Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-08-10
WITH
COMPOUND
INTEREST
''o-s-o-s"o.SO-~o<>.~<>o-sO-s-O-s-0-s-o-s-r
90 by d. J. Walshl

SerDread. Her sister Belle, TWO
v years older, was making sugar
cookies. Bellies sugar cookies
tempted the eye and Inflated the
palate. They were scalloped, crunchy,
sanded with sugar and In the center
of each was great clot of currant
Jelly. The recipe for those cookies
was a family heirloom and was cher
ished as such.
The two elderly unmarried sisters
Were contentedly at work in their
large, sunny kitchen on bright morn
Ing, The windows and door were open.
Thus the fragrance of their oven tray
eled far.
mingled odor of gingerbread and
small boy In dirty shirt and ragged
trousers who was trying to make
something out of an old barrel hoop
and few shingles, using stone for
hammer. The Hiclieys lived over
the back fence from the Coopers In
two or three rooms of rather dis
reputable tenament. Mr. Hickey
earned fair wages-when he worked
but he didn't work often. As he eX.
pressed It jocularly to his mates, he
and work had had falling out. Mrs.
Hickey always had "A pair of twins or
single child to trOt on her knee. She
saw no trouble about anything. Fred,
the oldest Of the family, had repu
tation for taking things that didn't be-
long to him-things like the barrel
personable with his dirty face, UNI
shorn red hair and bare feet covered
with stone bruises.
Upon this morning Fred was un.
usually hungry, AS II matter of fact
he was always hungry, for regular
meals were unheard of at the Hlckeys.
He shifted the air, found out where
the good smell came from and dropped
his tlnkerlng job. Wormlng his way
through hole In the fence, he scam
pered up the stone walk between Vira's
neat flower beds and knocked boldly
upon the back door. Vlra opened the
door. She gasped when she saw her
visitor Fred's hungry brown eyes
flashed from her to the pan Of cookies
her sister was just taking from the
oven. He pointed a grubby finger.
"Give me one' he demanded.
Good land! !" exclaimed Vlra.
That's no way to becoming to
folks houses and asking for things to
eat.
give me one!" repeated Fred, still
pointing.
"Well-if you'll say please"
please, please, pretty please"
Belle gave him two of her cookies.
And then Vlra, not to be OutdOne
slashed Off great hunk Of her ginger
bread.
"Sit down on the back steps and
cut IL. And mind you, get no crumbs
scattered round" she said Crumbs !
As If the tlniest bit of that delicious
snack could escape the ravenous lit
tie tramp.
From the doorway the sisters eyed
him curlOusly. Once or twice their
eyes met. It was shame. A child
like that to be hungry They had
never been hungry. Life had been
easy and bountlful for them always
"Do you know, Belle" whispered
Vira, there's all those things up
stairs rs"
81 was thinking that very thing
Vira."
The things belonged to their brother
Robert. who had died In his early
teens OF course every garment must
be cut over to fit the meager shape
Of the year old Fred. But the
sisters knew how to sew.
From that time Fred prospered IL,
was never again so hungry, neyeI
again ragged. And he got some much
needed training from his new friend,
When he was clean, his red hair cut
his thin little body clad In suitable
clothing he wasn't so bad looking. A
little sharp-eyed perhaps for child
But he had a keen mind. The sisters
lok a great deal of interest In him for
two or three years. Then the Hlckeys
drlfted away and all trace of them
was lost.
Years passed, Belle and Vira Cooper
continued to live in their old home
surrounded by their old-fashloned
things, clinging to their genteeI old
fashioned customs. But times changed
and new exigencles prevailed. The sig
ters came to phase OF their exist
ence when It was Just question of
nlckes and nickels, though Of course
nobody knew or cared They were to
most folks Just two old ladies' living
I'm a rather remote way. for the town
had surged away toward the new ex