Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-10-13
THE SPOILING OF !! SARAH JANE S a
 By JULIA TRUITT BISHOP
By JULIA TRUITT BISHOP
Gcopyrighs, 1904. by Daily Story Pub. Col

CCopyright, 1oOA by Daily Story Pub. Col MIR. LAWLERcast a casual glance at lVA the little cottage down at the corner the cottage which he owned, and which bis agent had rented two days before to Mrs. Bryan, tall of figure and hard of hand. Surely there was 8 child sitting on the step. He arose and looked closer. Yes-a little girl-an exceedingly small girl; though he saw now that her dimin- utive figure appeared smaller because she was hunchback. A white cat was winding and rubbing around her. For the first time since he had owned the row of cottages | child held possession in one of them. and MT. Lawler was angry. This was too careless of Morton-he would see him about it at once. He would tear that row of houses down next year and make R vineyard thereor something per haps a quiet grove, with high walls around 1t, where he could rest in the evenings.
 MT. Lawler had for some years been able to afford himself any little fancy he pleased, and it was one of his fancies to dislike children: to steer clear of them whenever he could: to ignore them when he went to the houses of his friends; to see that they never intruded on his grounds, where he held state in the big, lonely house; and to make careful pro- vision that no family with children should get into one of his cottages. He had managed so carefully that this had been practically childless neighbor- hood. No boys rolled their hoops along the sidewalk by those cottages; no little girls dressed dolls on the steps; no baby patted it's tiny hands on the window panes. Perhaps one reason for this was that there had once been child in the big house, and after the mothers death he and the boy had grown further and further apart-had not understood one another, and had finally come to divis- ion, so that MT. Lawler had told the boy that the door was open and he could go. He had not dreamed that David would sake him at his .word-but there was no mother to stand between them now, as she had done all the boy's life, so David went; and now MT. Lawler, the learned lawyer, the eloquent speaker, sat in the pillared portico of the big house and scowled fiercely at a little girl on the step of the cottage at the end of the row.
 The next morning he saw her at closer range. He went past the cottage on his way to town, and just then she flashed out of the door and sat down on the step with sudden plump that attracted his frown- ing glance. She was carrying bowl and spoon, and the white cat was fol- lowing with expectation in every fea- ture.
 "Now, Sarah Jane" said the little girl, in high, thin voice, that seemed to make her more e1fish than before, stand up an eat, an don't you spill drop!"
 He could not help pausing to look this tall, thin man who disliked children there was something so weird about, the little girl on the step She was grave " extending spoonful of milk to the rat, and the cat as gravely sat erect on its launches, with both paws grasping the sides of the spoon: and, with eyes half closed and ears bent back, drank the milk with much rattling of red tongue against the tip of the spoon. MT. Law Ter looked on with portentous frown
 q should think you could find some thing more important to do than spoil lng that cat" he said severely.
 The little girl turned her large eyes upon him.
 'sShe ain't spoiled!" she said, in the sharp little voice. She's an orphan, an' had to be raised by hand, an that's the only way she knows how to eat.'
 That's all nonsense said MT. Law rr4r r,,f, k taught to make some good use of your time and help your mother make a living instead of wasting your life spelling anil mals-which are 8 nuisance, under any circumstances. And why should poor people make their expenses heavier by keeping worthless animals?"
 The little girl dipped up another spoonful of milk and held 1t out to Sarah Jane, who accepted it hungrily.
 It was week later before he saw the child again; and then as he leaned back in his easy chair, looking at something very far away. beyond the red light of che sunset, sharp little voice arose, al- most from beneath his feet.
 eve brung my bucket over to get a copper cents worth of milk for Sarah Jane," said the voice; and there before him was the solemn, elfish little face with the big eyes. We couldn't get none this mornin' was out O money-but Sarah Jane II jist go wild If she don't get her milk ever day, so I broke into my tin bank
 She held out the bucket in one hand and the copper cent in the other, with easy confidence-thin little hands that looked like birds claws. The great law yer and fluent speaker in the easy chair was very much irritated.
 T don't sell milk" he said, waving away bucket and coin. s'stop one of the milk wagons when you want to buy milk.''
 ''Nowyou know very well they don't sell copper cents worth O milk" she re- torted, pitying his ignorance of affairs. An you've got COW that mother says must give gallons an gallons. Do make 'aste-Sarah Jane is mighty near tearin' khe house down, she wants her milk so