sharp
SARAH" in an excrutiatingly high key,
that was like the twang Of wire, and
left a humming sound In Reuben's ears,
came from an inner room on the left
hand side of the doorway.
"Coming!" said the tall girl and she
disappeared at once, and left Mr.. Cul-
wick on the threshold, half resolved to
follow her, and before Reuben was pre-
pared for her temperance she was
standing in the doorway again.
"You can come in," said the girl sui
lenly
She led the way to a small room, scru-
pulously clean, with a bed in the center
of the room, and an old woman in the
center of the bed. There was nothing
to be seen of Mrs. Eastbell but her face,
and grim, yellow, parchment face 1t
was, cut up by a hundred wrinkles.
"Well, sir" said the head Sabove the
sheets, will you please to state what
business you have with old Sarah East
bell, who hes been past business for the
last ten yearsp
1t was a crisp and not wholly shrill
voice, now that it had dropped an octave
or two. The visitor walked to the bed
side, sat down in a rush-bottomed chair
that was there, and looked hard at her.
when l saw you last you were
bustling little woman, carrying your years
well" said Reuben Culwick tenderly; IL
am sorry to find on old friend brought
down as low as this"
ut can't be Reuben, can ltY' she
asked eagerly.
Eyes it can"
"Now to think of that, after these
years. and hereW said Mrs. Eastbell
That's kind Of you, Reu; I'm very
glad" and the old lady fought hard with
the sheets, and got thin, yellow hand
above the bedclothes, and extended ii in
the direction of her nephew, laughing In
an odd ehuckling way that portended fu-
ture Mysteries, if she were not careful.
Reuben shook the hand in his, and the
girl stood by the mantelpiece, watching
the greeting furtively.
what made you think of meT said
the old woman, after a moments pause.
Il came to Worcester last night;
heard this morning for the first time that
you were here"
"Who told your"
my father"
"You are friends, then? He has for
given your she said.
mo"
"Ah he will presently" said Mrs.
Eastbell, with an easy confidence; there
are many good points about my brother
Simon, and it is only a question of time.
All things come round in time, Reu--even
good luck. That's what l often tell our
Sally"
Sally WINGED suddenly at this introduc.
tion of her name into the discourse, and
Reuben looked across his PROSTATE rela-
tive toward the young attendant, who
drew pattern on the floor with the point
of her boot, and did not return his
glances.
"Some day Simon will walk in here
just as you have done-and say how scr
ry he is for all the past" said the old
woman; sometimes | lie awake fancy
ing can hear his footsteps coming across
the paved yard toward me-"
81 would not build upon his offering
you any help" said Reuben Culwick.
81 don't want any help, Eight shil-
lings a week keeps more life in me than
know what to do with. I'm very han.
py, though it's an awful place for flies.
Sally does a little work when she can
get it, and is a dear, kind nurse, who
never tires Of me. She'll read the Bible
half the day to me, when I'm too i'll TO
run about much-a good girl, Sally!"
Il am very glad to hear il" answered
Reuben.
He would not have dispelled the old
woman's faith in her granddaughter by n
worldly any question hinging on last
nights mystery or to-day's prevarication.
This was a woman who had faith in ev-
and extracted happiness even
from an almshOuse in q shady corner Of
Worcester City.
when l am gone, should like some
body to get Sally good piace-you don't
know any one who wants an honest,
hard-working, truthful girlf"
mot at present." said Reuben, glanc-
ing across at Sarah Eastbell again, who
was still tracing hieroglyphics on the
floor. She looked up this time as he re-
piled to her grandmother, and shrugged
her shoulders either at the old womans
criticism or at the wild idea of her being
indebted to him for her future position
in life.
"Will she be wholly alone in the world
some dayT asked Reuben Culwick, in
quisitively.
"She has not a friend-she will make
plenty, of course, but she has them to
make"
"My cousin Mark was her father, then.
Is he"
"Yes-he's dead. Sos his wife. They
were a worthy couple, but they were
very unlucky, and so better out of the
world than in It," said the grandmother,
when they died last year l offered Sally
part Of my home, and my sister tried to
a, g. IT,. 49, II.