The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1906-11-08
that sfch-lookins boy away whom \.

thaS OVERLOOKING boy away Wnon NJ
asked for . sprig Of lilacs? Not shsi
And now I've got him on my hands TO
look after and find work for, all BE-
cause Of her foolishness! OF course 10
would have taken a heart OF stone NOT
to bring him in and give him cup Of
coffee after he told me his story; bat
the point IL, needn't have heard 1t a
all, IL she had been firm, don't yov
see? can't get her trained. In
letting him rake the back yard now.
He was 80 eager to pay for his break
fast, and that was all I could thlAl
OF. Well. there's one good thing! The
Pritchards want q boy to help aboua
the barn, and perhaps they'll try him
think I'll call them up right away
But want you to notice how It really
Isl she added. as she rose. I'm not
bit the way used to be. II 1t werent
for Amanda's dragging me into thess
things I should be perfectly selnst
and Indifferent. That's what city lifs
has done for me, really!
Nov about going abroad, Cordalia,"
Mrs. Thorpe resumed, coming bach
from the telephone, where she had suo
ceeded In pledging the Pritchards to
try her new protege. II have some
thing to tell you that's been on my
mind ever since your hat was Of.
didn't write 1t because knew you were
coming soon, and thought could OK
plain it better face to face. But tie
ne2rly noon now, and I really must
have you know about It before
Whats that, Amanda? Oh, yes. lait
the dollar right on the corner OF nS
desk. BE sure you tell her I'd have
just come. Say that I'll see her very
soon. You're taking the fresh eggs
aren't you? That's right. It's poe,
old lady who got on Ananda's nerves,'
she apologized, turning back TO hes
sister. II heard about her over at tbs
church. She's destitute, hasn't
relative in the world, but she'd sooner
starve than go TO an institution; ana
after I had foolishly told Amands
about her, / found she was just lyins
awake nights about it-poor symp&
thetic creature that she is. SO nov,
mostly to pacHy Amanda, I'm trying
to keep roof over the poor old lady's
head and help her sell braided rugs To
people who don't want them. Voc
needn't smile that way! Amanda fore
ed me into this
But was starting to tell you, Cor
Isafi q hot 1n@a g.
the winter. was sitting here by my
fright, comfortable fire one day wheE
n came Amanda, with her usual lact
of judgment, to tell me that there was
q poor little baby girl down at the
door. trying to sell shoe-laces. Thint
I've told Amanda that | had shoe.
faces enough to reach round the world
all owing to her soft-heartedness! Only
the day before had given her regu-
lar lecture, and directed her neves
again to come and tell me OF anothee
poor old man or woman at the door,
trying to sell miserable shoe-laces %
worthless needles. But of course this
wasn't an old man or woman-thaa
was how she got out OF it
well, l went down, cross as coule
be! Twas no credit to me- l couldn't
help myself. you see. And such q poos
little mite of a half-frozen girl! Hey
toes were actually coming through
her shoes and stockings! l brought
her right up here to my fire, and tolt
Amanda to get her nice warm break,
East. Then thought OF the little
warm shoes and stockings had pack,
ed away after Jamie died. At first
YOU know, couldn't bear to part with
them, and perhaps / wouldn't havv
done 1t even then. but saw In Amar.
las face that she was thinking ough3
20 put some Of them on those cold lie
lie feet. So / told her to bring then
iown, and we made the child conf
lortable. You ought to have seen hea
ut her thin little arms round ms
neck and hug me! 1t was pitiful.
"Of course, after that, had to fnA
out about her. Amanda never woult
have let me rest IL / hadn't. And /
found she had q mother whose huH
band had deserted her, and the poos
woman was dying. Think Of it! She
was OF respectable family, but there
was no one left to help her; and tive
weeks from the time that baby came
to our door her mother was dead, an(
she was absolutely alone In the world
We brought her home for little whilt
and then It was case Of putting hei
in founding home or"
"Winifred Thorpe, you've adopted
her!"
"Cordelia Mann, you're q mind-reaM
er! She's in kindergarten this morH
ing, and wanted you to know befort
she came back. It was all Amandaj
doing. OF course, but there was no good
reason why I shouldn't take he@
Hlin0r's fourteen, you know, and, Corr
della. dear, since jamie and Nora wess
both taken away. Oh, here she 4
now! Come in, darling!"
The Unmatched door was pushed opes
and tiny girl with large, questioninf