Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-04-07
The House
of Arabella


Uswash. M. b i'Ails sssy Psb. cs1
% nELLA! You Arabella! Drat the
is girl! Where 10 she, any wayf'
The tones were hard and bitter, and the
sharp voics rose TO fury.
'TIere am, auntie." said Q childlsh
voice. II was peeling potatoes for din
ner out on the porch, where 1t 10
warmer"
"Oh, here you are, auntie," MIN
licked her aunt, disagreeably. you
didn't hurt yourself hurryin'." Her
anger. however, was somewhat molli-
Ned when she saw the girl had been DO,
ing something useful. ITS wonder,
she added, spitefully. "you wasn't moon
in' over some book or other or thinkin
about Joe Vincent. Joe Vincent, In
decd" she shifted, scornfully. Much
rood It'll do you to make eyes at him,
when you know he 10 sweet on Eyaiine'
A hot blush rose to the girls brow al
the words, and she clenched her hands
m she set the dish down on the porch
and seated herself to complete her TASK
Mrs. Martin was hard by nature ana
years Of struggling with poverty and
hard luck on New England farm had
aoured what little Of the milk OF hu-
man kindness there ever was In her
makeup. She loved her own daughters
after her own fashion, and all her nara
ness seemed stored up against her DEAD
sisters child. Who knows what may
slumber at the bottom Of a womans
heart? From the day her sister had
married handsome Jim Randall, VINO
disappeared eight years later, leaving
her with boy of seven, the sisters never
smoke to each other. A daughter was
born ak months after the fathers disap-
,pearance, and then came ten years OF
hitter struggle. with want, before the
mother gave up, worn out The boy had
Rone west, and the sirl, not II years old,
was just saved from the poorhouse by
the family pride of Mrs. Martin.
But often and often had Bella thought
that 1t would have been better for her
II she had gone to the poorhouse, where
ahe would at least have been treated
more kindly. She was thinking some
thing Of this now, and then more pleas
ing thought came into her mind, for Q
blush crept slowly over her face. 1t
must have been Joe Vincent that
brought II there, for Joe Vincent was
about all the happiness there was in her
life. He was only 19-but he was study
ing law! Some day, perhaps--but that
was far ahead.
"You won't be staying here always,
Bella" he had said to he's Just the other
day. I'm studying law, you know, and
some day I'll have an ofice-and--
and"
But Bella had run laughing and blush
ing into the house, and Joe had gone
home with bird In his heart. She was
thinking Of this now, when her aunt's
harsh voice made her start:
LANDS alive! Hain't you got them
potaters peeled yit?"
"Yes, they are all done, auntie," was
the reply, as the girl entered the house.
followed by her aunt
II wish that harum-scarum brother Of
yours would come back and take you
on my hands. or that good-for-nothin'
II DR."
Top, auntie, cried the girl, and there
y 1omething new in her voice that
y AZ her aunt pause. "You shall not
htne word against my father, and a.
Jack, he will come back some day, as
!. as he has struck II rich out there In
M klondike.
eyes, he's comm" retorted Mrs Mar
tin. ''Se's Christmas comm an a
purity. one it'll be, won't III"
"Do you know what I'm goin' to do
with your" suddenly exclaimed Mrs.
Martin. In the midst Of her dinner prep
arations, casting a vindictive look at the
girl. "I'm goin' to bundle you of to the
poorhouse, where you Belong. There's
too many mouths to feed here. You can
stay here till after Sunday. but you go
bright and early Monday mornin'."
Bella grew pale for an instant, then
she said, calmly:
"You may turn me out, II you wish,
Auntie, but I'll not go to the poorhouse,
can 60 to the city and make my own
living. will not wait until tomorrow
I will 90 to-day"
She left the room without further
words
BE careful. Tidy" warned Mr.. Mar
Tin. Don't be too hard on the girl. She
a. q help to you. Besides. suppose she
should find out something about the
mortgage and the deed. This farm Isn't
ours, you must remember"
That's Just why she's got to 60" in
isrrupted his wife. "She don't know
nOthin' yit, but there amt no tellin'
when she will. an we'd better be clear
d her before she does And out The deed
AMT never been recorded. We've got to
cell this place to the railroad while we've
rot q chance. The girls kin DO the work
themselves. II won't hurt EN-"
WELL" assented her husband, weak
", maybe you are right But hate
to zee the girl turned out Of her own"
"You put your sympathy where It'll