Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1914-01-08
OLD AUNT BEULAH
Brave Retreat Before Disaster
That Had Ruined an Old
Happy Home.
BY GEORGE Il. BOWEN.


the room and her round black face
wrinkled with anxiety.
Miss Nancy honey-dey amt a
mite O meal left In de bin" she an
nounced uncertainty.
Nancy lifted her tired eyes from
the music she was languidly copying.
Her gown was no whittier than her
pale cheeks. II there had been even
a flicker of color in the cheeks Nancy
Blair would have been beautiful. She
was delicately fair with the fragility
of convalescence after long illness.
The meal?'' she repeated vaguely.
"Aunty Beulah, can't we have eggs or
something else for supper"
shore, honey, shore" assured
Aunt Beulah, lodging back into the
dim obscur1ty of her little kitchen.
She lighted Kerosene lamp with
trembling fingers and carried it into
the bleak pantry, holding 1t high
above her head and closely scanned
the shelves.
There was brave array of Grand
mother Blair's white and gold china
saved from the wreck Of the old home,
there were Aunt Beulah's cooking
utensils and the everyday china
dishes. There was nothing else, for
poverty was pressing close upon
Nancy Blair's faltering feet.
The tiny rooms under the mansard
roof of the city house was the best
refuge of these two. Nancy and the
old servant, who had beaten a brave
retreat before the disaster that had
ruined the old happy home.
Il can take care of you Beulah,"
Nancy had said confidently, when
they had moved. But typhoid fever
had laid her low, and now in the last
days of long convalescence she was
beginning to question herself how 1t
was that Aunt Beulah had found
money for the doctor and the medi-
cine, as well as for the food and rent;
her own little store must have been
swept aside long ago. She remem-
bered on that last day, when she had
fallen sick, she had pressed her purse
into Beulah's faithful hands. Il hope
it will last until ! can earn more"
she had gasped.
"Meal-out of meal" What did
.Beulah mean? When she had finish
| ed copying this music for Miss Pc
| terman, the music teacher down on
| the first floor, she would have rs
| cents Seventy.five cents would buy
more than meal--but there were sew
eral hours of work still to be done
on it, and Naffcy fell sound asleep
with her head on the unfinished sheet.
Aunt Beulah left the pantry and
throwing red shawl about her am
pie shoulders, went down the long
| flights of stairs to the street. She
| paused uncertainty for moment and
then went doggedly toward the little
blue-painted grocery store where
she had traded since Nancy had been
sick.
Well, Aunty, what can / do for
your" asked the sharp-eyed young
grocer.
Il wanter know II yo' CANT low
me some scrubbin' ter do-an' low me
ter TAX 1t out in victuals,' said Aunt
! Beulah.
A young man who had been study
| ing the labels on shelves of timed
vegetables, turned swiftly, as the old
| ear.
The grocer turned away carelessly.
Come in tomorrow, Aunty, and I'll
talk to you about it. I'm busy now.
Aunt Beulah folded her red shawl
closer over her bosom as if to still
the turbulent beating Of her heart,
and padded heavily out of the shop,
The young man who had been In
spectng the timed vegetables follow
ed her swiftly
At the touch of his hand on her
arm, Aunt Beulah jumped.
oh, man good Lawdy, whu1ore yo
scare me dat away?" she demanded
Indignantly and then bending closer
she looked into his face. Her cheeks
turned gray. and she trembled like
a leaf. "A sperrit!" she muttered
"Doan yo' tech me, Mister Ghost
amt a-doin' no ha'm-deedy | amt!
Shut up. Aunt Beulah!" snapped
the man sharply. You know perfect
ly well that I'm not ghost. What
are you doing here in Baltimore look
ing for work."
Good lawdy, Massa Francis, dey
said you was killed daid!" gasped
Aunt Beulah. "Jes' as we was leabin
home dey says Massa Francis Day Is
done killed down dere whah dey's
buildin de canal, and Miss Nancy
bein' proud as Lucifer an sick most
OBJ de time, dey wasn't nobody tel
find out de truf"
And Nancy believes that | an
dead?" demanded Francis Day in
credulously.
Shores yore standin' yere!"
Tell ne all about it," said Fran
els sternly.
Aunt Beulah sat down on the near
est doorstep and unfolded tale o.
misfortune that wrung bitter exclama
lions from the dark-cyed youth Wher
the woman had concluded Franci!
took her work rdened hand between