The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-05-07

SAe pduSSu 10 uSH out uragglod R1cn-
mond newspaper. AS she thrust it un.
der her arm her eye caught word OF
headline. With flush she tore ii
from it's soggy wrapper, the wetted
hber parting in her eager fingers, and
resting her foot on the lower rail of
the gate, spread it open on her knee.
She stood stock-still until she had
read the whole. 1t was the story OF
John Valiant's sacrifice of his private
| fortune to save the ruin iof the in
| volved corporation.
Its effect upon her was shock. She
| felt her throat swell as she read: then
she was chilled by the memory of
| what she had said to him. what
has he ever done except play polo and
furnish spicy paragraphs for the so.
| ciety columns?"
What beast I was!" she said, ad-
| dressing the wet hedge HE had just
done that splendid thing. 1t was be-
cause of that that he was little better
than beggar, and l said those hor-
rible things!" Again she bent her
eyes, rereading the sentences: Took
his detractors by surprise
had just sustained a grilling at the
hands of the states examiner which
might well have dried at their fount
the springs of sympathy"
She crushed up the paper in her
hand and rested her forehead on the
wet rail. Idiotically rich-a vandal-
a useless, purse-proud faneur. She
had called him all that! She could
still see the paleness of his look as
she had said it,
Shirley, overexcited as she still was,
felt the sobs returning. These, how
ever, did not last long and in a mo-
ment she found herself smiling again.
Though she had hurt him, she had
saved him, too! When she whispered
this over to herself it still thrilled and
startled her. She folded the paper
and fastened on under the cherry
trees.
Emmaline, the negro maid was wait
ing anxiously on the porch. She was
thin to spareness, with a face as
brown as tobacco leaf, restless black
eyes and wool neatly pinned and set
off by an amber comb.
Honey" called Emmaline, Use
been fearin' fo' yo' wild all that light
min r'arin' eroun' Yo' got tn jess
mine? Give EN- to Em'line. She'll fix
'em all nice, jes' how Mis- Judith like"
"All right, Emmaline," replied Shir-
ley. "And I'll go and dress. Has
mother missed me?"
Nom. She ain lef' huh room this
whole blessed day. Now yo' barth's
all ready-all 'cep'p tn hot watah,
en- l sen. Ranston with that tn fus'
thing Yo' hurry ell peel them wet
close off yo'se'f, or yo' have one O.
them digested chills."
Her young mistress flown and the
hot water despatched the negro wom-
an spread a cloth on the floor and
began to cut and dress the long stalks
of the flowers. This done she fetched
bowls and vases, and set the pearly-
white clumps here and thereon the
dining-room sideboard, the hall man
tel and the desk of the living-room-
till the delicate fragrance filled the
house, quite vanquishing the rose
scent from the arbors
AS the. trim colored woman moved
lightly about in the growing dusk,
with the low click of glass and Inuf-
fed clash of silver, the light tat-tat of
cane sounded, and she ran to the
hall, where Mrs cambridge was de-
scending the stairway, one slim white
hand holding the banister, under the
edge of a white silk shawl which
dropped it's heavy fringes to her daint-
ily-shod feet. On the lower step she
halted, looking smilingly about at the
poisoning bowls.
Don they smell up tn whole
house?" said Emmaline. Il know'd
y'o be pleas, Mis- Judith. Now put
yo' han on nah shouldah en- I'll take
yo' to yo' big cha'h.
They crossed the hall, the dusky
form bending to the fragile pressure OF
the fingers. Nov heah's yo' cha'h.
Ranston he made up little fab jes'
to take tn damp out, @S tn big lamps
lit, en- Miss Shirley'n be down right
quick"
A moment later, In fact, Shirley de-
scended the stair, in flmy gown of
India-muslin, with naprow betting OF
gold, against whose Sowing sleeves
her bare arms showes7 with flushed
pinkness thu hue or che pale coral
beads abous her necs. The damp
newspaper was in her 'iand.
At her step her mother turned heg
head: she was listening inteatly TIA
voices that came from the gayden-o
child's shrill treble exposing faU
ston's stentorian crumbs.
(TO BE CoNTINGED.)