Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-13

skirt seen. ed to let the chill air in upon
her shrinking body. Midway of the dis
tance she came to a grocery store and
bought half pound of tea. As she
moved away from the counter she
caught sight of newly opened barrel of
fine apples. The alert grocer saw her
wistful look. She sometimes sewed for
his wife, and he knew her circumstances.
He picked up the biggest apple in sight.
Just got these in today he said.
Here, take this with you
He held out the luscious apple, but
Jenny drew back timorously.
..Oh. no. thank you, Mr.. Scott she
stammered. Il never eat apples
Then she fled before her lie could
cool. 1t shamed her to think that he had
seen the hunger in her eyes. Her chin
quivered with the agony of that humilia-
tion-to be offered charity. AT least her
pride had kept her from accepting it.
She went on as fast as she could toward
home-a single room with a closet at
tachment on the second floor of an old
house on back street. There was a tiny
coal stove in the room aglow with fire.
Jenny turned on its drafts, lowering over
After few moments she took off her
things and lit the lamp on the table. 1t
was there she saw a letter.
Jenny seldom received any mail. She
had no relatives save a cousin of her
fathers whom she had never seen and
had lost track of entireyl. Such friends
as she had were with her in Westmore.
Everybody there had a telephone. A
letter consequently was of the utmost
interest to Jenny. She took it up and
looked 1t over carefully before opening
it. 1t was addressed to Miss Jenny
Kent. Westmore." The Westmore post.
mark was distinct, but the other was
badly blurred.
all that IT contained-a long, thin slip of
blush paper, check. 1t was made out
TO Jenny Kent" and it was for SIGo. A
name was signed to it In the most care
less of scrawls Jenny could not make out
the name. But the amount was unnis-
taxable.
just for moment her head whirled
One hundred dollars, Only God and
Jenny Kent herself knew what thai
money meant to her She needed 1t Sc
to separate into dimes and nickels ant
quarters there was no end to its pos
sibi tiles. Think of il, She could spenG
half of it and still have a tidy little
future against want She could play tt,
prodigal with a tenth of it if she chose
and still scarcely miss it. To have $,
TO spend just as she wished at one,
without wondering if she could not hay,
spent il better,
Slowly Jenny got acquainted with tn,
wonderful idea of having so much wealth
HOPE sprang UP and inspiration ant
promise And she danced, laughed ant
cried for joy until she palpitated with ex
element and had to sit down and res
her poor heart.
She did not sleep much that night ant
vas not fit for work in the morning
When she had eaten she made ready an(
went to the bank. Trembling, she hand
ed in the check. The cashier looked q
1t and pushed it back under the grating
Jenny turned as pale as death. AgoniZed
she met the cashiers glance
- til IA
gently. Put your name on the back o
It, you know. Then 1 can give you tn
money"
He handed Jenny a pen and she wrot
her name. So that was all that wa
needed. A moment later the cashie
counted out for her ten beautiful, cris
bills.
II occurred to her .hat ehA -~o-.iA e,