Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-10

N on her knees in terror. Il dldn
mean to take it, indeed l didn't t.
Il!Nl# Cousin Prue. 1t stuck to the other
NiszeaS note-the ten dollars; and-and
didn't dare to put it back.
"You wretched, wicked girl" said Aunt
Prue, her stern sense of justice reused as II
never had been before-"to let an innocent
man go to Jail for your theft!
"Oh, don't send me there" pleaded Ella,
wildly. '1'll be your servant for the rest
of my life; but don't send me to jail I'm
your cousin, you know-your own COUSIN.
''You should go if you were my own
child" replied Aunt Prue, shutting her thin
lips resolutey "Dorcas, / owe you many
thanks for opening my eyes to what TINS girl
is. l give her into your charge Aeep her
locked in this room until l can undo some
of the wrong she has DONE"
"Oh, Cousin Prudence" cried Ella, grasp
ing Aunt Prue's skirt, "have pity on me!
'Leave her to me, ma'am," said Dorcas'
triumphantly-"le her to me- III keep
her securely enough"
Aunt Prue turned away and entered les
sie's room, with new feelings struggling IN
her breast.
Her eyes had been opened, in more ways
than one, these last few days
She. was beginning to realize that her gold
trimmed spectacles were not the all-seeing oros
she has hitherto supposed them. and that
perhaps she was not such remarkable wom-
an as she had always believed
Her experiments in training had not so far
been very successful.
Trix had been sent away an irreclaimable
rebel; Ella was in the house confessed
thief; and Tessie-gentle little Tessie!
Aunt Prue's heart felt a strange pain
shoot through long-unmoyed depths as t5t she
stood over the bed where lay the child. She
had bent so easily the frail flower, crushed
by the force of her iron will
'Therese," she whispered, laying her hand
upon the pale forehead-"my dear little
Therese Don't you know me-"
There was no answer. not even nutter OF
the gold-fringed eyelid Obedient little Tes-
sic was far beyond Aunt Prue's call now.
eve can't rouse her." said Miss Alice,
tearfully. ''She knows nothing-hears moth
ing. The doctors say she VIII go from us
calmly, peacefully, like tins. ga Amt prns
And then a queer. hard sob choked her
voice, the stiff head was laid low on Iessie
pillow, and the rock was rent.Aunt Prue
cried as she had not cried for fifty years
And this was such very new and re-
did not hear the muffled ring at the hall
door-the hurried footsteps on the stairs
She was only reused by a cry at her slde-a
strange, low cry, like that Of mother-olro
to her young and she, lifted her head 60 see
Tessie's still form clasped IN her SISTER
'aTessie!" cried Trix, whose face was al
most as white as that over which she bent
5'Tessie. my darling. look at me! speak 70
me! l have come back to you. IesSie-youl
own Trix. Tessie-Tessie!"
ooh, she'll kin her-she will Kill her out
right" exclaimed Aunt Prue. excltediy, az
TTix clasped the motionless form closer ano
showered burning kisses on lips and cheekS
""s Flush! hush!" said Miss Alice, laying hel
hand upon Aunt Prue's arm, while her eyes
rained tears of Joy. 'fShee has saved I, ner
That call has brought, her back 70 u.s. oee'
she wakes-she hears!"
And the soft, blue eyes unclosed wonder
ingly, and looked up into, the dark Gr6s
Gazing into them with such rapture, whiie
Prom the pale lips there came the first taln'
whisper that had passed them Tor three Gays
saTrix! sister! Is this heaven?" IN.
All, we'll if not heaven. it was not unlike
- For The next few hours love and JOY
reipned supreme in the old house at Trevor
That awakening from the death-like stupoi
that seemed to have paralyzed Tessie's every
mower was all the doctors wanted Oareiu
nursing could do the rest. A.
soldier father, who had feared to give toe
much of shock at once, came to the 'front.'
and Tessie nestled down into his strong, lov
inc arms as only such little brides can, anc
began to improve with a rapidity tnat maa'
the doctors knit their brows and pun out tn'
biggest books in their libraries to see II She,
could discover a case like IL.
But they couldn't; for the tonic that wa
curing Tessie cannot be bought or bottled
II Is the golden elixir that preserves all thai
Is best and sweetest and purest in this weary
world of ours; and its name is-Love.