Smyrna times., 1905-06-07
6be Wisdom Of
Fellow
By RUBY DOUGLAS

CUSHIONS
ber TO a sitting posture, and, wiping
hor eyes with a bit of lace edged linen,
sbe called to the visitor to enter.
"Reg pardon-oh, Miss Benton" be-
can the big. motherly looking woman,
did you send for meT"
She was the janitor's wife and lived
in the basement of the studio building.
Ethel shifted and continued to dry her
eyes.
"Yes." she said Some one has
stolen my nice m-muff" And she
hurst into a fresh flood of tears.
''There-there nOw," comforted the |
woman, patting Ethefs heaving shoul- |
ders. DRY your pretty eyes and tell |
me about it."
There's nothing to tell except that |
it's stolen. II just went out this
morning for a walk and when l came
back it was gone"
ut was here when l cleared up the
room this morning" said the woman.
1T was big and brown and long
haired, wasn't it?"
Ethel nodded.
Have you looked everywhere for
itY"
Ethel nodded again. 'Yes, every
where I-they could have taken any
thing else but-but that"
Mrs. Carters eyes scanned the
room, an expression of distress and
surprise on her good natured face.
They had never had any trouble of
this sort in the building, and she felt
personally responsible.
Il have the only keys except your
own, and'-
"Oh, Mrs. Carter" interrupted
Ethel hastily, don't for an instant
think that 1 blame you! only sent
for you so you might investigate in
quiet way"
There's only one new tenant in the
building-a man on the next floor, but
he seems like a gentleman. I've not
had much talk with him, but l mind
his dog for him sometimes when he's
out"
Il don't believe any one in the build
ing would take it, but-well, it is gone.
1t was not the value of the muff, but
Ethel hesitated and a deeper color
flooded her face-'it was all I had left
that "a very dear friend gave me-"
Even dense Mrs. Carter noticed the
emphasis on the adjective and the
slight hesitation as to the fitness of the
word friend"
"I'n keep my eyes open, Miss Ben
ton, and in the meantime don't spoil
your eyes crying"
"All right" replied Ethel family as
1he door closed ON the janitor's wife.
But she did cry! How vividly she re
called the day Bert Cameron had giveI
her the muff. Hawkins, his old chum
had sent the skin from Idaho, and thu
muff had been made to match Bert'
gloves and cap! They had been en-
gagged then only a few months and
well, when they had broken their en-
gagement II was summer, and, in re
turning his ring and the other thing
he had given her, the muff, packed in
cedar chest for the warm months, ha
been forgotten. When she had brough
it out again it was too late, and sh
had kept ii. Often when her pupils ha
been hopelessly out of tune. when the
had seemed not to know one note frol
another nor a piano from any otht
plaything, she had come home all e.
hausted to bury her face in the shagg
warm fur and regret many thing
Now it was gone, like its donor, fro
her life.
Cameron opened the door of his roo
with little enthusiasm. He did N
fancy this place much more than maj
other abodes he had taken up in Il
last year. He was sorry he had le
the home town, after all, for there
least he had home. And yet he cou
not bear the place after she had gone
Hello, Fellow" he said to the frisl
fox terrier, who had gone into ecstasi
of delight on hearing his masters k
in the lock.
"What's"- Cameron picked up
brown muff from the sofa. He put
hands into it, and his face paled.
she had returned even that one Ii
remembrance of him! He had cheri
ed the thought that perhaps she wol
lu1lk OF MIN Wueu sue uScu lhC ~
inasmuch as she had kept it.
now
A fash of astonishment crossed
face. Where was she? That she
in the great city he had known wi
he came, but where? He felt within
muff's soft lining for note, VIC
a clew of some sort, but there was
sign. Then he closed his eyes In
4 depths of the shaggy brown fur.
felt sentimental, bit foolish, when
did it, but who save Fellow would
II him?
"Miss Benton" began Mrs. Car
entering Ethel's studio just as
young woman, trim in her brown w
Ing suit, was leaving for lesson, u"
m found your muff"
"WhatT cried Ethel.