The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-07-17


than beggar. and said those hor-
rible things!" Again she bent her
eyes. rereading the sentences: Took
his detractors by surprise
had just sustained a grilling a. the
hands Of the states examiner which
might we'll have dried at their fount
the springs of sympathy"
She crushed :p the paper in her
hand and rested her forehead on the
wet rail. Idiotically rich-a vandal-
useless, purse-proud fianeur. 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 mo-
ment she found herself smiling again.
Though she had hurt him, she had
saved him. too! When she whispered
this over to herself 1t 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 face as
brown as a tobacco leaf. restless black
eyes and wool neatly pinned and set
off by an amber comb.
Honey" called Emmaline, Use
been fearin' TO- yo' wild all that light
min r'arin' eroun'. Yo' got tn Jess
mine? Give 'em 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'n tn hot watah.
en- l SEN Ranston with that tn fus'
thing Yo' hurry en- 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
dinjng-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 muf-
fled clash of silver, the light tat-tat OF
a 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 q white silk shawl which
dropped its heavy fringes to her daint-
ily-shod feet. On the lower step she
halted, looking smilingly about at the
blossomino bowls.
Don they smell up tn whole
house?" said Emmaline. Il knowd
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 ddsky
form bending to the fragile pressure OF
the fingers. Now heah's yo' cha'h.
Ranston he made up little fab jes'
to take tn damp out. en- tn big lamps
lit, en- Miss Shirley'll be down right
quick"
A moment later, in fact, Shirley de-
seconded the stair. in fllmy gown OF
India-muslin. with a narrow betting or
gold, against whose flowing sleeves
her bare arms showed with flushed
pinkness the hue of the pale coral
beads about her neck. The damp
newspaper was in her hand.
At her step her mother turned her
head: she was listening intently to
voices that came from the garden-a
child's shrill treble opposing RAN
ston's stentorian grumble.
CTo BE CoNTINUED9 ~