The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-06-15

She was on aer knees in minute
and had snatched the oven door wide
open. A smoking, blackened mound
confronted her. And, as ill luck would
have it, at that very moment Helena
Burnett, her cousin and mistress of the
house owing to the invalidism Of Mrs.
Burnet, came sailing into the kitchen.
whats this?'' she cried sharply. She
was in street attire, but had been we'll
protected from the storm. Your cake
ruined! And that-who is that person ?"
Her cheeks scarlet from embarrass-
ment and the heat of the oven, Nan
was hastily removing the cake.
shes an old lady who got caught in
the shower" the girl explained nerv-
ously did Aunt Ellen come, Hell
ena:'
-. SIZE didn't snapped Helena.
&c waited in that 'lrafty depot un-
! i am nearly sick. l suppose you
-t;.,e that chicken broth the way moth
- Says SIZE used to like it,"
les, and the little honey hearts too"
You've got the spare room all ready,
l DARE say
''Yes. It's clean, and l lit the fire half
aza Lour ago
Such lot of trouble and expense to
go to for foolish Old woman grum-
! blel Miss Burnett Mother says she
always had as little sense as the law
allows. But that doesn't alter the fact
that she is coming to spend her few re-
naming years with us and that she has
$4,000 to leave. l suppose she will
land here tomorrow, and We'll have
this bother all over again. Well, I'll
spend 500 on mourning for her when
/ inherit it!''
''She will never leave me anything, "
averred Nancy Goodwin. MY mother
did not marry to please her, and Aunt
Ellen never forgave her. briskly
buttering some fresh toast-'if she ever
were to remember me I'd
go to college, l presumed" ended
Helena contemptuously.
Yes, that l wouldr' rejoined Nan
she sighed. Now, try to eat few
mouthfuls of this and drink your tea"
Helena stared from her cousin to the
strange guest and back again
do you mean to say you've gone out
of your head, wasting good food on a
tramp?" she shrieked.
'Hush!' begged Nan, trembling with
modification. you will hurt her feel
ings!"
Feelings, indeedr' She glared at the
stranger. 1.-The rain is over now. She
can go about her business"
Nan stood before her cousin.
"She is sick and cold. She can't go
out of the house tonight. Let her sleep
in my bed III make up a shake down
on the cot" Then, hurriedly, as she
saw angry refusal in the others eyes,
Don't make me leave you if you value
my work.
What do you mean?"
"Only that Mrs Hunter across the
street has offered me $40 a week as
housekeeper in her home / would have
no more labor there than here, where I
am paid nothing And 1 shalf accept
her offer today If you make me turn
this poor old creature outv'
well, 1 declare!' calculated Miss
Burnet. But, aware that Nan was
ened, she made tempestuous exit
from the kitchen Overcoming her
apologetic objections, Nan assisted the
old woman up the stairs. On the sec
Iond floor they passed a bright room,
hung with rosy chintzes, with a jolly
fire rollicking in the CRATE.
Il wish l might take you in there
she whispered. "But that is intended
for Mrs Franklyn, who is coming to
stay here. You shall have her chicken
broth, though" said the girl deternin-
edly. ''She can't need it any more than
you do
And when she had tucked the feeble
body into her own marrow bed she
brought the chicken broth. But that
night when the dishes were washed the
girl climbed to her room she found
her protegee very i'll. She was feverisb,
and the pain in her side was worse.
! Occasionally she lapsed into delirium.
Nan was frightened, and as the wo-
man grew worse she sped down the
stairs and across the street for DR.
Meeker.
Pneumonia" he said. Exposure,
Ell? / thought so. Practically hope
less. What's that, Ell? You want a
lawyer?" He bent to listen. ''Poor
soul, what have you to will?''
John Meeker," she painted, "don't
you know me?"
I'm young Dr. Meeker. John Meek
er is my father I'm trying to be as
good man. If I can build up his
practice that had fallen off I hope to
make home for this Attle girl here"
The old woman smiled and nodded.
You'll get me a lawyer maybe If
you know that I am Ellen FRANKLIN.
No, don't call the others. Helena is
like her mother, cold and selfish. I
heard her for myself today
The physician did what he could and
FASTENED away. His experienced eye
/ told him she had been i'll several DAVIS