Year: 1879

1 remember the way it began. 1t was
in April, and some OF the house-clean
ing was done. The parlor stove had
been taken down and sewed up in its
usual canvas bag for the season. Aunty
said she wouldn't have the dirt and muss
Of fire upon her freshly turned carpet.
We were SO sorry, Daisy and Tom and
/, because it was the one CHEEKY spot in
the whole room. Outside of the dear
old thin-legged and thinner toned piano
there wasn't now comfortable feature
in the whole grim circumference of it.
As for Daisy and me, we staid out by
the kitchen range pretending to be still
doing up the dishes, and it was a mercy
we did, for Cousin Tom came right to
us instead of blurting into the parlor
with his pale face and melancholy news.
Somehow the minute he took his hat off
L knew by the look of his hair that
something had happened. 1t usually
laid kind of curly and soft about his
forehead, but now it was lank and stiff
and petrifed-looking. He came right
up to us and said, in a blood. curdling
way, Girls, the bank has busted


Not aunty's bank?' said Daisy, for I
couldn't speak.


The one where she kept her tin,' said
Tom. It's gone up the spout C1eanp
he added, with mournful emphasis.


With one accord we took a peep
through at aunty, as people always will
gaze upon fallen horse, house afre,
or any other miserable spectacle.


She was sitting up by the window as
stiff as ever; her nose from red had
become blue, and her hands had deep
ened to purple. There was gray
look in her face of age, of loneliness, Of
Heaven knows what, that set the tears
to flow out Of Daisy's lovely eyes, and
made queer lump in my throat.


who can tell her p whispered Daisy,
while we all shrank at the bare thought
of such q thing.


After all, why tell her?' said Cousin
Tom. 4 always drew the money; il
will be an easy thing to keep up the
humbug Of the book


But the humbug Of the money is the
difficult part said.


We'll, it will be tight shave, said
Tom 'there'll be some tall scroogeing
when rent.day comes around, but
think can manage it now.'


We knew that Tom was in an insur-
ance cfIlce, and thought the work was
\ light, tho pay was corrospondingly va
brous, and he had always given what
ye could for the mutual support. / was
glad to see him put SO brave face upon
X the calamity but now that aunty's in.
come was gone / couldn't sec how We
Kwere to make ends meet. II had always
Served to pay the rent, which was q big
N item in our expenses.


NO ANOu uOIOhb bOWu-uO UlUVUBl
where we had the whole second anG
part Of the third floor in one OF those
old-fashioned, deep window-silled, wide
|, and mellow mansions, that was quite
4 genteel and grand when aunty first wen
to housekeeping with her two LITTLE
orphan niecos. Daisy was but bab!
then, and it was not till some years late
on she gave shelter to Cousin Tom. B.
that time this spacious domain was sadl.
altered the paint had become more ant
more yellow with every year that wen
by the walls took deeper, not to 50.
a dingier hue. went to the sto yer,
heavy.heorted that morning, and coulC
scarce get patience to endure the whim
and ways OF my customers. On the wa!
home my hend began to ache as we'll q
my heart; but before / was well up TIN
stoop / heard the jingle Of the piano
Tom was there before me, and he ant