Year: 1875

Mother" he Gays suddenly, will
you go and see them 2"
She didn't answer for minute, on.
ly stood looking down at him, and
then said softly


"rhey paid you the first money!?


NO." he says hotly. Il hadn't the
heart to take it.


Then that money you paid was
yours, Luke 2"


Yes, mother" he says. simply; and
those two stopped looking one at the
other, till the wife bent down and
kissed him. holding his head after
ward for few minutes between her
hands; for she always did worship
that chap, our only one; and then l
closed my eyes tight and went on


breathing heavy and thinking.


For something like a new revelation


had come upon me. l knew Luke
was FIVE and twenty and that | was


fifty four, but he always seemed like
boy to me, and here was | waking
up to the fact that he was q grown up


man. and that he was thinking and


feeling as I first thought and felt


when saw his mother, nigh upon
eight and twenty years ago.


/ lay back. thinking and telling my
self !! was very savage with him tor


deceiving me, and that wouldn't


have him and his mother laying plots
together against me, and that l


wouldn't stand by and see him make
fool of himself with the first pretty
girl he set his eyes on, when he might
marry Maria Turner, the engineers


daughter, and have nice bit of money
with her to put into the business, and
f1or ho p,u rtnpr


No" [ says; "if you plot together
I'll plot all alone" and then l pre-


tended to wake up, took no notice, and


had my supper.


kept rather gruff the next morn
ing, and made myself very busy about
the place, and dare say spoke more
sharply than usual. but the wife and
Luke were as quiet as could be; and
about IL I went out. with little oil
can and two or three tools in my
pockets.
/ 1t was not far to Benefits place.
! and on getting to the right house [
! asked for Mrs. Murray, and was di-
rected to the second floor, where, as l
reached the door. could hear the
clinking Of my sewing machine, aud
whoever was there was so busy over
it that she did not hear me knock, Sc
| opened the door softly and looked
| in upon as sad Il scene as | shall ever,
l dare say. see.


| There in the bare room sat, asleep
in her chair, the widow lady who
came about the machine, and l could
see that in her face which told plainly
enough that the pain and suffering
she must have been going through for
years would soon be over, and, stu
| ated as she was, it gave me kind of
/ turn.


! Its no business of yours," I said
! to myself, roughly; andI turned then
(; to look who it was bending over my
I; machine.


! Icould see no faec-only slight
: figure in rusty black; and a pair of
!, busy white hands were trying very
hard to govern the thing, and to learn
/ how to use it we'll.


$50 that the gal. is it p I said to
myself. An. Luke, my boy, you We
got to the silly calf age, and | dare
say"


| I got no further, for at that moment
the girl started, turned around. and
| turned upon PIE timid, wondering
face. that made my heart give queer
throb, and couldn't take my eyes off
her.
..Hush!' she said softly, holding
m her hand; and I saw it was as thin
and Transparent as if she had been
ILL.,


MY names Smith, - I said, taking
, out screwdriver. MY machine
how does it go? Thought I'd come
| and see.
! Her face lit up in a moment, and
she came forward eagerly.
I'm so glad you've come, she
said, Il cant quite manage this"


She pointed to the thread regulator,
and the next minute l was showing
her that was too tight, and somehow,
in gentle timid way, the little witch
quite got over me. and stopped there
over two hours helping her, till her
eyes sparkled with delight. as she
found out how easily she could now
make the needle dart in and out of
hard material.


DO you think you can do it now?
[ said.


'Oh, yes, think SO; am SO glad
you came"


80 am u says 1 gruf1y; it will
make it all the easier for you TO earn
the money and pay for it.
And l will work so hard" she
said earnestly.
That you will, my DEAR" says in
spite of myself, for | felt sure it wasn't
me speaking, but something in me.
She been i'll long?" l said, nodding
toward her mother.


Months she said, with tears
starting in her pretty eyes, but she
added brightly, 81 shall have enough
with this to get her good medicines
and things she can fancy" and, as
looked at her, something in me said
God bless you, my dear! l hope
you WILL" aud the next minute was
going down stairs calling myself
fool.


They thought I didn't know at
home, but | did; there was the wife
going over and over again to BENEFITS
place; and all sorts Of little nice
things were made and taken there.
often used to see them talking about
it. but took no notice: and that art
full scoundrel, my boy Luke, used to
pay the half,crown every week out OF
his own pocket, after going to fetch it
from the widows.


And all the time l told myself /
didn't like it, for I could sec that
Luke was changed. and always think
ing of that girl-a girl not half good
enough for him. remembered being
poor myself, and 1 hated poverty, aud
I used to speak harshly to Luke and
the wife, and feel very bitter.


At last came an afternoon when
knew there was something wrong.
The wife had gone out directly after
dinner, saying she was going to see a
sick womau-I knew who it was,
bless you! and Luke was fdgeting