Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-09-30
A Sister to Balaan1


I'd like to borrow a fresh egg'
please"
Miss Martha was washing the cream
pitcher, q pitcher of the quaint blue
ware which had belonged to her grand
mother, and she did not look around
until the delicate operation was I'm
ished. Then she turned squarely
and faced her caller. She was a trim,
active little woman, who had lost her
youthful slenderness, and though she
had begun to speak Of herself as an
old woman. her friends were inclined
to regard the title as a joke.
The girl in the doorway was Of an
exaggerated slenderness that made
Miss Martha seem almost portly, and
her eyes met Miss Martha's with the
unwavering intensity Of one who
claims a right rather than asks ia
vor. After a moment she repeated her
request. IF you please, I'd like to
borrow a fresh egg"
''II'm," reflected Miss Martha; "yes-
terday it was half loaf of bread.
wasn't it,"
That's what 1 asked for" said the
caller; "you gave me a whole loaf"
"And the day before" continued
Miss Martha, taking no notice of this
reply, cit was a cup Of milk"
The girl In the doorway nodded,
still keeping her unwinking gaze on
Miss Martha's face. Miss Martha,
vainly scrutinizing her callers face
for any trace of embarrassment, was
annoyed to find herself flushing to the
roots of her hair.
"I can't say that 1 approve Of Dor
rowing" Miss Martha went on. IF
I run out of soda or mOlasseS, | Just
tell myself that it serves me right for
not hcsng more foresighted, and 1 get
along without what l want till I've
had q chance to go to town. And as
long as I've got principles against bor-
rowing" she concluded, swallowing a
lump in her throat, sits no more'n
reasonable that I shouldn't believe in
lending"
Then aren't you going to let me
have a fresh egg?" asked the girl in
the doorway. She spoke dispaaBion-
ateiy, as if she were merely interested
to know how far Miss Martha's prin-
ciples would carry her..
Miss Martha rallied her forces.
"No, 1 guess not. You see, this
things got to stop some time. And it
might as well be now as ever"
"Good-by," said the girl turning
he foo chn ha6
been abrupt, she halted on the door
step to say, Its a nice morning."
But Miss Martha dropped into a chair
and wiped her damp forehead.
MY that girls case" she ejacu-
lated, with a distinct sense of relief
as she heard the gate click behind her
visitor. "She's brazen, that's what
she is The way she looks at you
makes you feel as small as if she had
caught you in some mean trick. l
suppose I'll have to buy that Bailey
place yet and tear that house down
to get rid Of the neighbors it brings"
The Bailey place." was, in fact, the
bitter drop in Miss Martha's cup. The
tumble-dOwn house was half way down
the slope of the hill which was crowned
By Miss Martha's neat cottage Much
OF the time it was empty, and then
Miss Martha suspected it of affording
q haven to tramps. The rest of the
year it was occupied by shiftless ten
ants, whom she rated below the tramp,
Inasmuch as they were much more in
evidence. The last occupants had been
in possession less than a week, and
the various steps in their acquaintance
had been outlined by Miss Martha in
her conversation with the girl in the
doorway.
The hours went by, and even at
nightfall Miss Martha had not re-
gained her accustomed equanimity.
Either the day had been peculiarly
full of small vexatiOns, or her morn
ings encounter with her neighbor had
been more disturbing than she would
acknowledge. Even the counting Of the
eggs was a disappointment. Miss
Nartha's pride IN her hens was only
equaled by the admiration Of the
women IN the neighbOrhood, who were
In the habit of declaring that they
would give the world to know what
Miss Martha did to her hens to make
them lay so. At this season Of the
year she could depend upon them to
do their duty about as she depended