The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-01-10
CHAPTER x.
TIE L S


THE LAST SHILLING. y
The two girls sat together on Kath-
.arine's bed. Spread out in Lily's lap
was all the money that was left-twen-
ty-two shillings and sixpence in silver.
The little heap meant a fortnight's
support.
LET me reckon up," said Katharine.
"You are so stupid at figures, you poor
thing. There's three and sixpence for
bed and one and nine for breakfast;
that makes five shillings and three
pence each" She set aside ten shillings
and sixpence: ''There-that is one
week; there is left twelve slhilings
for the next week.
But there must be washing, Kath-
arine; and, oh! how can we live on q
few slices of bread and butter taken
in the morning?"
'When the money is all gone, where
is the bread and butter to come from,
Lily?'
'Where indeed?"
SIT is all my fault, Katharine" Lily
burst out. II have been eating up your
money-oh! I will run away and leave
you. at least to have all that is left''
Don't, Lily. We are all alone; let
us keep together, whatever happens.
Lily let us only keep together. Let
us say to each other that we are not
quite alone in the world"
"What can we do? Oh! what can
we do?"
II do not know. There are too many
of us, Lily. There is not enough work
for all, and somehow we do not seem
to get even our share of what there is.
Let US have patience. Put away the
money, dear. There is whole fort
night before us. Let us try every
where. 1t isn't so hot now
''No. But it will get cold soon, and
en-why-Katharine laughed
bitterly-"with no work to do. no
money for lodgings and food, and no
clothes fit for winter, 1 do not think we
shall be the two happiest and merriest
and most light-hearted girls in all the
world" She laughed again, but hys-
terically.- I'VE will go about hand in
hand, up and down the streets, laugh
ing and singing. We will go to church
to join in the hymns of thanksgiving
Everybody will wonder to see such a
happy pair
Don't, Lily"
81 must. Sometimes 1 must speak.
Oh! 1 must, when | think what has
happened to you and me, and what
happens to other girls. Somewhere or
other there are your cousins and mine,
sitting in ease and comfort. talking
about their parties and their lovers,
while you and I are looking forward
to starvation. What have we done
that we should be punished in this
awful way? I say, Katharine-what
have we done? What have we done?
This was the question which she
asked herself continually.
She sprung to her feet and rushed
to the window and threw it open. The
cold autumn air blew upon her fore
head. Above the chimneys and the
roofs and the stars in the clear sky
there shone the calm, cold moon, full
and bright.
"Ohr' she cried, 81 am full of dread
full thoughts-of things horrible and
detestable. We have done no harm
to anybody. though we may have had
bad thoughts. Why are We so hor-
ribly punished?"
Don't Lily-what is the good Of ask
ing:'
Il must ask. I have prayed~oh! l
have prayed for hours in the night. |
have torn my heart out with pray ers.
Is it wicked to pray for work and
food? Why, there are thousands of
wicked women who have plenty of
food every day and no anxiety. Is
there any such thing as wickedness?"
Don't Lily" 1t was all that she
could cay
"The heavens are silent Look; there
is the cold face of the moon. There is
no care or trouble in it about US. Pray
-Katnarine-pray, like me, till You
feel as if your words were echoed back
from the hard and senseless' rocks.
OH why were we born? Why are we
allowed to live?'
She gasped and painted because of the
thought that kept coming again and
again.
I'VE are not obliged to live" she
went on. "Katbarine, | am full of the
most dreadful thoughts. 1t must be
because we have so little to eat, sup
pose. and because the future IS SO
black Horrible phantoms fill my
brain, asleep or awake. | can't tell
you what they say to me-
Let us pray again. We shall get,
for answer, patience and resignation"
Lily threw herself upon the bed her
face in her hands. But Katharine
knelt beside her and prayed for both.
In a fortnight a great deal may be
done if you have luck. Alas. these
girls had none In October the people,
it is true, have all come back, but the
work has all been given out. At the
Museum, Katharine, a newcomer. was
known to few: and there was very
little work going at all Outside, there
seemed no situa tions vacant; even the
cashiers place in the draper's shop at
seven and sixpence a week was filled
up-yet how readily now would they
have taken that place.
They read all the advertisements and
applied at all the offices; but there was
nothing.
Then for a week they lived on the
breakfast bread and butter. and in the
evenings they sat silent. always hand
in hand in Katharine's cubicle, wait
ing for the day when there should be