Year: 1879

| olAO CIV oaAus W lIAs AhINs NOullSs MY q
is the dearest girl in the world, and
know all about it. sst


81 was took right down. couldn't
say a word If she had pitched into me
| could have talked all day like book.
/ was primed to fight for Myra; but
hadn't allowed for this, and / was such
an old fool that though / was in that
grand parlor boo-hOoed right out, for
Myra was the apple of my eye. can't
tell you how l felt. | believe could
have lain right down and let Mrs. Street
walk over my body into heaven while
stayed outside. | felt she would be so
good to Myra. l seemed to be walking
on air, and it sparkled with gold-dust.
And the young people! Myra went about
as if she was moving to some tune that
was singing inside of her, and Frank
looked as if he owned heaven for himself
and to give away to everybody besides.


" After while they were married.
She was such picture in her wedding
dress Frank had her painted playing on
a harp, and put in gilt frame over the
mantelpiece. 1t kind of made the whole
room bright. and body felt as if there
was no trouble anywhere and nothing
but youth and hope in the world. If
Myra could go straight to heaven look
ing that way, no one would notice that
she was different from the other angels.


Mr.. Street gave them the incest little
house, and it was fixed up with the
'cuteSt furniture. | didn't think Myra
would know much about money-matters.
| should as soon have expected one of
the winged boys on the valentines to
have pocket for cash as Myra to be saw
| ing; but she took to managing, and kept
house beautifully. Everything went on
like clockwork, and they lived like birds
for two years. She was as neat and handy
in the kitchen as if l had done nothing
but teach her cooking, and then she'd
away to the piano and you'd hear her
voice ringing all through the house.


when people are just satisfied and
happy, then look out for change: from
the time ofthe Shining Mount till now
| you may know it is too good to last.
Frank was lawyer, and a real smart
one too. He had lots of business, he had
such pleasant way. You have look
in your eyes like Frank But he grew
weakly-had some inward disease, and
his father wanted him to 60 to Europe.
So Myra left her baby with me, and they
went in a big ship to the old country.
Dear-bought and far-fetched may be
good for well people, but home is the
place for sick folks. Myra always wrote
that Frank was getting better, but he
had taken little cold or he was tired,
but he would soon sbe strong again.
You see, she couldn't face it, but |
knew what was coming. They travelled
about from pillar to post: they went to
| Carlsbad for the baths; to Nice for the
climate; to somewhere else for the good
living. | don't believe they ever got
one such beeksteak as could broil for
them; they had no fires; they were
starved for home comforts, and the doc
tors could do nothing but charge, charge
At last my little Myra was left alone in
that great big strange country. Her
mother was not with her when the great
sorrow rolled over her We don't know
what we can stand until it comes. A
friend heard of her affiiction and brought
her home"


A piteous expression passed over my
clients face as she looked at me and
said: "When first saw Myra you don't
know how she had broke. She stood
opposite her picture, looking pale as
! ghost in her black dress and widows
| cap; you would have known that the
river of death had rolled between her
and the girl who was holdiag the harp
Maybe | ought to have told her Of the
| shadow that was coming. But how
could my crushed lily have stood against
such hailstormP All the preparation
in the world could not have helped her.


Everybody was so kind to her, and
little frankie grew more like his father
every day. Some of the hopeless look
wore out of my dariing's face, and in
time she seemed more willing to live
for her child.


"What, with grief for his son, and
not having a lawyer to attend to his
business after Frank died, Mr.. Street
seemed to get into all sorts of trouble.
He had retired and given up his store
long before. But he was old; he talked
all about his matters to strangers. |
am growing old too," she smiled as she
said that, but continued as before "He
was easy-tempered, and kept signing his
name when people asked him to. You see,
there were plenty of scamps thought he
had plenty of money that they might as
well pick up as not. [ wish Abraham
Street had never known how to write.
Nobody ever got any good ofall these sign.
ings, but he was cheated and tormented
and pestered till his life became bur
den. He sold the big house and satin
furniture and great glasses and all, but
he never got any money. Somebody
cabbaged the money Mr.. Street had
worked and raked and scraped all hi,
life to make. Then Mr. and Mrs. Street
moved into Myra's house, and his
troubles kept the poor old man awake
nights till he just gave up and died, anC
his wife died soon after Of q broken


heart.


"And when his affairs were looked


into there was not cent left; only the


house that was given to Myra when sh,


was married, That was hers. She couiC


not eat it or drink it or make it int


jackets for frankie, you know; so per


suaded her to come and live with mi
! and let the house furnished secured


it as clean as a new pin, and fixed al
Myra's pretty vases and things about OF
the cunning little brackets, and it lookot
/ so nice and cozy that thought every
ody would rush for it. Then | adver
, tised it for forty dollars month. Myr;
, was not one of the talking kind, and
I did not want her to be put down or i'm
posed upon; so | went to stay with he
| when people came to look at the house
5 If you want to know how hateful
: and tossy and bossy and snubby rea
t nice people can be, just let them com
Y to rent house of you when you're moth
(. ing but woman. You would hav
4 thought everybody had come from
D marble palace, and that Myra's hous
= was II shanty, they seemed so stuck UP
, 1T was natural should fire up some
+ times when people turned up their nose
It ut our pretty little home and found fort


faults with it. and were not willing t
G give half the price they ought to. The
y haggled about the rent and abused tn
t place till | couldn't stand it. Wasn't
l.. aogravatinp when il had been 200