The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1907-01-30

maze no reply 10 ner sister
= speech. Instead she sat there
d4U with her eyes fixed upon
Miss Prissy's face and her thin fingers
picking nervOusly at her dress.
Haven't got any money! she re
peated after pause. Haven't got
any money left? Why, then-why,
then, Wen have to take 1t out of the
savins bank up to Boston. or course,
Bradley must go to college. You
know he must, Prissy."
But Miss Prissy shook her head.
you don't understand, Tempy," she
said. 81 ought to have talked with
you about it long ago. 1 can see now
that l ought to: but oh, dear, father
always said you was too delicate to
bother with money matters, and I've
been used to takln' all the care my
self, and so I've jest gone on and on,
worryin' and plannin' and layin' awake
nights until l can't go on any fur
Their. Oh Tempy," she cried, and the
tears rolled down her cheeks, you
don't understand. The money in the
Boston bank has all gone too. We
haven't got more than $500 left in the
world, and when that's gone She
waved her hands despairlngly.
But still Miss Tempy did not compre-
bend
"Why, all Of it can't be gomez she
said. "All of the insurance money and
everything! Why, 1t was $1,000" She
mentioned the sum reverently and in
an awestrucl1 whisper.
Yes" said Miss Prissy, trying hard
not to be impatient; yes. twas $1,000,
and father died over ten years ago.
and we've been livin' on 1t ever since"
But $1,000, Prissy! Five thou
sand
"Oh, my soul and body Anybody'd
think twas million. Jest think. now:
Jest think! We've lived on it for pref
ty nigh eleven years; paid for our
clothes and Twin and havin' the house
painted six years ago, and
But It needed palntln'."
Needed 1t, I should think 1t did!
But it cost more'n we'd ought to spend,
Jest the same. Oh. It's more my fault
than anybOdy's. Longs father lived
the place was kept up, and you and ma
was used to havln things as good as
our nelghbOrs. and I went on and on,
never thinkin' we was too extravagan.
until all at once the money that wo
first put I'm the Harniss bank was used
up. And then it come home TO me, as
you might say, and l realized what
we'd been dom Oh I've tried and
tried scrimDed here and pinched there.
What do you s'pose sold the wood lot
for? And then the cranky swamp"
why, you said we didn't need 'em,
and it was too much trouble to run
'em."
said! Oh, | don't doubt | said all
sorts of things to keep you from know
in. But l sold 'em to help pay the
bills. And then you was took down
with the typhoid, and there was that
big doctors bill, and then Bradley
came and he had TO have clothes and
little money to spend. like the other
boys. And now"
Miss Prissy choked. tried to go on,
and then broke down and cried heartily
and without restraint
In all the years since the death OF
Captain Allen Miss Tcmpy had never
seen her common sense, practical sister
give way like this The sight alarmed
her much more than the story Of the
financial situation had so far done.
She didn't fully understand the latter
yet, but every one Of Miss prissy's sobs
was to her call for help that needed
an immediate answer
There, there, there dearr' she said,
running to the other rocker and putting
her arm around her sisters neck. You
poor thing! You mustn't cry like that.
You've Jest worried yourself sick.
You're all worn out. | shouldn't be
surprised if you've got little cold, too,
In that drafty schoolhouse. Let me
make you a good, big cup Of pepper
tea right away; now do"
Miss Prssy turned a sob into feeble
laugh
"Oh, dear me. Tempy," she said, lay
Ing her hand on the others arm, 81
blieve you think pepper tea1l cure
anything, even an empty pocketbOok |
wish 'twOuld pay bills: then, / don't
know but I'd drink a hOgshead. But
IT won't nor cryin' won't, either Set
down, and I'll tell you jest how things
are"
So Miss Tempy, reluctantly giving
up the pepper tea" idea for the pres
ent, went back to her chair, and Miss
Prissy continued.
"The money in the Boston savin's
bank is gone" she said, land a year or
more ago | wrote TO the broker folks
that bought the bond for us when
father died, and they sold it for me
and got a little less than a thousand
dollars for it. l put the money into
the bank at Harniss, and, though I've
tried my best TO be economical there
amt but five hundred and eighty left
That and the place here Is all we've
got"
In bewildered fashion Miss Tempy
Btrove to grasp the situation.
''Then we're poor" she said, real
poor, and thought we was rich Well, !
shall give up that new bonnet | was