The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-27
THE EVENING STORY
Miss Nancy's Miracle.
(By w. Ia. Brvanl

NOAto1iiSu d clduS6 DeQu6ath1nG to MS
favorite niece, Hannah Elizabeth Skeen
| the sum of fifteen hundred dollars
she remembered her mothers brother
Ia huge man, whose bushy beard
smeiied unpieasantly OF tobacco smoke
When he kissed her on the occasion of
his tnfrequent visits. He had gone west
| thirty years before and at his sisters
death his letters had ceased.
Miss Nancy regarded the letter help
iessiy. Fifteen millions would have en-
barrassed her no more The profits of
the farm met all her modest needs and
| she resumed her rocking she pom
dered the situation.
The sunlight flltering through the
young vines lighted her face softly,
| bringing out the clearness of the skin,
while the green lattice softened the
wrinkles that scanned her face, and the
bad lines of the nose that had been Miss
| Nancy's cross through life. An elder
sister had let her fall when she was a
| BABY, and the rough care of the coun-
/ try practitioner had not saved her
beauty The bridge of the nose was
| sunken and the tip round and tilted.
Even as girl Nancy Skeen had been
| attended by few sweethearts. In later
years she had waited in vain for the
| fairy Prince Charming.
| She was still dazed by her good for
tune when Mrs. Butterfield climbed
| heavily from her rickety buggy and
numbered up the steps.
| II declare to gracious, Nancy she
8Te6tSQ DTlSkly. It's pump Sn2meIul
for you to be sitting here with nothing
done. I had my wash on the line before
| breakfast
Miss Nancy started guiltily at thu
| mention of wash. Her own clothes vert
boiling briskily on the stove this verS
minute
I'm kind of upset." she defended
| weakly. You see got letter."
who's dead now" demanded the ma
| tron. Miss Nancy's slower mode Of
SDoRCh n
My uncle, John Wylie," explained
Miss Nancy. He left me fifteen hun
dred dollars
Mrs. Butterfeld sank into the nearest
chair.
MY lands sake" she exclaimed.
Whatever are you going to do with all
that money"
That's what I was trying to think
out" said Miss Nancy alphabetically.
"A plain body like you don't want all
that money said her caller frankly.
You AIM. got any call to dress up.
worst sort Of way"
II gave ten dollars toward the or
gam Miss Nancy protested. remember
ing the sacrifices it had cost her.
Mrs. Butterfield led the talk to other
channels for the present. Nancy could
not spend the money until she had it.
There was plenty of time in which to
But that night Mrs Butterfield's
chance was lost. Miss Nancy. reading
the last number of the "Woman's
Friend" made her great resolve. and
before she went to bed she had labor
iousiy composed a letter to one of the
advertisers asking for particulars, "as
described in a plain-sealed envelope"
and she heavily underscored the last
three words. f
The answer arrived two days ahead
of the check from the western lawyer,
and Miss Nancy could scarcely wait in
patience for the money to come.
Ia q tic ri val re PTrf-
terfield. stopping to argue for the new
est charity, found the hired man fry |
ing bacon in Miss Nancy's once-immac- |
ulate kitchen, and from him she gained |
the information that Miss Nancy had |
gone to New York. Mrs. Butterf1eld |
drove off. wagging her mead solemnly. |
If Nancy Skeen had gone to New York |
by herself the money would be either |
spent or stolen.
Had Miss Nancy vanished utterly |
from the face Of the earth her disap- |
pearance could have aroused no greater
excitement than did her prolonged abb
9ence.
The rural mail carrier violated his
official oath to tell that the hired man |
Mis- Nancy's delicate script, and Hiram |
admitted that these letters merely re- |
cited that she was well and hoped that |
the farm was prospecting.
For three months the mystery contin- |
ued. Then came the pleasant nights of |
the harvest moon, and one evening |
Judge Wayburn, crossing his own broad |
acres on his way from town meeting, |
woman stepping briskly out across the |
stubble. He paused to wait her COM
ing. and when she sought to avoid him |
by a sharp turn he started in pursuit. |
The trespaSser came to a halt at his |
hail and awaited his approach.
What does this mean ?" he painted |
as he numbered up. you've got no |
right to be on my grounds. whoever
you are"
Don't you know me, Benz"
There was a little catch in the voice |
in which fear tempered the evident
joyousness.
turned her so that the moonlight fell |
full upon her face. For a minute and
more he scrutinized her features, odd
" familiar and yet wholly strange.
Seems like I ought to know you"
familiar about you. but I never saw
you before, / guess
you don't know Nancy Skeen?"
she laughed.
wayburn caught her roughly by the
Don't you come here with those
games" he Numbered. IF you've
murdered Nancy and are going to try
to come into her property. I'll see that
you swing for it. know the ways of
you city folks"
but am Nancy" she pleaded.
'sYou don't know me, Ben, but it's
really me. You heard, suppose, that
I came into some money from my
Uncle John?"
Nancy Skeen did" he corrected,
unwilling to compromise himself by
this inferential admission.
well, then, Nancy Skeen did," she
agreed. dropping into the third per-
son. Nancy Skeen was a wicked wo-
man. She might have done a lot of
good with the fifteen hundred dollars,
but she was selfish. The church
needed a new organ and stained
glass window, but she saw an adver-