Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1904-04-14
The House
Of Arabella
1ospyrisht. 10. - paily 1sory Pub. c.
b MAURICE SMILEY

Copyright. Isa. hy Daily Story Pub CO.
DELLA! You Arabella! Drat tn
- girl! Where is she, any way?
The tones were hard and bitter, and tn
sharp voice rose to fury.
Here I am, auntie," said childisl
voice 81 was peeling potatoes for din
ner out on the porch, where it i
warmel."
"Oh,, here you are, auntie," min
licked her aunt, disagreeably. "Yo'
didn't hurt yourself hurryin'." He
= anger, however, was somewhat molll
fed when she saw the girl had been do
Ing something useful. tits wonder,
she added, spitefully, you wasn't moon
in over some book or other or thinkin
about Joe Vincent. Joe Vincent, in
deed!" he shifted, scornfully. 'Mucl
good it'll do you to make eyes at him
when you know he is sweet on Evaline.
A hot blush rose to the girls brow
the words, and she clenched her hand:
as she set the dish down on the porcl
and seated herself to complete her task
Mrs. Martin was hard by nature and
years of struggling with poverty and
hard luck on New England farm had
soured what little of the milk Of hu-
man kindness there ever was in hel
makeup. She loved her own daughters
after her own fashion, and all her hard
ness seemed stored up against her dead
sisters child. Who knows what may
slumber at the bottom of a woman's
heart? From the day her sister had
married handsome Jim Randall, who
disappeared eight years later, leaving
her with boy of seven, the sisters never
spoke to each other. A daughter was
born six months after the fathers disap-
pearance, and then came ten years of
bitter: struggle, with want, before the
mother gave up, worn out. The boy had
gone west, and the girl, 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 it would have been better for her
if she had gone to the poorhouse, where
she 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
blush crept slowly over her face. 1t
must have been Joe Vincent that
brought it 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 her just the other
day. "1'm studying law, you know, and
some day I'll have an ohlce-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?"
eyes. 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
of my hands, or that good-for-nothin
father"
''Stop, auntie," cried the girl, and there
was something new in her voice that
made her aunt pause. you shall not
say one word against my father, and as
for Jack, he will come back some day, as
soon as he has struck it rich out there in
the Klondike."
Eyes, he's comm" retorted Mrs. Mar
tin. "So's Christmas comm, an
purity one it'll be, won't it,"
DO YOU know what I'm goin' to do
with you?" suddenly exclaimed Mrs.
Martin, in the midst of her dinner prep
arations, casting vindictive look at the
girl. "I'm goin' to bundle you off 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, If you wish.
auntie, but I'll not 60 to the poorhouse.
I can go to the city and make my own
living. I will not wait until tomorrow.
I will 60 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
is 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 TO-" in
terrupted his wife. "She don't know
nothin' yit, but there amt no tellin'
when she will. an we'd better be clear
of her before she does find out. The deed
amt never been recorded. We've got to
sell this place to the railroad while we've
got chance. The girls kin do the work
themselves. 1t won't hurt EN-"
"Well," assented her husband. weak
ly, maybe you are right But hate
to see the girl turned out of her own"
"You put your sympathy where it'll
do some good" snapped Mrs. Martin.
Think of me an the girls What will
become of us if she ever finds out?"
Upstairs, in her own shabby litt]
vo0vro Spo11o woc ,,ooJ,;-,~