The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-07-18
C0CA~C~O
IL Mary Anne
9 ~
q Bv EVELYN Orchard.
BY Evelyn Orchard.

1Her0 was sense or impending
calamity in the house.
The heavy day had arisen with
weeping skies, and Mary Anne, find
ing her occupation on the front steps
gone, retired indoors shaking her
head.
She paused in the lower hall, near
the bottom of the stairs, and listened
with her small head on one side like
a bird, for some sound from above.
Thus posed, one obtained an ex-
cellent view Of her, sort of portrait
study that remained. She was we'll
made. the straight angular line of
her faded cotton frock could not al
together destroy the shapely outline,
and her feet, extremely neat and well
shod, might have served as an OBJ
Ject lesson to certain of her slipshod
class. For she was only a general
or household slavey, serving in a
dull street in lower suburbia for the
magnificent sum of twelve pounds
per annum. Her apron, though
coarse, was clean, also the small neat
collar pinned with a shamrock
brooch in front.
She had rather long, thin neck,
and small, neat face, with. tremu-
lous, womanly mouth, and a pair of
lovely eyes. Mary Anne was unaware
OF her own assets; nor did she strive
to make the most of them. She was
clean and tidy because it was her
nature to be so, and because she was
paid to be help, not an eyesore, in a
strangers house. Her code of ethics
or morals was elementary, but bound
her to duty, which Immediately lifted
that code to the highest plane. Mary
Anne was, in word, that particular
kind OF household treasure which is
growing extremely rare in these ISL
ands, an honest hearted girl who
gave at once the service of love and
duty to the household that employed
her. Was it worthy such regard,
such faithful coin? We shall see.
1t was very early, quite two hours
before Mary Anne's appointed time
for rising, and the milkman had not
yet passed upon his earliest round.
cheerfully. and her kettle was on the
boil, as she herself might have ex-
pressed 1t. And she had opened up
the dining room and spread lunch
cloth on the end of the table. Some
one was astir UP stairs, and her In
stinct, the sort of sixth sense that
never erred, had warned her that
some recognition from her of that
fact might be desirable, even if not
absolutely necessary.
Presently she heard a stealthy
step, and stood aside, though not out
of sight, to wait until it should bring
its possessor in sight. 1t was her
master, carrying a portmanteau in
one hand, and his boots in the other.
AT sight of Mary Anne, standing mo-
tionless, but not in the least stolid,
In the narrow hall, he muttered
Emothered exclamation of anger.
Mary Anne turned and walked into
the dining room, he following, since
now he could not escape, as he had
intended, unobserved.
"Why are you up at this time; It
isn't o'clock? Why do you pry in
this way upon me-" he inquired, with
a subdued savagery in his tone.
guessed last night you'd be
leaving early this morning, sir, and
that you'd be the better of morse1
Of breakfast. The trays ready. I'll
bring It."
Il don't want your breakfast. TIL
never eat another in this house. he
answered, glaring upon her as he
threw his portmanteau heavily down.
@Oh, yes you will, sir" she said,
with sort of exasperating, quiet
cheerfulness. will you have an egg
or bit of that potted meat misses
makes 60 nicely? It's all ready"
won't have anything, tell you"
he answered rudely. Get out of my
way and take your meddling tongue
downstairs"
Mary Anne closed the door and
stood up against it, and folded her
hands on her apron in front of her.
Looking back upon 1t afterwards sho
could only suppose that God was
quite near her, For in ordinary cir
cumstances she was not very brave
nor even strong girl. But that day
she had been called to deed of
heroic duty.
Sir. she said quietly, II bin in
this 'ouse three year. loves every
body in it, from you down to the baby
with 'er pretty ways. II yer goes,
an see by yer fee thet We won't
come back, there1l be i've broken
'earts In number thirty-siying.
Get out with your silly talk. Let
me pass. don't know why don't
knock you down for your confouhded
interference.
"0h, yer wouldn't do that, III. It'a
too low down gifne for ron to strike
4 Wounnr eron dnvUr ~ -, 4 ,,n3cev,es