The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-07-14
POOR LITTLE
Lima

Poor little Lima. She lived out"
with Mr.. and Mrs Kingsford.
The father had gone to the dogs
long ago, and the mother, red-eyed,
bulbous-nosed creature. wrapped in
shapeless rags and those queer, faded
shawls Of which tipsy women seem to
have monopoly, now and then haunt
ed the home.
The only son of the house, Charles
Kingsford, was just her own age. In
fact, Lima had fallen in love with him,
and now and then her humble pillow
was wet with tears.
Charles Kingsford was not worth
less rascal, but he was very wild
young fellow. He led the life wild
young men lead in a great city, and
get into one small scrape after an
other, until at last mighty trouble
fell upon him.
There was nothing for it but to
leave the city, to leave home and
friends.
1t was a stormy night. Mr.. and
Mrs. Kingsford had been to a church
meeting, and a collection had been
taken up. The money-$5O0-was
given in charge of Mr.. Kingsford,
who, instantly on his return, locked it
up in the drawer of a desk in the
back parlor.
On this occasion Charles also
sought his room at once, and to Lima
was left the task of locking up the
house and seeing that all the fires
were safe. Mrs. Kingsford awoke with
a start. She distinctly heard the noise
of voices below. Women's plainly.
Mrs. Kingsford stole downs airs.
The back parlor door was closed, but
1t had a keyhole. One cannot see
much through'a keyhole, but what she
did see was enough. A bulbous-nosed
woman, in a miserable bonnet and
shawl, sitting before the fire drinking
a cup of tea-Lina's mother
81 knew 1t was liberty" said Lima,
"but the other fires were all out, Mrs.
Kingsford, and it was so cold. It's
my mother, ma'am"
''Will you tell your mother that we
are going to lock up for the night?"
Eyes, ma'am," said Lima.
Lima, having seen her mother out
into the storm, put out the light and
crouched down by the CRATE Poor
Lima!
Then she heard the sound of steps
approaching, and shrank back into the
shadows.
1t was an hour before she went to
bed, and then she crept upstairs shiv-
ering and trembling, overcome with
horror. What was it she had seen
Whatever 1t was, she told nothing of IL
to any one.
The next morning she was up as
usual, and found Mrs Kingsford astir
my son is called away on bust
ness" she said. at is something very
unexpected"
Two hours later Mrs. Kingsford
called Lima into the back parlor and
shut the door. Mr.. Kingsford was
standing before the desk in which he
had deposited the money he held in
trust, the night before.
do you see this, Lina?" he asked
showing her the broken lock.
Il do not think you guilty, Lima,
said Mrs. Kingsford; "but you know
your mother is not a respectable WON
an, and she was here last night"
"Madam!" cried Lima, my pool
mother is innocent. I tell you that
swear 1t. l mean what | say"
Then you know who took it." sale
Mrs. Kingsford. 81 see that in YOU
face; confess"
II tell you my mother is innocent,
said Lima. at is l who am guilty."
And So with this confession, ant
with an obstinate refusal to say more
poor Lima sealed her fate. She wa!
tried for the theft and sentenced, IL
consequence of her previous good char
acter to the lightest possible term O
Imprisonment.
AS for Charles Kingsford, no one
heard of him for years. Home h,
came one day-a brown man with !;
long beard, whom no one knew at first
He sat by the Preside and was ques
toned and asked questions. At las
he said:
"And what has become of poo
Lima? Has she married?'
And then out came the story of tn,
theft and its punishment
The words were scarcely out of Mrs
Kingsford's lips when her son-th,
great bearded man of whom she wa
so proud-clasped his hands over hi
eyes and burst into tears like an.
woman.
my God!" he cried. Has Lima sui
fered this for me? Father, she wa
as innocent as an angel! 1t was
who robbed your deskl / have beef
the cause of ruin to one who was al
most an angel"
He spent long months in searching
for Lima and he found her at last.
In wretched home she sat sewing
by the light of poor tallow candle.
Master Charles!" she said; a
never thought / should see you again.