The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-05-16

came the dreadful dreams which tor.
ture those who are insuficiently fed.
There came at last one evening-it
was Friday evening.when there was
no money, except a silver shilling.
/ Saturday morning is that on which
the residents of Harley House pay in
advance for the next week. If they
can not pay they must so. The rule
is imperative. If the Matron were To
break that rule in favor Of any resident
she must pay the money herself in ad-
vance. There is no suspension of that
rule allowed under any excuse what
ever. To suspend the rule would con-
vert Harley House into O charitable
institution, which, as is proudly stated
in the prospectus, is not its character.
Therefore the two girls would have
to 60. I think that the committee, had
they known the facts in the case,
would have relaxed that rule, or even
paid a week or two in advance them
selves for these two girls.
BY this time they had suffered SO
much that they spoke but little of their
sorrows. They sat together and wait
ed in silence. Next day they would not
| even have a bed to lie upon or a place
| where they could sit apart from the
| rest of the world. What would it be
like? 1 think that even in facing the
most terrible suffering there is some
thing that consoles in the curiosity OF
wondering what it will be like.
There is nothing in which people
differ more than in the way. they take
disaster. Most of us are distinctly
"worsened" by misfortune, particular
ly in youth. Of these two girls, one at
least, the girl with the splendid
physique, born for the enjoyment of
her youth, took punishment in the most
rebellious way in the world. Tho
more she was chastened the less was
she resigned, until, in these days of
the direst calamity, she was maddened
with the sense Of undeserved suffer-
ing. What had they done? Well, they
had had fathers; Katharine found that
explanation of their troubles long ago.
1t really explains a great deal Of hui
man suffering, although two Of the
Prophets disagree about it. Katharine
endured in silence, and put no ques-
ton to the silent heavens. Things that
are ordered must be endured.
Down stairs, in the drawing room,
the residents were talking Of them.
Ladies who go in hunger are very
slow to speak of their W sufferings,
but they are quick to perceive the
privations undergone by others.
"They have not taken tea for q fort
night" said Miss Beatrice; "the Ma
iron told me So"
katharine Capel has sold her en-
gagement ring" said another. Moth
ing but the most dreadful necessity
would compel her to do that"
"They have pawned all their clothes
except what they stand in" said an
other.
"They have tramped owe the whole
Of London and they have found moth
ing"
"And they have no friends at all.
Neither of them has any friends or any
relations that she knows Of"
Then there was a murmuring among
each other, and presently Miss
Beatrice went round with q pencil and
a bit of paper and whispered with
e0ch. &c.,
1t was Lily who really understood
what their future meant; at least she
thought she did, and she began to draw
q realistic picture Of what was going
to happen. 1t was almost worthy Of
the great Master of the Horrible and
the Disgusting. Over a great part of
it I have dropped a veil.
Tomorrow" she said, 1--WE shall be-
gin to starve. We may, If we are for
tunate, catch cold and die quickly of
pneumonia or bronchitis. That is to
say, you may. AS for me, I never
catch anything because I am so strong.
We have got a shilling; we shall use
up in penny ~loaves; I don't know how
long it will last, because I am not
going to keep any account of time.
What does it matter whether we starve
in a week or in a fortnight? The
sooner it's over the sooner to sleep.
Because starving, you see, Katharine.
is a very slow and troublesome way of
dying. We shall wander about till we
are obliged to sit down, and the police
man will order us to o on. Then
we shall feel very weak, as well as
very tired, and we shall stagger as we
go, and tumble down, and they will
carry US to the station, and say that
we are drunk"
Don't, Lily"
But she went on. 1t seemed to con-
sole her, or it fed her rage, to picture
the very worst that could happen.
ITO be c%ontinued.) -