The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-12-19
Perhaps you know a young lady by
the name of Crawford"

ried daughters to stay all night. Her
baby has got the measles, an they
thought he was goin' to die sure, an
nothin' would do but l must come
right over. But he's as bright as a
button this mornin', an there want
no need o my goin', only s'pose Mary
II feel easier now. Wal, that amt
here nor there. This Miss Crawford
come to my house the other day to see
about hirin' some rooms for herself
an mother, an l felt a little shaky
bout lettin' her have 'em, SEEM l
didn't know nothin' whether she was
reliable or not; but if you say she is,
why that settles it."
Upon hearing Helen's assurance
that Miss Crawford and her mother
would probably be all that could be
desired as tenants, the woman went
on:
81 s'pose l needn't be so fussy, but
| haint lived in Boston long enough to
git used to city ways, an I'm dretful
afraid | shall git took in by somebody.
l thought she was all right; she SEEM
ed so pretty appearin', an l felt real
sorry for her. You see, there's a rich
girl there in Bloxamboro that's been
playin the mischief with her pros
poets, gittin' her music scholars away
from her-or no, not gittin' 'em away
'Xactly, cause she said she didn't
b'lieve she had anything to do about
it, only they thought twas tonier to
take lessons o this big bug that had
been to Europe an had got all the
new tangled notions in singin' An
she said she spent most all her moth
er's money learnin' how to sing, an
now it want goin' to be worth much
to her after all. She cried when she
was tellin' me, an | felt awful sorry
for her. oh, an she said she had
good place in the church choir, an she
was took down with typhoid fever just
before this rich I-for-g et-her-name come
home, an'-as luck would have it-her
time run out before she got well
enough to sing, an the other girl got
married. an so they up an hired this
rich girl-they'd got to have some
bOhSb sOu oCt, al she W dS oil Iedul
an waitin'! But she said she could
a stood that If she could a KEEP her
scholars; but all her best ones went
over to the other one. 1t does seem
as if anybody't had plenty O. money
wouldn't do such things, don't it? But,
there, p'rhaps you know that rich girl,
too-my, l hope she amt no friend O
yours! | never thought"
How Helen Sargent managed to re-
assure her garrulOus companion she
hardly knew; but that the mind of the
! little woman was relieved of all fears
was evident from the unsuspecting
way in which she continued her limo
cent chatter about herself, her rela-
, tives, Mile Crawford and the things
that made up the daily routine of her
own uneventful life
AS for Helen, her brain whirled, her
heart beat wildly, she felt suffocated.
This, then, was the explanation Of
Miles trouble, of Mabels strange
conduct-and she was the cause of
1t all!
Helen was glad when she babe the
well-meaning little woman good-by,
and she was once more left to herself
After attending to her grandmother
business she had expected to spend a
few hours in shopping and paying two
or three visits, but her interest in new
gowns and her Boston friends was
gone, and she took an early train for
| home.
In her own room she first dared to
| look at the matter squarely. 1t was
all plain enough now, this trouble of
Miles. Mrs. Crawford was in poor
! health, probably not well enough 10
! be left alone-that was why Mile had
! been looking for rooms in Boston. She
recollected hearing Mile once say
that she believed it would break her
mothers heart if she should ever have
to leave her own little home where
she had gone as bride, and which
| she loved so dearly.
! Helen's form shook with suppressed
sobs. She prayed and prayed for light
! and strength.
At last, the struggle was ended;
Helen grew calm. She rose and made
! preparations for going down to tea.
When she looked into the mirror to
| see if she could discover any traces of
her recent tears, it was not an I'M
happy face that greeted her
Two years afterwards she was re-
turning home from Boston late one
afternoon when she caught the earn
est gaze of woman across the aisle.
The face had familiar aspect, but
before she could recollect where she
had seen it the woman came toward
her with outstretched hand.
Il do knows you know me, but l
hain't forgot you-oh, now you remem-
ber!" pleased at Helen's smile of rec
ignition. Wal, I've looked for you
ever since. Do you know, that Miss
Crawford didn't come after all, an |
never knew why till little while ago.
| met her an she told me all about it.
That rich girl went off travelin', an
so she got her place in the choir back
again an her scholars an everything!
| Wasn't that nice? An that rich girl
why, she's turned out most an an
4