Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-01-16
done-that we should suffer so while
the rest of mankind escape"

conscious. of the time-Katharine still
slept beside her. The attendant went
away to his dinner, and returned re-
freshed but languid, and disposed for
another doze. When he awoke at three
the two girls still sat there, one asleep.
and the other bolt-upright, her dark
brow contracted, her black eyes full or
rage.
It is not an unusual thing at mu.
seums of the scientific kind for tired
visitors to sit down and go to sleep Ill
them, nor is 1t quite unknown, In COL
lections which are free, for people to
drop in for the sake of rest. Bethel
Green Museum is naturally considered
in the neighborhood as erected mainly
for the convenience of children and
place of safety for them in bad
weather. The custodian therefore re-
garded the sleeping damsel without
surprise.
1t was about half past three that
Katharine awoke.
"Well, DEAR" said Lily. you have
had long sleep. Do you feel better!
"Yes; am quite we'll now. But oh!
Lily, I am so hungry"
at was a good thing that l remem-
bered to put some bread in my pocket.
Let us eat our dinner"
They did so, and were strengthened
b. the bread
"And now, Katharine, we may move
on. l don't quite know where we are
going. But we had better go, l think"
They went outside and turned west
ward Fortunately it was fine after
noon and warm. After the bread they
felt strong again and able to walk.
They found themselves, after wan
dering for half an hour, in st. James
Park. 1t was then O'Clock.
"Katharine," said Lily, "do you see
those seats? There is whole row OF
them outside the ratings. They are to
be our bed tonight. To-mOrrow-no,
we must not think of tO-morrow-do
YOU think we might break in upon our
shilling? Oh, how tedious it is! Look
at the heaps of people who are doing
nothing; wonder if they are as poor
and as miserable as ourselves"
st. James Park this afternoon was
throngcd with people. They lay about
the grass: they sat upon the free
benches: they leaned over the railincs;
they stood upon the bridge; they threw
crumbs to the ducks; they looked rs If
they never diG any work, and did not
want to do any work, and never had
any work offered them. They might
have been as poor as the two girls, but
they were certainly not miserable at
all. 1t may be laid down as broad
principle that nobody is ever miserable
who has solved the problem of living
without doing any work. At o'clock
the evening was beginning to fall.
Then Lily drew katherine, who was
now simply quiesccnt. ont OF the park.
"We will spend thrccpcncc," she
said. 1--WE will buy more bread, be-
cause that goes farthcst. With three
penny worth of bread we shall have Il
supper that will carry us on until the
morning. Why, Katherine. we shall
actually, with care make our shilling
last till Monday morning. That is
splendid. After that l suppose we
shall fulfill the purpose for which we
were born, and be starved. to death.
Come dear( don't give in; hold up
your face; try to look rs If you liked
IT,"
When the lights were lighted in the
street and the shops there began for
a few minutes n new interest, but 1t
lasted a very little while.
Lilly" said' Katharine, II can not
walk any more. Take me to some
place where l can sit down.
"Well. then, we must 90 back to st.
James Park. 1t is the only place that
| know of where we can sit down..
At this moment great piece of luck
befell them. They met, walking up
Waterloo place no other than Dittmer
Cock. That young gentleman had been
turning his Saturday afternoon to use
full account by observing how trade
was conducted in the West End.
"Ohw cried Katherine. I'VE are
saved, Lily! Dittmer, you will help
us"'
She explained the situation in a few
words. But the young Germans face
dropped Alas! lie had but eightpence
in the world; he had lent three shll-
lings and sixpence to friend-one or
the three who shared his room-and he
could not possibly be paid before Mon
day. What was he to do? How could
he help them? Eightpence is a ridicu-
lously small sum. Would they go with
him to his lodgings, where he would
persuade the other men to give up
their beds and bestow themselves
somewhere-on the landings, for ex-
ample?
NO" said Katherine, 1--WE cannot do
that, Dittmer. l am afraid we must
spend the night here, in the open air,
and perhaps tomorrow you will come
for us. and find some way of helping
us. OH it will not be SO very bad
here; the night is not cold, and our
Jackets are thick! l am not afraid
now that we have found you.'
Dittmer hesitated. He had nothing
to pawn-no watch or chain-he had no
other clothes than those he wore; his
friends and fellow clerks were as poor
as himself; at that moment he had no
more than that eightpence with when
he had proposed to tide over the Sum
day. With only forty pounds year,
you see, a young man is liable to days
of tightness; he takes them as a neces-
sary part of situation which is,only
temporary. Therefore he laughss and
goes hungry with a cheerful heart. II