The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1906-08-02
Marie'S Beautiful Lady
BY Lucretia Macy Gardner.

at her feet, as IL in answer 10 nel
crippled sisters cry, ITO bring her
home a pair of red slippers" Mar
saret Norton the owner Of LOST
property, was always called by Marie
""The Beautiful Lady"
1t is not strange the little sister
looked upon her as her good fairy;
for at the command of their bene-
factress the child was waited to a
sunny room in the hospital where
a canary bird in his gilded cage made
the hours glad with his song, and
caused her to forget, at times, aching
limbs and spine. For, in spite of the
best medical skill, the road to recov-
cry promised to be long and tedious;
and, when Miss Norton reported to
Marie the result of the consultation
with the surgeons, she said, How
should you like to live with me Tor
a while,-do my errands, dust a
little, and
BE your maid?" gasped Marie, as
If such bliss were too great to men
ton lightly.
-1"Why, yes, perhaps; but l think
i should rather call you my. conpan-
ion. And now let us talk about school.
1t does not seem quite the thing for
you not to go to school any more, do
you think so?"
give been to night school since
Anita went to the hospital, but MT.
Morse asked the other evening II l
couldn't go daytimes; l guess l look
ed stupid and sleepy"
ooh, don't say that! OF course you
must be tired after your long day
at the dress makers. By the way, l
want to tell you of the talk l had
with Miss LaMonde yesterday. She
has agreed to lend you to me for a
little rest and change. She tells me
how willing you always are to do
whatever she wishes"
Marie's long lashes hid her eyes; but
Miss Norton saw her choke back a
sob, and she fastened to say: Il want
you right away, for you know there
is to be a vacation for ten days at
the school. l will ask Mrs. Fallon to
take care of any furniture you may
like to save from your room, n I'll
pay your rent. Then We'll begin all
over as the children say.
Truly a new page was turned
In the life of the two children of the
tenement; and while it might be easy
to imagine something more hilarious
than spending Christmas in a hospit-
al, the change from a dreary room
where even the sunlight dreaded to
enter, to the Broad Street Sanatorium,
with sun parlors on every floor, SEEM
ed to Anita like transporting to heav-
en-.
& Meanwhile the older girl responded
= like a new flower to her new almost
4 phere Of loving care, and n day
> while busting the reception room, her
voice broke forth into such a burst
OF melody that Marie's beautiful lady
stole to the stairs, and listened to the
strains, suggestive of sunny Italy
even in their lack of training.
1t was a simple street song; but
the voice limited of great possibilities,
and Miss Norton called Marie to her,
and said: 'If you will do your best
at school, and the teachers are sat-
isfed with your work, I'll teach you to
play on the piano, and my friend Miss
Bartholdi will give you singing les
sons. How does that sound.
But Anita-you know I want to
take care of her, and l mustn't use
SO much time! l can't take every
thing from you'll"
The last words sounded like a wall
as Marie slipped to the floor, buried
her head in her hands, and sobbed as
her beautiful lady had never before
heard her. Perhaps you'll be sorry
some day-that you've been so good
to mel" she stammered.
"Why who on earth has put that
idea into your head? Has some one
been saying disagreeable things to
you?"
All questioning was useless, but
Margaret Norton was very good at
guessing. "Ah," she exclaimed, 81
rather think that silly Janey has been
disturbing you, she is so jealous! But
now listen, dearie; it takes two to
make a bargain, and you and l are
the two! Why, child, what should 1
do in this lonely house without a
young girl to keep me company? WIKI
would brush my hair every night, and
tell me how Molly and that polly
Fritz recite their lessons, while 1
laugh away my blues? Who, dear, but
Just you? It's our little secret; and,
when Anita is discharged from the
hospital, she shall come here, and
you and l will teach her all we know"
The magic wand was again waved
and peace restored. Marie proved
most tractable and found a sympa-
thetic audience when she confided to
her beautiful lady that she just hated
geometry, and did not see the use of
proving one line was longer than the
other when her W eyes told her
an argument that Miss Norton had Of
ten heard.
In the midst of discouragements
several red-letter days stood out prom
inently-when Marie began French
and Italian; the April morning that
Anita left the hospital, able to walk
like other people; and the sweet June
day when her beautiful lady was the
first to congratulate her upon gradual
ing the third in her class, and to tell
her that it was decided that she was to
GO to Italy in September with Miss
Bartholdi.
"But ou-Oh | do so want to learn