Norwich bulletin., 1916-08-19
NANNIE HAWKINS.

car ride and a cool glass of beer with a friend without all this fuss, and l shan't give Rob up to please any wom- an, so don't say any more about it."
 All right was the quiet answer.
 Ten years before Alice Gordon had been one of the brightest girls in her native city. Her parents were dead and she held a good position in the office of an old friend of her father; but she fell ia love with gay, hand some Walter Graham and, like many another foolish girl, married him to reform him, and now at the end of ten years of struggle, disappointment and humiliating dependence on the charity of friends she was almost a nervous wreck with a boy of eight years depending on her.
 Walter was a good workman and sometimes he would let liquor alone for weeks, but the growing influence of RCb Wheeler made her life miserable. Wheeler was a dissipated, goddess man, who Sneered 2t good women and men who did not drink. No holiday or Sun day was well spent in his eyes without liquor, and as he always had money and was ready to pay the bills Walter could not see he was working to injuTe him.
 Alice had considerable talent in de scribing natural scenery, historic places, etc, and was a fair phOtOgTa- pher, and only a few days before she had received an offer of a good posi- ton at that work. She had expected to decline it because it would Oblige
 her to travel at least part of her time; but that night made her change her mind Tn the store room was
 trunk packed with her mothers bed ding, table linen, some china and siI- yer. rugs. etc, which had never been used in her home, and she began at once to pack her own trunk. She had few clothes fit to take. but there were few books, two or three new quilts and rugs, several pictures and Orna- ments.
 A change went into the suit case and then she called her boy and dress
 lars of Ter own savings and she called
 in a friendly Irish woman who had often helped in times of trouble. Sure, Pat will take his team and carry the trunks up to the next sta 1 ton and you go up on the trolley. Then the nCighbOTS will know nothing to tell for he will take them on his wheel barrow to the barn and I can lend you ten dollars as well as not. You can take the car from my house and get the express and get to Pine Hill, where
 my sister lives, tomorrow afternoon 1 Ask for Mike Kelley and 1t is just step from the depot"
 Mrs. Mccarthy packed a substantial lunch box and Pat telegrapheG from the station to MT Kelley to meet the travellers the next day.
 When Walter reached home in the wee small hours he found the house dark and deserted. Nothing was miss ing that he had been accustomed to see, and none of the neighbOrs could tell him anything, and ne did not think to ask Mrs. Mccarthy He had always looked down on the Paddles and so knew nothing of the friendship i between his wife and her mothers faithful 'heIp.'
 1ov--5 Io -aT1 l his household effects to a second hand | dealer and went to RO'b's boarding g | house. Without Alice's care and help | he soon became shabby and returned 1 to his work after one Of his frequent ! vacations to find another man in his place.
 Rob became less generous mad Wal ter drifted to other scenes a few months after Alice left.
 Pine Hill was only a flag station, but l Mike E<eEey's smiling face on the ] platform and his hearty welcome was most cheering.
 i At the little cottage Mrs. Kelley had 1 prepared for the comfort of NOra's 1 Miss Alice and her baby,' and the 1 tired woman found herself telling her | story to these new friends. | Sure, you did right" said Mrs Kel- ! ley. When man cares more for the 1 drink than for his wife and child, it is l time he had his OwE way for a spell, ! dilU lIEu tile 8uDu lFDIu Wlli take tl | hand. You are welcome here as long | as you want to stay, but old Mrs. i COrWin's cottage next house is empty 1 and some things that none of her l folks wanted are there, and I guess | her son over to the Center would be i glad to let it cheap, for there is no ! business here to bring folks" 1 MT. Carson was glad to rent his mothers neat little home for $2.5O a | month. There was kitchen. sink in ! the back entry, closet, a cupboard in i the kitchen anda large front room. On | the second floor was q large chamber 1 and two small bedrooms, besides a l large clothes closet.
 1 In the large chamber was an old | fashioned Ioedstead and a bureau, and l in the bedrooms were narrow bed | SteadS, each with straw mattress | Tn the kitchen was a small cook stove ] a square table and a home made couch | and on the front room floor was an l Cld-time red and green carpet. There were green shades at all the windows l There was a small back yard with
 wood house and pump shaded by an apple tree.
 The front door was shaded by a big maple, and a white and an Old-fash- l toned pink rose bush grew on each side | of the little porch.
 1 In the wood house were six old | wooden chairs, a, large rocker and a 1 small one. Everything was clean and
 in good order. Mrs. Gray, as she was 1 to be known to all but MT. and Mrs
 Kelley, set about arranging her home
 as soon as possible. She had paid one l months rent and had seven dollars l and a half left for food for the six
 weeks before she would get her first ] check, which she hoped would be of 1 fair value as the litt@9 <Own was rich 1 in history and natural attractions.
 The stove and table and two chairs made the kitchen inhabitable, and 1 there were iron and tin cooking uten-
 sils and a few dishes in the pantry.
 The old couch covered with a bright l knitted afghan and supplied with pill 1 lows; the two rockers and two chairs
 some pictures and a few ornaments
 for the shelf made the front room cOzy, i and rugs, dainty bed linen and quilts and the other two chairs made com | fOrtable chambers.
 Mrs. Kelley was picking berries and
 Alice earned several dollars in that
 same way, beside canning for winter
 use.
 Gordon earned vegetables and eggs by helping Mir. Kelley, with whom he
 was a great favorite.
 Five years went by and Alice owned l her little home, which had become als
 most 1uxuriant in it's furnishings, al i though TO large sum of money had 1 beaT1 Snp0t when a tramp came to