The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-03-29

| with q wide application III view, pun
| licans and policemen would be very,
badly off were it not for Little Make
| Believes father. Half Of them would
| have to shut up shop, for it is a fact
that, under Providence, he is the princi'
pal means of supplying them with
their daily bread. If they have a spark
of gratitude in them they ought to go
down upon their knees every night OF
their lives and thank God for sending
them Little Make-Believe's father.
She had no mother. Perhaps she
ought to have thanked God for that.
Notwithstanding the fondnes OF pup
licans and policemen for her fatner'
Little Make-Believe did not live alone.
She had a sister, a year and a hal1
Younger than herself. This sisters
name was originally Sarah Anne.
Now, by a singularly happy TWIST,
Little Make-Believe bad invested TINS
somewhat plebeian name with quite
an aristocratic favor. She called her
sister Saranne. Beat that, if you can,
YOU Smiths and you Swythes.
It is a fact that Little M~ake-Beieve
was always pretending and living for
a great portion of her time an inner
life. as it were; she did not envy the
Queen.
\ There was one advantage in having
n father. 1t devolved on him to pro-
vide a home for his children.
This home, in the matter OF rent
cost him on an average about eighteen
hence a week. which he sometimes
maid and sometimes didn't. Generally.
didn't.
It was invariably either at the very
ton or the very bottom OF the house'
never in the middle. Now 1t was a
garrett, now a cellar.
At the present time it was a cellar.
Having provided this home, be pro-
vided nothing else.
That was Little Make-Believe's al
fair. He hired a roof for his daughters
to sleep under, and then, metapnorl'
callv. he washed his hands of them.
Otherwise, he seldom washed MS
hands.
But. although he gave his children a
roof. by a strange oversight he did not
give them a bed. The builder did that
the bare boards. $50,
Saranne was a beautiful child, with
a lovely mouth, curly hair, large, gray,
wistful eyes, and a skin as smootn as
new velvet.
When she was a baby, another baby,
q few months older than herself, VINO
was fond of carrying her about, let her
fall downstairs, and she had hurt hef
spine.
She grew up very delicate and was
nearly always lying on the boards OF
the cellar, or the garnet, as the case
happened to be, resting herself INTO
strength.
This was Little Make-Believe's strict
Injunction, the inspiration of which she
had derived from a friend. who mao
been kind to her for a little while, and
who might have remained her FRIEND
had not death claimedshim. "
He was a doctor who, on a mission
of charity, had found his way into
her neighborhood.
She waited for him outside the house
in which he was engaged, and when ne
appeared she went close to him and
\ touched his arm.
He looked down and saw this small
morsel of humanity looking ~pleadlnSly
up at him. :.
He saw the struggle in her eyes, lD
which trembling courage was STRIVING
to q her. 1t vas no light task
this little girl had set herself; ne was
80 high. she so low; he vas so rich, she
so Door; he was SO great, she so lnsig'
nifcant. :. ...'
But when the chord Of a sweet hu
manity is struck and finds its way to
the heart these contrasts merge into a
heavenly equality.
You are the great doctor, sir" IN
uuired Little MGke-Believe.
81 am a doctor, child" he replied,
kindly. -.
II hardly dare to arsk yer, SIR said
Little Make Believe, '.but I've got o
little sister with a weak back and il
you'd come and see her there's nothing
I wouldn't do for yer. 1t amt fur, Sir,
Jest around the corner
He looked at his watch; he had ten
minutes to spare. He opened the door
of his carriage and Little Make-Be
lieve clung to the skirts of his coat
fearing that he was about to leave her.
Il will see your little sister," he
said. Jump in
"Oh," cried Little Make-Believe, the
kerridge can't get up our court! lite
only a stones throw, sir"
Walk quickly, then," he said; y
have but a few minutes I can call my
OWL"
To be continued.