Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-18

their father, anyway. Frank was
wanting to marry me, and Jim and
Flora were in school and wanted TO
stay there, of course. SO Maggie
came. Poor grill 1t was real hard
for her. She wasiSo ambitious, and
so fond OF books, But she came, and
went right into the home and kept it
SO Frank and Jim and Flora could
Nive there just the same as wher>heir
mother was alive. Aud she had to
do all the work. too. They were
too poor to keep a girl. Kind of
hard, wasn't it?-and Maggie only
1872"
TT was. indeedw Mr.. Smiths lips
came together bit grimly.
married, and, there was only Flora
and Father Duff at hons, Poor Mag
gle tried then to go to college again.
She was over q. and supposed tolbe
her own mistress, of course. She
found place where she could work
and pay her way through college,
and Flora said she'd keep the house
and take care of Father Duff. But,
dear me; it wasn't a month before
that ended, and Maggie had to come
home again. Flora wasn't strong,
and the work fretted her. Besides.
she never could get along with Fa-
ther Duff. and she was trying to learn
dressmaking, too.
"She stuck it out till she got sick,
though, then. of course, Maggie had
to come back"
well. by Jove!" calculated Mr..
Smith. .
yes, wasn't it too bads' Poor
Maggie, she tried it twice again. She
persuaded her father to get a girl,
But that didn't work, either. The
first girl and her father fought like
cats and dogs, and the last time she
got one her father was taken sick,
and again she had to come home,
Some way, it's always. been that way
with poor Maggie. No sooner does
she reach out to take something than
it's snatched away, just as she thinks
she's got it. Why, there was her
fathers cousin, George-he was 60
ing to help her once. But streak of
bad luck hit him at just that minute,
and he gave out"
And he never tried-again"
mo. He went back to Alaska then.
Hasn't ever been back since. He's
done well, too, they say, and | al
ways thought he'd send back some
thing; but he never has. There was
some trouble, believe, between him
and Father Duff at the time he went
to Alaska, so that explains it, prob
ably Anyway, he's never done any
thing for them, Well, when he gave
out, Maggie just gave up college then,
and settled down to take care Of her
father, though | guess she's laways
studied some at home; and ] know
that for years she didn't give up hope
but that she could go some time. But
l guess she has now: Poor Mag
gle"
How old is she?"
"Well, let me see-43, 44-yes, she's
as. She had her 43d birthday here
/ remember gave her a handker-
chief for a birthday present-when
she was helping me take care of Mel
lcent through the pneumonia; and
that was two years ago. She used to
come here and to Jim's and Flora's
days at time; but she isn't quite so
free as she was-Father Dufs worse
now, and she don't like to leave him
nights, much, so she can't come to us
and, of course, nobody would htink of
SO often. See?s
yes, I-see." There was queer
something in Mr.. Smiths voice. And
just what is the matter with Mr..
Duff"
"Matterp Miss Jane Blaisdell gave
a short laugh and shrugged her shoul-
ders. "Everything's the matter
with Father Duff! Oh, it's nerves,
mostly, the doctor says, and there are
some other things-long names that
| can't remember. But, as said,
everything's the matter with Father
Duff. He's one of those men where
ther isn't anything quite right. Frank
says he's got so he just objects to
everything-on general principles. If
it's blue, he says it ought to be black,
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