Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-03-03

Is ~
sesezxshA. isoa. By Daily sso.y Pa o.
MR.. LAwLERcast casual glance at
IvI the little cottage down at the corner
-tne cottage which he owned, and which
his agent had rented two days before to
a Mrs. Bryan, tall of figure and hard of
hand. Surely there was child sitting
on the step. He arose and looked closer.
girl; though he saw now that her dimin-
utive figure appeared smaller because
she was hunchback. A white
eat was winding and rubbing
around her. For the first time
since he had owned the row of cottages
child held possession In one Of them.
and Mr.. Lawier was angry. This was too
careless Of Morton-he would see him
about it at once. He would tear that
a vineyard thsrs-or something-per-
haps a quiet grove. with high walls
around it, whore be could rest in the
evenings.
Mr.. LAwler bad for some years been
able to afford himself any little fancy he
pleased, and 1t was one Of his fancies to
dislike children; to steer clear of them
whenever he could: to ignore them when
he went to the houses of his friends; to
see that they never intruded on his
grounds, where he held state in the big,
lonely house; and to make careful pro-
vision that no family with children
should get into one Of his cottages. He
had managed 80 carefully that this had
been practically childless neighbor-
hood. No boys rolled thdr hoops along
the sidewalk by those cottages; no little
girls dressed dolls on the steps; no baby
patted its tiny hands on the window
panes. Perhaps one reason for this was
that there had once been child in the
big house, and after the mothers death
i he and the boy had grown further and
further apart-had not understood one
another, and had finally come to divis-
ion, so that Mr. 1awler had told the boy
that the door was open and he could go.
He had not dreamed that David would
take him at his word-but there was no
mother to stand between them now, as
went; and now Mr.. Lawler, the learned
lawyer, the eloquent speaker, sat in the
pillared portico of the big house and
scowled 6ercely at a little girl on the step
of the cottage at the end of the row.
The next morning he saw her at closer
range. He went past the cottage on his
way to town, and just then she flashed out
l<~fx Il 4 = ~ I,
a sudden plump that attracted his frown-
ing glance. She was carrying bowl
and spoon, and the white cat was fol-
lowing with expectation in every fea-
ture.
Nov, Sarah Jane" said the little girl,
In high, thin voice, that seemed to
make her more elfish than before, stand
up an eat, an don't you spill a drop!"
He could not help pausing to look
this tall, thin man who disliked children
there was something SO weird about
the little girl on the step. She was grave
ly extending a spoonful Of milk to the
cat, and the cat as gravely sat erect on
It's launches, with both paws graspine
the sides of the spoon; and, with eyes
milk with much rattling of red tongue
against the tip of the spoon. Mr.. Law
Ter looked on with portentous frown.
"I should think you could find some
thing more important to do than spoil
ing that cat" he said severely.
The little girl turned her large eye!
upon him.
'she amt spoiled" she said. In tn
sharp little voice. Shes an orphan, an
: had to be raised by hand. an that's tn
only way she knows how to eat
That's all nonsense" said Mr.. Law
Ter, with deep disgust. you should b.
/. taught to make some good use of you
time and help your mother make livini
instead of wasting your life spelling ami
mals-which are nuisance, under an,
circumstances. And why should poo
people make their expenses heavier b.
keeping worthless animals?"
The little girl dipped up anothe
4 spoonful of milk and held it out to Sara
Jane, who accepted it hungrily.
E 1t was a week later before he saw tn
q child again; and then as he leaned bac
k0 Lac V06y VA6AA, xOOA1A6 ~ DOA6tulA
very far away, beyond the red light c
the sunset, sharp little voice arose, Al
most from beneath his feet
i've brung my bucket over to get
copper cents worth of milk for Sara
Jane" said the voice; and there befor
him was the solemn, elf1sh little FAC
with the big eyes. I'VE couldn't g
none this mornin'-mother was out
[. money-but Sarah Jane IL jist go vii
II she don't get her milk ever day, 20
broke into my tin bank
She held out the bucket in one han
r and the copper cent in the other, wit
easy confldence-thin little hands tn,
looked like birds claws. The great Law
yer and fluent speaker in the easy cha
was very much irritated.
'I don't sell milk" he said, wavir
away bucket and coin, Stop one of Il
milk wagons when you want to br
d. milk"
G "Nowyou know very well they don't &c
o, q copper cents worth O. milk" she r