Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-13


@ and handkerchiefs; she sewed on
buttons and strings and mended
gloves
She was so very obliging that Trix felt lit
tie ashamed of the dislike that she found 1t
impossible to conquer.
81 never felt so to Lize" she argued with
herself; "and Lie was black and ragged, and
often not very clean. Maybe it is because
Ella hands are always cold and clammy.
l creep when she touches mel"
And to make amends for her feelings TriX
tried to be as generous to Ella as she could
shared her clothes, her books, even her pocket
money with her, as freely she would have
done with Tessie herself, for the little trunk
that held all poor Elias belongings was empty
OF everything but the barest necessaries of
very plain wardrobe, while her cousins were
provided plentifully with ali that, in Aunt
Prue's eyes, General Talbot's daughters re-
quired
And noticing this difference Trix found all
sorts of excuses for giving" in her own great
hearted way.
"You can have that ribbon, Ella. I'm too
dark to wear it. Those slippers hurt me
dreadfully; suppose you try them. | Just
hate these collars; they stick into my chin.
You can have them, and welcome
And Ella took all that was given her and
watched for more
She had been two weeks in the house before
there was any sign of CLAWS under her velvet
paws"
One warm morning Aunt Prue's lawyer had
come to see her, and she had given the old
gentleman his favorite refreshment claret
punch.
The crystal pitcher and delicate-stemmed
glasses, after being used by the admiring
guest were left on the dining-room table to be
washed by their Mistress according to custom,
for Miss Talbot's love for her glass and china
was her greatest weakness, and she allowed no
menial hand to touch the treasures that had
been in the family for three generations.
She had scarcely hidden Judge Lawrence
goodbye at the hall door when a crash was
heard that made her shiver, and when she
reached the dining room she found the beauti-
full pitcher was but heap of glitterng frag-
ments.
No one was visible but poor little Meg the
charwoman's step-child, who had been helping
in the kitchen, and now stood just without the
door tray of knives in her hand and horri-
fled amazement in her countenance.
you did it," said Aunt Prue, her eyes
fairly blazing. ''You miserable little beggar,
had dared you touch that pitcher?
'Oh. l didn't, ma'am; deed and deed 1
didn't faltered poor Meg. 81 never even
crossed the door sill; deed l didn't"
You are lying to me-" said Aunt Prue,
quite forgetting herself In her wrath, for the
plLCner naQ Deen at least hundred years
old and there was a tradition that George
Washington himself had once assisted in emp
tying it, Il shall send you home and tell your
mother to whip you well. You stealing
the claret; you have broken the pitcher and
you have told an untruth!"
"Oh, ma am, L didn't-'deed l didn't" pro-
tested poor Meg at was one of the young la
dies-'deed it was. l seen her dress a-fying
out of the door yonder jest as l got here to
this. And there's her handkerchief"
And Meg pointed to q bit of cambric near
the table.
Just, even in her wrath, Aunt Prue stepped
forward and picked up this evidence.
1t was still wet with the claret punch. In
the corner was a name traced in Aunt Prues
own marking characters.
Crushing the tel-tale cambric in her hand,
Miss Talbot called down the three young la
dies to the scene OF disaster
Trix and Tessie came first Ella a little after
ward. She had been lying down, with
headache" she said and strong odor of cam
phor about her confirmed her assertion.
"You see what has been done?" said Aunt
Prue, pointing to the remains of her cherished
pitcher. Il have taxed Meg with it, but she
denies even entering the room. 1t will 60
hard with her if she is telling me fasehood,
for | shall send her home to be punished Sc
verely."
"Oh! oh! OH" sobbed poor Meg desperate
with terror, "please tell the truth, somebody;
for it wasn't NEEDED it wasn't | seen a
black skirt a-fNinp riObt nf thnt door