Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-06-11
Exit HAD A SIGHT BETTER STAYED AT
HOME 2 YOU"

ground. ''Think of the child keeping
books summers, taking only a skinny
two weeks rest, and yet standing at
the head of her class-why, ST. she de-
serves the handsomest white frock we
can buy her!!"
"Shucks! I'd like to meet the fool
woman-I bet Il round silver dollar it
was a woman-that invented gradu-
atm. Now Kits got her le'rnin' why
can't she come home peaceable without
maxim a brass band circus Of herself?"
The chin nodded eXcitedly. 81 know
them graduatin' shows! They squeeze
you into Il hotbed crowded with chairs,
and there you sit shut up tight in a
boiled shirt. your best clothes smellin'
Of the moth balls that have been in
'em since the last funeral, the sweat
streamin' down your face like the
creeks in a freshet."
"Perhaps," said Elizabeth shyly,
"'tisn't the ups and downs that make
life, but the way you take them-the
thin ears of corn along with the full"
She placed the last filed box in the
waiting space Of the drawer and slow
ly Strengthened her stiff. aching body.
II know it's been a bad year, 81, but
fxings for her commencement means
so much to a girl, and Kitty couldn't
save up for them. 1t was hard enough
to make both ends meet anyway. II
you could just strain a point for the
frock, if"-
81 told you interrupted Silas, 81
hadn't the money to spend on any such
foolishness, and that ends it." The
chin wagged vehemently. "Ill not be
pestered to death about it, neither-you
understands"
Elizabeth turned to the house in 81
lence. She did understand. She had
been Silas' wife thirty years. But the
tightly closed lips were not closed in
meekness, and the faded gray eyes
flashed. The child should have her
FILINGS somehow-yes. even If her
mother had to take Elizabeth sank
into a kitchen chair, the corners of her
mouth quivering, her hands dropped
helplessly in her lap. Then, as though
ashamed of a weakness, she sprang to
her feet and resolutely fastened up.
stairs into her bedchamber.
She gave a swift, stealthy glance over
her shoulder as she knelt before her
opened bureau drawer, pulling out from
the toe Of a knitted slipper a small
wad wrapped in an old glove. Breath
lessly she emptied her treasure trove,
-.--:oo -:oJrol, 1-l I},oe fo11inr soft.
ly upon the bills that her proud fingers
had counted out on the floor. Nine
dollars and eighty-seven cents was the
measure Of her opportunity for self de-
NAL, the means to fulfill her hearts
desire. for the radiant purpose to at
tend Kitty's commencement had been
a golden dream bridging in happiness
the loneliness. toll and hardships Of the
past three years, and to that end she
had industriously boarded every cent
that she could call her own, rising an
hour earlier busy summer mornings tt
pick wild berries for the Doctors wife
sitting up winter nights to manufac'
ture tomato pincushions for the Christ
mas trade at the Hillsboro store. She
gathered the money in her hands. hug
ging it to her breast. "Kitty's to speal
a piece" she sobbed. 1.-THE child's go
ing to speak a piece. and her mother
won't be there"
The hot. tedious days heightened, ant
Elizabeth went through her routine o
duties with the soulless precision of {
machine.
Are you under the weather. moth