Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-10-09

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about hirin' some rooms for herself
an mother, an / felt little shaky
bout lettin' her have 'em, SEEM
| didn't know nothin' whether she was
reliable or not; but if you say she is,
why that settles it."
Upon hearing Helen's assurance
that Miss Crawford and her mother
| would probably be all that could be
desired as tenants, the woman went
| on:
Il s'pose 1 needn't be so fussy, but
| | hain't lived in Boston long enough to
| git used to city ways, an I'm dretful
| afraid l shall git took in by somebody.
1 thought she was all right; she seem
| ed so pretty appearin', an 1 felt real
sorry for her. You see, there's rich
girl there in Bloxamboro that's been
| playin' the mischief with her pros
poets, gittin' her music scholars away
from her-or no, not gittin' 'em away
'Xactly, cause she said she didn't
b'lieve she had anything to do about
it, only they thought twas tonier to
take lessons O. this big bug that had
been to Europe an had got all the
new tangled notions in singin'. An
she said she spent most all her moth
er's money learnin' how to sing. an
now it want goin' to be worth much
to her after ALL She cried when she
was tellin' me, an 1 felt awful sorry
for her. Oh, an she said she had
good place in the church choir, an she
was took down with typhoid fever just
before this rich I-for-get-her-name come
home, an'-as luck would have it-her
time run out before she got well
enough to sing, an the other girl got
married, an so they up an hired this
rich girl-they'd got to have some
body, you see, an she was all ready
an waitin'! But she said she could
"a stood that if she could "a KEEP her
scholars; but all her best ones went
over to the other one. 1t does seem
as if anybody't had plenty O. money
wouldn't do such things, don't it? But,
there, p'rhaps you know that rich girl,
too-my, hope she amt no friend O.
yours! 1 never thought"
How Helen Sargent managed to re-
assure her garrulous companion she
hardly knew; but that the mind of the
little woman was relieved of all fears
was evident from the unsuspecting
way in which she continued her inno-
cent chatter about herself, her rela-
tives, Mile Crawford and the things
that made up the daily routine of her
own uneventful life.
AS for Helen, her brain whirled, her
heart beat wildly, she felt suffocated.
This, then, was the explanation of
Miles trouble, of Mabel's strange
conduct-and she was the cause of
it all!
Helen was glad when she babe the
well-meaning little woman good by,
and she was once more left to herself.
After attending to her grandmothar's
business she had expected to sper.d
few hours in shopping and paying two
or three visits, but her interest in new
gowns and her Boston friends was
gone, and she took an early train for
home.
In her own room she first dare. to
look at the matter squarely. 1t was
all plain enough now, this trouble of
Miles. Mrs. Crawford was in 1,oor
health, probably not we'll enough to
be left alone-that was why Mile nad
been looking for rooms in Boston, She
recollected hearing Milhe once say
that she believed it would break her.
mothers heart if she should ever have
to leave he's own little home where
| she had gone as a bride, and which
| she loved so dearly.
Helen's form shook with suppressed
sobs. She prayed and prayed for light
| and strength.
At last, the struggle was ended;
Helen grew calm. She rose and made
preparations for going down to tea.
| When she looked into the mirror to-
| see If she could discover any traces of
her recent tears, it was not an un-
happy face that greeted her.
Two years afterwards she was re.
turning home from Boston late one
afternoon when she caught the earn.
est gaze OF woman across the aisle.
The face had familiar aspect. but
before she could recollect where she
had seen 1t the woman came toward
her with outstretched hand.
L do knows you know me. but 7
hain't forgot you-oh, now you remem-
Der. pleased at Helen's smile of rec.
ignition. wal. I've looked for you
ever since. Do you know, that Miss
Crawford didn't come after all. an |
never knew why till little while ago
l met her. an she told me all about il
That rich girl went off trayelin' an,
SO she got her place in the choir back
again an her scholars an ey'rything,
Wasn't that nice? An that. rich girl
why, she's turned out most an an
gel! She's got piles O. money O,
course, but faint everybody II DE-
things for nothin' if they have. She's
givfn lessons all the time to poor girls
that want to learn to sing an cam
afford to, an she sings in prisons an
hospitals an awful old tenement
houses. an they say she does sins
a beautiful. I'd just like to see her an