Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1907-08-10
CHAPTER I.


The speaker was thin, nervous look
Ing girl, with large gray ayes, and a
weak mouth. She stood with her rough
ened hands clasped tightly together, and
tears were rolling down her cheek, and
falling unheeded on her shabby serge
gown.
Audrey Maxse also wore m old serge
gown, but somehow the garment did not
seem to be as shabby or as ugly as that
which Jean Thwait had on; her small
hands were roughened, too, as with much
work, yet their shape was exquisite, the
fingers slender and straight, not swollen
and disigured with chilblans like poor
Jeans; her little head was poised proud
ly on her shoulders she carried herself
with regal air, and gave evidence at
this early age of possessing that most
rare of gifts, a beautiful face
What dreary place this Female Or
phan Asylum was, to be sure There
was an air of gloom in the dirty-gray-
colored walls; an unspeakable sense of
sadness and restraint in the unlovely,
high-walled grounds, the severe matron.
the young persons in their d;ngy uniform
of blue serge, with their daster aprons
and thick gray stockings. 1t was called
the Girls Home in Broad5orough, and
never was anything under tie sun so mis-
named. From morning till night the day
was one long round of drudgery, good |
hard manual labor, lightencd by many
prayers, and by one hours so-called rec
reation, in which the girls found many
odd tasks to perform that were not ex-
actly in the category of idleuess or pleas
ure.
The Mayor of Broadborodgh had much
to say in the matter of election into this
asylum, and it was entirely through his
influence that Jean Thwait, granddaugh-
ter of old Samuel Thwait, the bookseller.
was provided with a home when the old
man died suddenly and left Ter, a little
child, without penny or a known rea-
tive in the wide world Everybody knew
that Ralph Thwait, Jeans father, had
made bad marriage, but the shop OF
Samuel Thwait had been an institution
In the town, and naturally out of respect
to an old inhabitant the Mavor did his
best to get the orphan girl well cared for
in the future. This done, little Jean
Thwait troubled no one any more SO
Jean was left to the tender merces of the
matron, and grew up from babyhood to
girlhood, working in the gloomy routine
OF the asylum as hard as though she
were of the stronger, not the feeber,
Sex Most of her companions were cases
like her own, all respectfully connected,
with an occasional aunt or cousin to
pay them visit on the day set apart
for this function, and who all with one
accord held up their heads and looked
down on Jeans pet, Audrey Maxse.
How this latter ever got into the home
was miracle to most people. A found
ling, the walf and stray child of vag-
rant woman who breathed her last in the
Broadborough workhouse infrmary, she
was, by general consent, considered as
outside the pale and therefore ineligible
for election into the institution sacred to
the memory of the pious willow of rich
Broadborough tradesman.
Audreys pride had brought down many
weary punishment on h.r head; her
fearless, outspoken disposition was call
ed rebellious; her innate sense of deli
cacy and neatness became nordinate van
ity, and her beauty was the last straw
to the heap OF objections that the matron
and her assistants piled on this girl. Ev-
cry means had been tried TO crush Au-
drey's proud spirit. Every possible bar
rler had been thrown In the way of her
advancement in education, and yet, in
spite of all, the girl progressed her hot
pride, her extraordinary will carried all
before her, and to the chagrin of the mat
ron and her other enemies, at the usual
public examinations, held In the charnel-
house-like schoolroom, before the Mayor
and committee it was always Audrey
Maxse who carried off the first marks for
proficiency and general satisfaction.
In all the years she had lived at the
asylum Audrey had only ore friend, one
loving heart to sympathize ard help her
IN her troubles, and this was Jean
Thwait- Often and often AZ night, when
the two young creatures we're alone in
their cold meagerly furnished bedroom.
they sat and whispered in the dark of the
time when they should be free from the
miserable place they called their home.
We are alone in the world. Jean"
Audrey would say there is nothing to
stop u.s. We must leae here when we are
seventeen-the rules of the home won't
let us remain longer--and then we will |
90 away togther, and work for each 9th
err and be happy We will leave Eng
land Jean, and go Abroad want to see
foreign lands, don't your
But you forget, darling; we've NAV
80 out to service before we are free %
Audrey always shuddered at the word.
The parting was not thought now: It
was reality, horrible reality. Three
days before this one that saw Audrey
engaged in putting her few coarse clothes
Into the yellow tin box, the girls had |
been summoned Into the chapel and cate
shised by clergyman, who came in place !
Of the ordinary minister. lie seemed to ,
find much pleasure in examining Audrey
on certain poinss, and the girls clear,