Year: 1879

yes, she cried. I'm a great deal better
and happier than ever 1 was, because l
can help along with the rest


Then 1 kissed her, and turned my
tired head to the pillow. 1 was only too
glad to take q brief and troubled respite.
And shortly after l arose and dressed,
and toward evening Mrs. Balbriggan
called to tell me that Tom had asked her
to 60 with me in the evening.


We got into the cab that Tom had
provided, and shortly went into what
Tom called the side entrance to the in
surance office, and made our way into a
gaudy little curtained stall, with lot Of
fiddlers twsnging away within hands
breadth. Oh the bitterness OF that mo-
ment Tom, the lad that I had loved
and trusted, had tricked me into coming
to the theater to assuage misery that
he could not understand or comfort, and
had given me over to the company of
this crazy Balbriggan woman, who was
already pulling upon her pudgy hands
pair of yellow gloves many sizes too
small. My heart swelled to bursting.
I looked about me for ameans OF escape,
but the play had already begun, and the
stage was filed with motley crowd of
women and sailors. One of these ex-
changed a glance with Mrs. Balbriggan,
siding up tothe box, and another of them
following her. Mrs. Balbriggan nudged
me with her fan, and asked if / had ever
seen them before. Andas one OF the poor
creatures gjggling up in my face, I could
not but see the startling resemblance to
Jane Balbriggan, while the fat little tawd
ry thing by her side was the image of her
sister Susan. Scarce recovered from
this bewilderment, 1 saw that one of the
sailors was John and another poke OF
Mrs. Balbriggan's s fan drew my attention
to fine, handsome young officer just
striding upon the stage. Before he be-
gan to sing 1 knew it was Tom, and sank
back in my seat.


Its quite family party said Mrs.
Balbriggan. There's lots of 'em from
the Lutheran church, But loud
burst of applause drowned her voice,
and before that awful Balbriggan began
jogging me with her fan L knew the



awful moment had come. 1 suppose 1
was fool. Other people might have
been proud Of her beauty and talent
and success, but the tears ran out of my
eyes and as she stood there in the big
bonnet that only served to set off her
lovely face, and bowed to the gaping
crowd, l felt as many another wretched
soul when seeing dear one upon the
scaffold.


It was hard for the dear child, l
knew, to come straight from the ad-
miration and applause of the multitude
to the frantic clutch and wild imploring
of ber poor prude Of a sister.


IGs only the Pinafore, Prue,' begged
Tom; the purest, neatest, most en-
chanting little opera, and Little B utter
cup has to do with nobody but me. You
wouldn't object to her being a prima
donna, if it lay in her powor?'


God knows 1 wouldP I said, and
they shook their heads hopelessly.
What was the use of strivingP The
mischief was done. could coax Daisy
into a reluctant consent to give it up,
but the child's heart would be there.
What was the use? 1 was, as Mrs.
Balbriggan said, an absurd, prinky old
maid. / made no further complaint or
resistance, and Daisy thought was re-
signed; but Tom has promised me, on
his homer, that he and Daisy will be
married soon, and that his wife shall
never set her foot upon the stage. e.--Har-
per'S Weekly.