Part 22 (1/2)

”To coood while we have been wanting to do soo we becah Miss willy Croup, that as most needed in this house is blankets She said, in fact, that the blankets you had were the saht when you were first iven to your poorer neighbors, and that now you were very short of blankets, and, with cold weather co on your own bed was sufficient She even went so far as to say that the blankets she used were very thin, and that she did not think they arether that ould testify our friendshi+p and our syood, waro to willy Croup, and you both would be comfortable all winter Of course, e have done has not been upon an expensive scale We have had many calls upon us,--poor old Mrs Bradley, for one,--and we could not afford to spend ood pair of blankets, which are warm and serviceable, and we hope you will not be offended, and we do not believe that you will be, for you know our motives, and all that we ask is that when you are warift, you will sometimes think of us The blankets are out in the hall, and I have no doubt that Miss willy Croup will bring them in”

Mrs Cliff's eyes filled with tears She wanted to speak, but how could she speak! But she was saved from further e in the doorway, had gone to get the blankets, Miss Shott could be restrained no longer

”I aan, ”that, while I put et those blankets,--and alad to be able to do it, Mrs

Cliff,--I don't think that we ought to do anything which would look as if ere giving our countenances to useless extravagances in persons, even if they are our friends, ith but small means, think they must live like rich people, si them

It is not for -houses, to vestibule cars and fur-trimmed cloaks; but I will say that when I am called upon to help my friends who need it, I will do it as quick as anybody, but I also feel called upon byfor useless things what little money a person may have, when that person needs that s I shall not lad to help give you those blankets, Mrs Cliff, as anybody else is”

Every one in the roo she would not e Miss Shott had not lent any of it, but her brother, a retired carpenter and builder, had, and as his sister expected to outlive hier than she was, she naturally felt a little sore upon this point

Now Mrs Cliff was herself again She was not e With a stern severity, not unknown to her friends and neighbors in former days, she rose to her feet

”Nancy Shott,” said she, ”I don't know anything that makes me feel more at home than to hear you talk like that You are the sa to spank it at the sa of that money I borrowed from your brother Well, I borrowed that for a year, and the time is not up yet; but when it is, I'll pay it, every cent of it, and interest added I knehat I was about when I borrowed it, and I knohat I ary and pay it before it becoe it to you That is all I have to say to you

”As for you, Mrs Perley, and the other persons who gave rateful as if--just as grateful as I can be, and far oods I won't say anything more about that, and it isn't necessary, but II am ready to take the blankets, and to thank you from the bottom of my heart, but I will not have theiven back to her Whatever that was, I willthat I don't believe it will break er and marched out of the house Mrs Perley and the other lady expostulated with Mrs Cliff for a time, but they knew her very well, and soon desisted Twenty-five cents was handed to Mrs Perley to take the place of the sum contributed by Miss Shott, and the ladies departed, and the blankets were taken up-stairs Mrs Cliff gave one glance at them as willy Croup spread them out

”If those women could see my Californian blankets!” she said to herself, but to willy she said, ”They are very nice, and you may put them away”

Then she went to her own room and went to bed This last shock was too ht her so as she stayed in bed, people could be kept away from her, but there was nowhere else where she could be in peace

All night she lay and thought and thought and thought What should she do? She could not endure this condition of things There was only one relief that presented itself to her: sheto hiht to do

”But,” she thought, ”suppose he should say it should all go to the Peruvians!” And then she had ht on a headache, and she re, willy Croup, who had begun to regret that she had ever said anything about blankets,--but how could she have iined that anybody could be so cut up at what that old Shott woht Mrs Cliff a letter

This was froroes had just arrived in New York, from which point they were to sail for Havre

Edna wished very much to see Mrs Cliff before she left the country, and wrote that if it would be convenient for that lady, she would run up to Plainton and stay a day or tith her There would be tih for this before the stea out of bed

”Edna come here!” she exclaimed ”That would be si, and let her help me”

As soon as she was dressed, she went down-stairs and told willy that she would start for New York that very afternoon She had received a letter from Mrs Horn, and it was absolutely necessary to see her before she sailed With only a s in her hand, and nearly all her readydraft sewed up inside the body of her dress, she left Plainton, and when her friends and neighbors heard that she had gone, they could only ascribe such a sudden departure to the strange notions she had in parts When Plainton people contemplated a journey, they told everybody about it, and took plenty of time to make preparations; but South Americans and Californians would start anywhere at a ht that Mrs Cliff was too old to be influenced by association in that way, but it was plain that they had been mistaken, and there were those ere very ht to be co to her from the Valparaiso business, it would have been of little use to her Her old principles of economy and prudence must have been terribly shaken This very journey to New York would probably cost twenty dollars!

When Mrs Cliff entered Edna's roohtened She had expected her visitor, for she had had a telegralance the pale and haggard woman who had come to her

”Sick!” exclaimed poor Mrs Cliff, as she sank upon a sofa ”Yes, I am sick, but not in body, only in heart Well, it is hard to tell you what is the et to it is that it is wealth struck in, as ht to coerous as the other”

When Mrs Cliff had had soun to tell her tale, Edna listened with great interest and syood lady had nearly finished, and was speaking of her resolution to confide everything to Mr Perley, Edna's gaze at her friend becarasped the ar

”Mrs Cliff,” said she, when the other had finished, ”there is but one thing for you to do: you o to Europe with us”

”Now!” exclaie in? I and coo home,” said Edna ”You ain as soon as you got there You o e do”