The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-11-24

Bv ELIZABETH POLLARD

| himself in cigars and other 1uxuries.
From the first he gave me barely
enough to live on. Even when baby
came / could scarcely get a dollar
from him to buy things needed.
/ When baby was about two weeks old
/ he lost his situation and went to Chi
cago to look for another, leaving me
with only a few cents change and a
months rent coming due. Two weeks
| later he wrote advising me to borrow
| money from home, as he had not a
| dollar to spend for me. l hated to
do that, so / sold some of the fine
presents he gave me before we were
| married That lasted me until yester-
! day. Then it was gone, and 1 had
nothing to eat The landlady told me
| must either pay or give up my room.
| I was there was nothing to do but
give up my baby and go to, work, o.
come home. So l paWned my engage
ment ring and came. Oh, you don't
know how I dread to face the neigh
bors and my folks -
During this recital Jessie looked I'M
easy and at it's close Mrs. Graham
said: The neighbors don't need
| to know it yet. You go up to the
spare room and stay with us tonight.
| will go to see your mother"
SO Kitty and her baby were soon
| resting in the spare room while Mrs
Graham betook herself to the Jones
farm. AS gently as possible she told
Mrs. Jones of Kitty's sad plight.
ooh, my poor child" walled the
mother, land to think that she never
wrote a word Of it to me-"
Nov" said practical Mrs. Graham,
the way is to leave her with us TO-
night, and l will tell anyone I see
| that you are expecting her tomorrow
to make a visit with her baby. Then
you can tell her father tonight, and
| drive over for her tomorrow, and we
| can truthfully say she came before
| she was expected, and stopped at our
| place"
This was decided on, and Mrs. Ora
ham returned with the cheering news
and managed to have little talk with
Kitty before Jessie came up to the
room. As the three were busy get
ting the baby settled for the night,
Mrs. Graham remarked ::i'Jessie
thinks it must be awful nice in the
city"
$50 1t is. if you have lots of money"
She thinks it would be SO nice not
to have to milk cows or feed pigs
| and calves. =
Many time ] would have been
glad to have had cow to milk, or
anything to feed
And she despises picking berries"
Kitty smiled. Il used to just
dream of the bushes red with berries
when paid Is cents box for them
with bad ones on the bottom
And she thinks it must be SO handy
to wash there =
1T may he, if you have house of
your own, but if you have to wash
few things secretly in the bathroom,
and dry them in your hanging closet,
it makes difference
A few days after this a certain
spruce young clerk who was spending
his money in cigars and soda water
and costly presents as a means Of paw
ing the way for marriage, received a
polite note signed Jessie Graham, n
saying she would not be at home on
the day of his intended visit.
.Ye gods" he said, in amazen1ent.
Surely she doesn't mean to turn me
down. Well, perhaps, after all, it is
just as well. I'm afraid that her IA
Their is stingy old duffer, and if
he should not come down with some
thing handsome, would be in bad
box.
The next week Jessie was seen rid
ing beside handsome young farmer
in new top buggy. His face was
radiant with happiness. That summer
she picked pals of berries and did
them up separately from those pre-
served by her mother.
Copyright, 1906. by Daily Story Pub. Coz