The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-10-11

as to look tidy to go 10 church. Now
| don't 80 TO church, and | haven't me
time 10 turn my dresses. The weeks
come and the weeks go, and ! spend
thenl--here" She looked round the
room, Lila, what do you suppose we
shall do when We are old?'
Die, of counsel"
oh. no. people never die when tley
want to. They 80 On living, and then
agonze out at some very inconvenient
time. You can't die to order-un.
less-"
Don't Yes. ! suppose that is so.
II must be, or | should have died
two years ago"
You mean
! Il mean when Alec'g letters stopped,
and father died, and everything went
wrong all at once. | have an idea
prayed TO die then, and being young
and foolish really expected a little phi
vate pestilence to be furnished on my
| behalf"
The girl in black replenshed her
! friends teacuD and drained the pot
into her own Then she said:
Your experience is wider than
/ mine. Hon have had the privilege
of loving and being loved. Now, that
never came TO me, for | was bora to
| this life like thousand other girls
j around us. We 20 straight from
/ school to office, and ii we have 70,
mances they are connected with
l
! or worse far worse than that--wlth
one Of Mr.. Simeon's kind Personally,
/ never was in love. and don't know
the feeling
Il thought love was the rulc in
life"
Not for the sup.r1uous woman.
She is better without what is foiated
upon her for The article. She has 80
little chance Of the real All. .itIa,
| envy Nou your generous heart, nay
dear, and your brave loyerl II must
be something TO feel that there ere
nober passions In life than hunger
and jealousy and hate
THAT is an eYrayagant way of put !
ring il, but II IS something ii is |
everything 1t Is the one thing nat I
is pure and unseAsh the one thIng
that we give away freely, and are glad /
when it costs us much. Mildred. / /
have 1t in my hear to-day to be glad |
in spite Of these Two years OF fopc-
lessness, in spite of the ache iLat
never leaves me, and the sick longing
Tor sight and touch-to be glad that /
loved my boy. When his letters stopped
and they said The ship WAS lost.
thought ! knew all The bitterness of
life. But there is worse than that,
because all | have suffered has been
tempered by the thought that we loteo
each other. Alive or dead. we love
each other still
The girl in black had flushed, ana
she did net move for minute or two.
The other gathered ihc tea things to-
gethcr and began 10 tuck biscuit lin
and Kettle away IN their dusty cor.
ner--
"Heish-ho," she said I'VE both
have to fight. Let lis thank God we
can see the hum0r of it. To me, now.
here Is something very quaint in your
making. | did not like 70 say 80 !
II the timc but on another occasion
i might be as well 70 remember that
he sugar goes into the cups. and not
II the teapot"
Il was thinking TOO hard of things
II general | supDose--a trick of mine.
And, indeed, know IT, for nave
oreotten to tell you that there is
, letter for you on the mantelpieee
I came ia just as | was starting out
o Snuffy'S,"
LILA turned to The mautclpicce, and I
he girl in black opened her notebook q
nd ran 4 pencil up and down the s
tues Of Shorthand, reading j; tn ner. L
elf in an undertone IN eNclaldu-
ION made her look M, Her friohd
ad turned round to her and. Was
tandinE with her head thrown bach
cry quiet and pale and with q glory b
hat WIS not That of the evening sun -
Inning in hor face. ~
III IS miracle, She said, "a God
iycn miracle,
What is it, I.illa?"
And thought that happinna, bad q.
lut IT, doors on me- When hope VIDE
one. and-thcre was only Heaven ii Il
ing WAY aw3y--too TAR 20 see-and
ow it is here. Here, in my hau.,"
Lila. Won look like o slccpwalker . .
ell mo what 1t is."
Only this. Mildred" She th.ustt the 81
tier into her hands only story
at one secs in hacks and never hope.
find. Shipwrpcsvd, but not drowned:
lshed ashore 10 a lonely island. iv-
{ through scurvy and loneliness and j.
'rror. and now back again in q home 10
ard bound ship, and soon 10 be in %
nerica Oh. nv love. my lovc,"
The girl in black read The letter
rough and starci long at her com
Mon. Lila hal sunk into "a chair. :
d the kindly tears had come aud
'rc running down bcr face.
IF there Is anyone ~ thark. !
ank him nov. Lula. for YOUR sake
Z most besutii1l-and most strange
e man who wrote that letter r.
-er for whom II rs worth waiting
ars--or , lifetime And for YOU
y are worth \ dozen shiny rrei-s-