Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-21

The boy said nothing.
You hear me-" she said again.
''Oh. Mrs. Burrage. don't speak So. ex-
claimed Miss sparrer. The child -
sick"
Then Andrew looked up with his bs
burning eyes. startled and dazed seeing
the lovely lady. Andrew" said she.
have you told the truth.
He closed his eyes as if to shut gu, a
nightmare; but still he said nothing. Mrs.
Burrage stood with her hands on her hips.
waiting
Andrew. you mus, speak, said Miss
Anna. You must tell Mrs BIrrage the
truth
Still obstinate silence.
Andrew said Miss Anna She stood
there gazing down on him. knowing that
she looked dominant and overbearnG
But her heart was full Of pity. She didn't
know what TO do. He must be made 70
speak. Of course. But he was SO little.
so poor. SO i'll, SO weak-.t was shameful
OF her to take advantage of the difference
between them. She seemed to herself an
oppressor. a cruel ar1 ignoble creature
She would let it 60. She would tell Mrs
Burrage there had been some mistake ami
she should have her ten dollars when the
next savings bank dividend came in.
n noise in the other room called Mrs.
Burrage away a moment. Miss Anna was
just about to follow. And then the boy
looked up again with those great shining
eyes and burst out crying. Il meant to
sobs
'Oh. Andrew" cried Miss Anna I'm
so sorry
Som I. Oh, so m t. he sobbed. pitt
fully II amt got no cold. It's jest
because 1 done it; oh. feel so awful
bad"
Andrew. Andrew. You poor child
cried Miss Sparrer. STOPPING over him. X
forgive you this minute! God will forgive
you; know He will. You'll never do it
again.
"oh, you bet WON'T sobbed Andrew.
with deep conviction.
You get right up and come home with
me- 1 won't leave YOU here another day.
For in the instant there flashed over her
The glory Of a new world of possibilities.
That furniture. II she sold it for any
such sum as those young women said. and
invested that, The interest would give her
all the money she needed to bring Andrew
I'D, and educate him, and then start him
in life with tho principal. She didn't want
to do it-she hated to do it-but she must.
You could see there was something in the
boy. She could no. leave him here in
these influences. let come what would
come. She would not? She must taae
him home and make an honest man OF
him. That Is what the minister meant.
And OH, thank heaven, she would never
be lonesome again.
Almost at the point of tears herself with
her thronging thoughts. she bent and pu;
her arms about the hot and fevered boy,
and held his head on her breast. and
kissed him, and began to love him from
that moment
''There-there amt nobody kissed me
since Bates was hung!" he sobbed.
Miss Anna borrowed ten dollars of the
minister that day. and satisfied Mrs. Bur
rage And the two young women who
came with their vans the next week to
bring her the modern furniture and take
away the old, stayed to hang their gift
of some pretty silk curtains at her win
dows and to put in place the new things
made so much after the pattern OF the
old that she need not feel the difference
very keenly.
II suppose you don't want to sell that
old silver? It's quite thin" said one OF
them. Its really worth great deal OF
money"
why, no." said Miss Anna. 1T is Old
family silver. And my boy-Andrew-
will grow up some day and like it with the
family crest on it. But I'm going to make
YOU a present OF two O., the spoons. For
you've made me a great, a tremendous,
present! You've given me this boy. and
days and nights that will never know
Loneliness. and a heart full of thankful
ness
s., took the boy on her knee when they
had gone, and tea was cleared away. and
told him a Bible story. and sang him an
old ballad; it was yet hour before
prayer meeting In the freight the room.
looked much as they had done before. 1t
was only matter of sentiment. That
was in way dead sentiment. But this
was alive, and made life wortt living.
She could love her own dear people still.
without their old furniture. But she
couldn't have this dear boy to love. and the
furniture too. Tomorrow is Thanksgiv-
ing" she said, as she tucked him into
bed before the bell rang. But for YOU
and me, Andrew lad. 1 think hereafter It
will be Thanksgiving: every day OF our
lives.'