The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-27
HOW ORPHAN GIRL
MADE HER WAY UP
Jessie CardoWnie Worked Hard
Ten Years for Love
LOVE FOR AN OLD MAN
He Was, However, the only Father
she Ever Knew And She Loves
Him Yet-suddenIy Renews
Old Acquaintance.
LOVE FOR AN OLD MAN

matched rooted house crying as though
her heart would break Inside the house
were Jessie's little sister, Phoebe, and all
mother. For two years the dear woman
had struggled hard to keep three bodies
and three souls together, but the strain
at last had become too great
In the night time the everlasting arms
had led her spirit into the unknown land
Twas new business for Mcdonald, this
thing of comforting heartbroken child,
but he went at 1t with a heart not I'M
touched with love. The upshot of 1t all
was that two nights later Jessies mother
had been buried In the church yard near
by and the two little children were Sleep
ing peacefully in the home of old man
Cardowne who lived with his white
souled wife three leagues from Thrums.
Cardownie was not unknown to fame.
If he did not know the world twas sure
ly not because he had not seen 1t. As a
lad he had struck out from Thrums and
gene to London and it wasn't long be-
fore word came back to the village that
it was not for nothing that Cardownie
had learned to dance a Jig in Thrums.
To tell truth, Cardownie had all Lon
don by the ears. In a few years his
fame had passed to Paris and Berlin. It
was said of him that he took so many
prizes in his art that the English, the
French and the German barred him out
of all competitions. With i'll luck and an
oath for everything English and European
he had now gone back to Thrums, with
heart resolved never to leave the old
place again.
A change came over the spirit of his
dreams, however The two little cheldrens
Jessie and Phoebe, were growing into
sprightly girls; and of an evening Car
downie often used to play and sing and
dance before them and teach them to
dance and play and sing. As the months
went by the old man marvelled at the
chlldren's skill, ana one day all Thrums
was stirred by the news that old man
Cardownie, Mrs. Cardownie and the two
faxen haired Scottish lassies-the pref
tiest children in Thrums were leaving the
village, some said for Australia, some
said for America. and others for the
South Sea islands
Cardownie let them think what they
might. AS for him he had his plan, and
he was man whose plans seldom mis-
carried.
1t was to America they came. Jessie
was ten years old when they landed in
New York and only eleven when Mrs.
Cardownie, the only mother Jessie ever
had, died the following year. Cardownie
went back to his work, but between i'll
luck and liking for a good dram, twas
not long before Jessie and Phoebe were
before the footlights and making talk
enough in the vaudeville end of the town.
The two children won success, but
money they did not win. Old Car
downle clothed them, but they seldom
knew what it was to hear the blinking
o, coin In their pockets. The thing went
on for ten years, Jessie and Phoebe win
ming rapturous applause, and old Car
downie getting the money the children
earned.
They did not murmur, however, for had
he not been good to them once upon a
time and had not Mrs Cardownie ten
ed them and cared for them when they
knew not where to look for care or atten-
ton? What then IL the old man was
rough now and then, and what IL his
words were not polite and what If his
hands were laid upon them urgently at
times? They would not begrudge him the
money they earned over the footlights.
Twas just as well perhaps that they
treated the old man generously. At least,
Ilra 20 ar,1h
Cardownle is gone from them now. The
old fellow danced his last Jig little more
than a year ago and Phoebe and Jessie
like to remember that they were angels
OF love and light around the poor fellow s
bedside when he left them and that they
did not fail to give him decent burial
When he was gone the two girls began
to shift for themselves. Their apprentice
ship under Cardownie, the master dancer,
stood them in good stead. 1t was not long
before they were making money readily
and In good round sums. Jessie likes to
think of that Saturday night when for
the first time In her twelve years work
on the stage she knew what II was to
draw her own salary. The manager had
ccme into her dressing room and handed
her an envelope with her name on 1t. She
recalls now how she felt when she open
ed It. and saw the crisp folded notes.
And she recalls also that she put her
face In her hands and cried as she never
had cried In all her life since that win
try morning in Thrums when Donald
Mcdonald came up the street and found
her there sobblng on the doorstep.
The envelope incident is less than
year old. Jessie Is now in Birmingham,
She came here last Saturday morning
and she's to be seen with many of the
player folk at one of the local theares.
Last highland here is where the point
of this story comes imam athletic look
ing fellow well on toward 40. with an ir-
ritating burr" in his speech, was read
ing the programme at the Bijou.
''Will you oblige me by taking this card
to Miss Jessie Cardownie? said he to an
usher
The card bore the pencilleld name
Donald Mcdonald"
Three minutes later jolly dancing girl
with blue eyes and fiaxen hair was crying
her eyes out for very JOY in 4o-year-ol
Scotsmans arms up in her dressing
room