Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1940-04-18

"No, dear. He'd never intind an
nyone should have stolen goods"
"Stolen!" Sheila said hotly, and
was still.
Joe came in; they consulted Joe.
And Joe said of course the fifty had
to 90 back. Sheila sat on the arm
of his chair, and wept, but she knew
there was no gainsaying Joe's de-
cision. They were all "said" by
Joe; even Nicely and Marg'ret, mar
ried and gone, still came back some
times to ask advice of wise, gentle,
clever Joe.
Because, look here, Sheila," Joe
reasoned, suppose it had been a
diamond ring?"
"Well, it isn't, joe"
"No, I know it isn't. But suppose
it had been a diamond ring in that
same little pocket, what them"
"I'd think lucky her that had a
diamond to lose!" Sheila persisted
stubbornly. But she was beaten,
and she knew it. 1T makes me cry,
thinking of my blue coat!" she said.
''Let me buy your coat for you"
"You, Joel" She kissed the rough
hard young face. "You that have
lost your job, and want to marry
Cecilia!" she mourned,r rubbing her
cheek against his.
"Celie's been crying, too," he
said, in his good-humored patient
way. cts your turn, Ma"
"There was weeks fed the lot of
ye on syrup and oatmale," Mrs.
Carscadden observed, unbalanced
II guess the bad times won't come
to that"
"Why, no, because we have each
other!" Angela exclaimed, in her
soft, ecstatic voice.
On the morning after the eventful
day of the lost jobs and the discov-
cred money, they all breakfasted to-
gether, and once again Sheila re-
turned to the attack.
Listen, Ma, supposing I 60 to
this Eighty-eighth Street place, say,
Saturday afternoon. It'll be my last
morning at the Office, and I'll be
free after one. And supposing that
some butler or somebody won't let
me in to see this &c. C. K.," who
ever she is, and suppose they're
nasty to me. Then am I to hand it
over to somebody who'll pocket it
themselves?"
"It'd be no sin on your soul if they
did," Mrs. Carscadden answered
readily.
"I'n tell you what" Sheila sud-
denly exclaimed. "I'I get myself
up-well, you wait!"
Her eyes were dancing.
"I'll fix 'em I'll bet I get my blue
coat!" she said.
'tSheila, howl" Angela demanded,
eagerly. But Sheila would only
laugh, and made no answer.
That evening, Immediately after
dinner, when Joe and Angela and
Mrs. Carscadden were lingering
over the remains of the meal, Sheila
suddenly appeared in the bedroom
door. Or rather, someone appeared
who must be Sheila, but who was
not instantly identified even by her
mother, brother and sister.
She had strained her hair back
from her always rather pale face,
which was devoid of powder or lip
red, and looked young and pathetic.
She wore an old black dress of An
gela's that was scanty and tight on
her more generous figure.
"Me mamma and papa is dead,
and I work. for lady that bates
me-" she said, in the soft, pathetic
accents of County Mayo. II found
the little purse, and sure I fought at
first l cud pay me doctors bills
wit it. But thin I rinimbered that
there'd be no blessin' whatsoever on
that"
The appreciative laughter of Joe
and Angela interrupted the pitifu1
story. Even Mrs. Carscadden
laughed. But Immediately her face
sobered into a sort of scandalized
pride in this prodigy who was her
child, her rebellious daughter.