The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-06-17
THE WARP OF
A CONSCIENCE.
BY snIELA NJ onoN

tcS, WHEREIN TWO eggs DuoDleu merrlly,
all Unconscious OF the careworn face
bending over them.
Forty cents Dozen" she repeated
andibly; II never remember winter
when eggs were so dear. It goes to
my heart to boil them; 1t amt right"
She was a little woman with snow
white hair, in striking contrast to her
bright, brown eyes and general air OF
alertness. To a keen observer there
were lines of self-repression about her
mouth and at odd times a world OF
pathos in the brown eyes. 1t was
whispered that she was breaking her
heart about her son Sammie, a ne'er-
do-well who lived in the city. II so,
she never told it, but held high head
and spoke of my son Samuel with
such an air as to command respect. In
secret she deprived herself of the ver-
lest necessaries to send him an odd
dollar. for his father, an elder in the
church, had, literally speaking, washed
his hands of him and bade him never
pollute the home with his presence.
Perhaps the elder was right, for, in
truth, Sammle was a bag egg, but his
mother never believed II, and thought
his father unnecessarily harsh.
Mrs. Josiah had one vanity--she put
her hair in crimpers every night to
give II the natural soft wave which
nature had denied It. In consequence.
the neighbors thought her high-toned
they had no time for such vagaries.
Outside. Ben, the Scotch coolie, with
his nose pressed against the frost
bound window Of the porch, his hot
breath thawing 1t, gazed wistfully in
at the preparation Of the morning
meal, now and then giving vent to
sharp little yelps, indicative of hunger.
Beyond him the big gray barns loomed
darltly against a background of white
and a giant pine, cleaning with
icicles, shone thing of beauty in the
morning sunlight.
Mrs. Josiah lifted the eggs and
placed them carefully on china sau-
Ger, beside the coffee pot, on the top
of the stove. She proceeded to take
the crimpers out of her hair before
a small patch of looking glass, perched
for convenience above the sink, ere
she presented herself to Miss Sophy
Teddington, the new school teacher
her latest boarder, whom Providence
had thrown in her way.
well. / declare" she cried. as a
shadow passed the looking glass. III
that's not Mrs. Henry peeking in!
expect she's most mad at me getting
the teacher" She turned sharply
around and looked toward the gate
rotund figure, mufiled In WOODEN
shawl. was approaching the house. The
path from the gate was white with
frozen snow and so slippery that the
newcomer had difficulty inmaintainine
her footing, consequently her progress
was slow. From her vantage point the
little woman watched her. II guess
she's come to spy round. Most like
she cannot understand how | got Miss
Teddington, and I'm not likely to in
form her Five dollars week, not
speakin of the use ofsthe buggy when
she goes a visitin'. is something of q
windfall, specially when you're moi
expectin' 1t. | never thought Miss Ted
dngton would mistake my house fol
Mrs. Henry's. II was just the Lore
sent her, partiklarly when | wanted
the money so badly. ! was most sur
prised when she took the parlor bed.
room. III be able to send Sammie the
money; poor boy, he wants it badly.
The lines about her mouth took a soft
er curve and her eyes looked less me,
talic in their brightness.
Good mornin', Eliza" said a soft
voice.
Mrs. Josiah. with a feigned iittl,
start of surprise, turned around. Ian
sake, Mrs. Henry. how you frightened
me. It's drefful cold this mornin'
Sit down and | will put some more
slivers Of wood In the stove"
Mrs. Henry Hawkins was flesh.
woman, about 60 years old. Her fac'
was sallow and lined with wrinkles
and when she threw back her wooleI
hood side streaks of gray hair were re
vealed, drawn tightly back into scan
ty topknot, but the eyes that twinklet
beneath the ,bushy black brows were 81
full of the light of human kindness
and so fraught with humor and tn,
Wiu0 hpDtu hiouNn Wdo oo
that the homeliness OF her countcnanc,
was forgotten.
You're out early this mornin" Su
san" said Mrs. Josiah. Her voice ha,
an inquisitive ring In it. ''Is Henr!
keepin' well?"
"Henry's fust rate" said the new
conner, as she settled herself comfort
ably in a rocker, while Mrs. Josial
busted herself about the stove, nov
and again glancing surreptitiously a
her visitor.
Il hear you've a new boarder." SAT-
Mrs. Henry, her gaze involuntaril.
resting on the eggs my, but you ar
lucky, Eliza! How many hens are lay
In? Mine stopped fortnight ago; ant
there's Henry, he's drefful fond o
eggs. hear they are fifty cents il
New York. Is Miss Teddington tn
name of the new teacher? II so,
have letter for her. guess by tn
writin' II is from Miss Manning VIII
stopped with me last term" She un
pinned her shawl as she spoke and Il
a voluminous skirt searched yainly 70
her pocketbook
Mrs Josiah's lips took green,
si,.o Cha t,,rnad har hoo N har vi