Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-01

haps 1t was from Bessie and her husband
Perhaps they were inviting her to Colorado
for visit. Irony of ironies! When she
had not the wherewithal to pay her rail-
road fare
No. handwriting and postmark were I'M
familiar. Newcastle. Delaware! Why, she
knew no one
She gave an odd gasp and the letter f1ut-
tered to the ground
Dear Niece-You are one of ten heirs
who would probably fight over my money
But l don't intend you shall. 1 am send
ing you a draft for $500 your share of the
estate. You are all sharing alike, and
with what l have left l have bought me a
berth in a home for old men in which
have always been Interested l shall end
my days there. Do not come to see me
l do not need your pity. And you probably
need the money. The Trowbridges usually
do. But I'd rather put myself in an asylum
send me there. Not that | mean you. You
were always a pretty good girl, and am
glad to send you this money. Your affec-
tionate uncle.
JOHN G. TROWBRIDGE"
The letter lay at her feet Uncle john
in a homel Then smile played around
her lips. She remembered the fussy
daughter with whom he had lived, the
noisy, spoiled children. And she sud
denly came into a knowledge OF what
quiet peaceful life meant to one who has
worked long and hard. >.
She folded the letter carefully and put II
in the envelope. Then she spread out the
draft with all its complicated figures, sig
natures and engraved characters. FIVE
hundred dollarsl She could buy the fncu-
bator and have a new roof put on the leah
to- She could
The clock struck q. She rose mechanically
and went out to light her fire and put on
the kettle Her foot struck against a
kitchen chair. How often she had glued
and spliced that piece of furniture. Sud
denly and almost unconsciously she picked
up the offending chair. carried 1t out to
the woodShed and deliberately chopped II
up for fuel to cook her supper. What a
wonderful thing 1t was to feel that she
dared throw something away
The next morning she called to see nor
old friend, the county attorney. He as
sured her that her uncle had acted entirely
within his rights and the money was hers
to spend as she liked Then, binding him
to secrecy, she left the dull, cobwebby office
and went straight to Mrs. Lanes millinery
emporium. She had wanted some roses for
more summers than she cared to count. She
bought a great bunch of blush blooms and
spent long, happy day retrimming her last
summers hat. The Fourth was only three
days away, and she must attend the cele-
bration, because her pupils Were to sing the
patriotic songs. And in the meantime she
would decide upon investing her fortune.
The county attorney had suggested build
ing and loan association. The incubator
idea fascinated her. She would like to show
Amanda Barlow that she could do some
thing besides teach. And with Miss EN-
ly's'' mind still torn by uncertainties, the
glorious Fourth dawned.
We hold these truths to be seIf-evident.'
The speaker paused impressively. He was
freshly graduated from a college famed for
it's debating society, and he was reciting.
not reading, the Declaration of Independ-
ence.
That all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with GER
tain inalienable rights, that among these are
life, liberty and. the pursuit of happiness.
That to secure these rights-'"
On rolled the sonorous periods but Miss
Emily" heard them not.
THE pursuit of happiness And this was
one of her rights. She fell to wondering
what happiness really was. Did it mean
and comfort and pretty gowns and
pleasant times? If so. she had always been
denied the right TO pursue it. Gowns? Why,
how she had hungered for something soft
and sheer to the touch! How she had
starved for good times, for good books, for
the chance to rest body and mind stimuli
taneously. and feast on new scenes and new
faces Then suddenly her heart seemed to