The Somerset reporter., 1908-01-30
PriSCilla'S
Philanthropy
BY Martha Cobb Sanford.
lCopyrigai, 1907. by j. G. Reed.l

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"Will you be kind enough to tell me
where Murphy street ISL
1t was the fifth time that Priscilla
had asked the question that afternoon,
but turn and twist AS she would at
each new jumble of directions she
seemed no nearer the clearing house
of domestic panics.
1.-TWO blocks back. miss. then three
blocks east und"-
Priscilla frowned. She did not wait
for the policeman to finish. but. thank
ing him hastily. retraced her steps
with the energy born of despair.
"Is there anything more inbuman on
the face of the EARTH" she put to her
self. than maid of all work? To
think of it-running off the day be-
fore New Years without deigning to
invent an excuse even. wouldn't
have thought 1t of Della after being
with US six whole months"
Here she stopped her mental sollo-
guy long enough to get her bearings
tuTD east. uS ulT6CIpu,
ut wouldn't matter so much If only
Gerald Hollister were not coming to
dinner Relatives don't count. Oh
why did | invite him? He's so accus-
toned to having everything absolutely
CONNIE II faut, Catch me letting my
sympathies run away with me again
just because a man's family happens
to be out of town! And he could have
asked our whole family over there to
dinner and with all his servants never
bothered to lift his finger! But that
wouldn't occur to him. It's the one
thing don't like about Gerald Hollis
ter anyway. With all his wealth you
never hear about his doing any big.
generous thing"
Just here Priscila's rapid little mon.
ologue stopped short.
She suddenly remembered that she
had come to the end of her directions.
For the sixth time she was about to
frame automatically the monotonous
inquiry for Murphy street when II
bright blue 8eign of "Fp.nale Help"
Haunting itself down side street
caught her eve.
Priscilla made Il precipitate dash to-
ward 1t, which ended IN an ignomlni-
Gus collision with a corner newsstand
When both had regained their equilib-
rum. Priscilla. giving her fur boa a
careless toss over her shoulder. started
a second time toward the gariSh sym
Dol Of her hopes
This time plaintive little wall re-
strained her Where did It come from2
There was not child in sight She
walked a step or two IN the direction
of the sound. and there. cured up un-
der the shelter Of a newsstand, was
mite of humanity. blue and pinched
with the cold.
"Why, you poor dear" exclaimed
Priscilla. Where is your mother? Are
you lost?'
But the mite didn't move only moan
ed pitlfully.
Priscilla looked about perplexed.
Seeing shopkeeper watching her Gu
riously from behind his show window.
she beckoned him TO come to her.
DO you know who this child is?"
she asked almost accusu%ly.
"Shure." replied the shopkeeper. He
tinds the Shtand and does a smar-rt
business too
But he's only u baby and sick and
cold" pleaded Priscilla
"Oh. he oftin cr-rawls undher ther-re
t,I. q L.
plper-rs just the same an laves their
pennies.
"Where does he liye| demanded
Priscilla imperatiyely.
The man pointed to a dingy looking
tenement house next door to the en-
ployment office TO his utter amaze
ment, Priscilla stopped down. gathered
the whining waif in her arms, wrap
ped her fur boa around him and walk
ed toward the house with her burden.
From the curious tenants she soon
found out which particular door led
into the child's home. The key was
hanging in a dark corner near by.
Once inside. Priscilla laid the child
down on a broken. disorderly bed aud
then shivered as she stood helpless In
the gloom and chill of the place
There was neither fire. fuel nor food.
Priscilla knelt down beside the child
and chafed his little cold hands till
there was some degree of warmth In
them Then she summoned up her
courage. knocked at the door of the
adjoining fiat and begged the woman
who answered to take the child in be-
side her fire while she herself went
out to get food for him.
She had just returned with her arms
full of bundles when she bumped into
man in the dark hallway equally
incumbered An avalanche of paper
bags followed
81 beg your pardon" came stimuli
taneously from both.
Then AS they stopped to the task of
picking up their respective belongings
the man ventured an inquiry.
"Can you tell me where the Horrl-
gans live, wonderY
~ haven't the least Idea" replied
Priscilla. I'm a stranger here my
self"
The com motion had caused the sud
fen apparition OF several tousled heads
from behind half opened doors. In
the dim light that fiickered out Pris-
ella stole an inquIsitive look at the
man beside her
Gerald Hollisterr' she exclaimed
excitedly and In her amazement drop
Dpd all her Daner ba Rs again