The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-06


Captain Allen Miss Tempy 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 a call for help that needed
an immediate answer.
There, there, there, deari" 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. 1 shouldn't be
surprised if you've got little cold, too,
In that drafty schoolhouse. Let me
make you good, big cup OF pepper
tea right away; now do
Miss Prissy turned a sob into feeble
laugh.
'Oh, dear me, Tempy," she said, lay
Ing her hand on the others arm, Il
b'lieve you think pepper tea'l cure
anything, even an empty pocketbook. 1
wish 'twould pay bills; then, L 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.
1.-THE money in the Boston savin's
bank is gone" she said, land year or
more ago I wrote to the broker folks
that bought the bond for us when
father died, and they sold II for me
and got a little less than a thousand
dollars for ii. / put the money into
the bank ut Harniss, and, though I've
tried my best to be economical, there
amt bat five hundred and eighty left.
That and the place here is all we've
got"
In bewildered fashion Miss Tempy
strove to grasp the situation.
Then we're poor" she said "real
poor. and I thought we was rich. Well,
! shall give up that new bonnet I was
goin' to have next spring, and I s'pose
hadn't ought to subscribe to the
Comforter either. I did think SO much
OF it,
I'm afraid Wen have TO give up
more than the Comforter, Tempy. I've
thought and thought till my poor head
Is nearly worn through. We might sell
the place here, but 'twould be like
selln' our everIastin' souls-if faint
unreIigious to say it and, besides,
property at Orham is so low now that
we'd only get ha'f what it's worth,
and when that moneys spent there
wouldn't be anything left"
''Sell the place! Fathers place!
why. Prissy Allen, how can you talk
so, Where would we live?''
"Well. we might hire a little house
down at South Orham or somewheres."
South Orham, Where all those
Portuguese and things live? I'd rather
de- And it was Miss Tempy's turn
to cry.
'You needn't cry for that, Tempy.
We won't sell yet awhile. Not till
there's nothin' left. But we can't have
the barn shingled. and as for Bradley's
goin' to college. that. I'm afraid, is
out of the question"
"Oh. dear. dearI And the barn looks
awful Melissy Busteed was sayin'
only last week that folks was won
d'rin' when we was goin' to have it
fixed And poor Bradley, My heart
was set on his bein' a minister. I
don't know but I'd live In the poor
house to make him one. They say Mr..
Otis keeps a real nice poorhouse, too"
she added.
Miss Prissy smiled dolefully. 'It
hasn't got to the poorhouse yet" she
said. "and hope we can send Bradley
high school anyhow. But
wei have to scrimp awful, and we
must try to earn some money. / was
talLin' to Abigail Mullett at the church
fair last August, and she spoke about
those aprons and one thing another
that I made and said she never saw
such hemmin' and tuckin'. She said
she'd give anything if she could get
somebody to do such work for her in
the dressmakin' season. I've been
thinkin' maybe she'd put out some of
her work TO me if l asked her to. She
does more dressmakin' than anybody
around; has customers way over to
Ostable and keeps three girls some
times. And you know how the sum-
mer folks bought those knit shawls
OF yours. Tempy. Well. / don't doubt
you could get orders for lots more.
Wen try, and Wen let Bradley start
at high school and see how we make
II CO.
So Miss Tempy frightened up, and in
n few minutes she had in her mind
sold so many shawls and Miss Prissy
had done so well with her hemming
Ind tucking that she saw them put
Ting money in the bank instead of TAX
Ing it out. In fact. she was getting
rich so fast in her dreams that her
sister didn't have the heart to throw
more cold water at this time And
even Miss PrisSy herself felt unwar-
hopeful. She had borne the
family burdens so long that to share
the knowledge OF them with another
was a great relief. They discussed
ways and means for half hour long
er. and then Miss Tempy insisted on
getting that pepper tea"
IL honestly believe she said. that
h / hadn't took pepper tea steady for
the last four or five years | shouldn't
be here now. That and Blaisdelrs
emulsion has given me strength to
bear most anything. even the pros
poets of the poorhouse. Thank good
ness. I've got a new bottle of emul-
sion. and pepper teas cheap, so | shan't
have TO give that up even if we are