Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-08-09
The Miracle
BY TROY ALLISON
Copyright, IMd, by Homer Sprague
BY TROY ALLISON

Esther Blake felt certain that there
were positions in life that she would
have found less trying than that of
only child Of a popular minister. She
loved the dear old rcctory, with its
shabby furniture. she had grown up
feeling that the beautiful gray stone
church with the stained glass windows
was part OF the family possessions;
but while these things helped make
the condition plcaSanter, they did not
keep her from wanting the things that
other girls had and to do the things
that other girls did
Christmas after Christmas her lips
had quiycrod when she had received
from one to q dozen handsome Bibles
from the friends in her fathers con
grcgatiom. Her mother had n sense of
humor aud when Esther on her TWEEN
tieth birthday received Bible No. 81
she laughed and told her daughter that
for Christmas she would buy her an
Adjustable extension bookcase There
seemed nothing else that She needed
quite so much.
The girls face seemed half divided
/ between Il desire to laugh and to cry.
Il don't see why they think don't
want a trinket occaSiOnally-a fan,
| bracelet or something a little bit friv-
olous mamma" she said Il have
nineteen Madonnas hanging in my
room, and l have received at various
times a copy of almost every religious
picture ever printed. OF course | Ike
them, but | wish could be considered
as a mere girl some time and not part
of st. Johns church"
She had as a little girl cheerfully
| given up the dancing lessons that she
/ wanted. She was never invited to card
I parties because each and every hostess
} felt a tiny bit doubtful as to whether
| it would be suitable to extend such in
vitation to her.
/ Even the dinner parties and ice
cream festivals had failed to De paruc-
ularly interesting to hcr-for If there
were cgrdto or a theological student
among the guests she was sure to have
him assigned to her As n schoolgirl
she had stolen furtive glances at the
college boys who wore their hair long
and PLAYED football-there was some
thing fascinating in tie Jolly way they
lnughcl-aud she had wished that her
bostnss would understand that she
,vorIl Ike occasionally the girllsh fri
voIjty Of eating philopena with a foot
bou vauth Eut tlcv never did under
stand and She continued to discuss
with cnr,tos fine Iost Sundays sermon
or y NOW nIan For decorating the
church unvt F,ster
Tbcra had however been one glori-
ors ,,oriod ,r frnndn,n- she had spent
t,vo vaors a+ 81 boordIur school, had
nIorod n7eIznfbaII rs hiIarlouslv as any
/ ,,irI an tbo foam had eaten welsh rare
/ lite cooked ot midnight behind GOV
croI t,.,peops and cnfnl,od doors with
/ Tho s,r,n t,uorf+v shown nv the girls
/ who had LAWYERS or doctors for IA
thcrs
And best of NH. she had become ac-
ouaiptcd with vlyaclous Elise Bour-
land whose mother was French and
whose father considered life worth liv-
/ Inc and tbc world n Jolly place to live
in.
Contrary to the idea that Ike seeks
/ like. the two girls, 50 different, had
/ formed fast friendship.
When Dick Bourlaud, who practiced
/ law In a city nclghborlng the school,
paid his weekly visits TO his sister, he
pronounced dcmure little Esther Blake
! altogether charming. At the close of
school he told her So and, finding that
1 she admitted having exactly the same
onlnion Of him. lie had taken the long
Journey to reach the little South Caro-
/ lima town and state the case to the
rector
Dicks mother had. upon the an
norucemcut of the engagement, writ
ten nice little note and invited the
girl to come for visit that she might
get ACQUAINTED with her future rela-
tivcs
Tho ofrI stood in fine library bv the
window watching the rain that had
hnon steadily DouriDg all the forenoon,
nuc,lerino her forehead in anxious plan
pfnos or tho possihiIities of thc case
+ Il really don't see how | can go,
! mamma " sbn eoid finally "It IS i'm
nossibIo for pana 70 afford it now"
Iror r,ot,c. tanned hcr pen medIta
ti,n1,. ,,.,ir.t tbn inl,stond and tried
to brl, bor plau
"yon rot your railway fare at half
roto vnn l-now my deor-that helps
some-.ond Won could alter my new gray
crane end make If look Youthful enough
FOR c,1rfno dress Then vou have
your white commencement dress.
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.T CONT LnIn ,vonting his nnonlo 70
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