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-~ ~ A ESSIE'S STORY By ELLEN FRIZF.4 WYCOFF (Copyright.) The pobtman's whistle sounded clear, and sharp down the street. Misu Brent's heart gave a. qu ck throb, and she saw her cheeks flush as she tied her-hat on before the little looking glass. ' - Now the whistle was nearer. She went to the door and waited. Suppose she had won the. prize! Again her heart throbbed and her cheeks flushed. - She held out her hand as the man stopped before her. A low groan es -caped her lips as he handed out a thick package. She went inside and laid it 'under some books on the hall table. Again she had failed. She waited long enough to brush the hot tears from her eyes, and then hurried oit of the house and down'to' the store where her long, tiresome days were dragged out. The lamp was burning in the hall when she- came back: Snatching the thick package from its hiding place she went up to her room. "A letter, Dolly?" Miss Brent kissed the pale face that turned so gladly toward her. "Nothing of importance, Bess. How .havo you been to-day?" "Pretty well. The sun has been so bright." Miss Brent looked around the -cheerless little room. Each year had found her home poorer and poorer un til now there was scarcely a comfort left. She laid her hat on the lied be .side the letter; "nothing of import called it, but how her led over those neatly How she had hoped it good might come to , ess from that labor of love! and now here it was before her, returned as utterly worthless. Tears came, again, to Dolly's brown eyes, but Bess must not see tliem. She went about the 'room preparing the ,evening meal. "Only one cup of tea, Dolly!" Bess exclaimed when her chair had been rolled up to the table. "I must be taking care of my nerves, Bess. My hand has trembled twice to-day," Dolly said, bending her face low as she took up'the toast. Bess stirred her tea in silence. "'And no butter on your toast?" she asked, as Dolly, chatting gayly, ate leri' dry b-ead. "Bess, my gear, look at that1" She leaned over and pointed to a pimple on her pretty, dimpled chin. "Well, what of that?" "Just this: I'm not going to ruinny complexion for the sake of having but ter on my toast. At 30 . a woman needs to take -care of hor 'good loqks." * "I never. imagined you cared for such things, Dolly. I am surprised," Bess said with wide open eyes. "You pin one dowvn so, BesU. I'm zvery much ashamed to show my weak. ness to .you, but I abhor pimples," Dolly said with a shamefaced air. Oh, I don't blame you, only it must be so hard to not eat things you like." Doily's lips quivered, but she smiled bravely. "Pride knows 'no pain," she quoted merrily, and the'n chatted brightly about the people she had seen in the store, entertaining Bess with many scraps of conversation she had *overheard. After awhile the child was asleep. Doily covered the little aching limbs she had' been rubbing, and .turned I away frorn the bed. She sat down by the lamp, holding tethick, unwelcome letter in her han d. Mechanically she opened it, and instead of the printed slip she had expected, a letter fell out of the *envelope. She laid the mianuscd-ipt on the table, and -unfolded the letter. "Am I dreaming, or are the wordi really here?" she said aloud, a glad * light in her eyes and her hands all a tremble. She read it again. There was no mistake. The editor had been -so pleased with the plot of her story '.....he returned it, begging her to lengthen it for him, and offering. a price for it that amazed her. In ?he meantime he would buy her sh'oft stories. Dolly wanted to scream with de light. And then, settling down in her Joy, she began to wonder what short story she could send. With the editor's unexpected letter before her, her thoughts, somohow, - romance. * ' - ii: .ody would would sus. - little Miss . '. .e tucked away in her uneventful past? And, after all, 'It was net much of a * story. She had made a very poor sort of a heroine. And Tom, well, there {never was anybody like Tom. He was hero enough for any story, for hadn't he wanted to take tier and her mother and littleg puny, baby Dess to his home, fthere there was scarcely enough for t his own wI'dowed mother and the fam- i ily of helpless girls? - She had said no, and the drifting apart began, and now they were for. ever lost to each other. She drew her little desk- to her and wove her one little dream into a sweet, homely story, and then until late in the night she wrote, lengthen ing the returned story. At last, cold and tired and hungry, c she crept into bed with' Bess, and fell 11 asleep to dream of her brave,- bonny c lover, her hero, Tom. -Her eyes were bright now. and t there was no trembling of the steady I hand. Hope gave her new life. Peo. t ple turned to look again at the radiant E fare, and Bess declared that Dolly's f abstinence was really making her I prettier every day, and Dolly laugh- C ingly replied that, after all, she felt a herself giving way, and .feared that a she would drift back into luxurious a habits again. I The weather was growing cooler 8 now, but Dolly laughed at the wind a as it tugged at her thin jacket, and c smiled as the first rain drops pattered down. "I wonder if Bess sees them," she said, hurrying on. Ah, yes, there 1 was the dear, pale little face pressed ggainst the window, but-Dolly almost stopped with surprise. There above the child's face was an. other. A man's bearded face! Was Bess worse and had some one gone for thA doctor?..-Dolly's heart stood still with fear. Now, that she could do I so much for little Bess, was she-a sob choked Dolly, and she hurried on. Stumbling up the steps 3he made her way to the room that held her one treasure. "Oh, Bessie, my darling, what is the C matter?" she cried, kneeling beside her sister's chair. t "Nothing, Dolly, not the least thing. f This is Mr. Darron, and he has been l waiting for you. He is an editor." Dolly stood up, her face flushed and her eyes wet with tears. "I was so afraid, sir, that you might be a doctor; I thought my sister-" "Yes, I see. I etmne because the story you sent-" and then he stopped short, and his face, grave and earnest, looked as if the sun had broken t 1 Hurried Down to the Store. through the rain clouds just to shine on it.-r Bessie had turned back'to the win.t dow, and was watching the big rain drops pattering down. Dolly's. bro'wn eyes were shining. "Doily, I knew the story, and I know you, dear." "Yes, Tomn, it is I," she said, very softly. "And so I have found you! I be lieved whoever wrote the story must know you, but it is better to know you did it yourself. I've been looking for yoty Dolly." "I am glad you have found me, Tom," she said simply. "Oh, Dolly, see-" and then Bessie's eyes opened wide, and she gave ut. teranco to a very wondering and pro- I longed "Oh!" at which the editor I seekned greatly amused, though Dolly blushed to the roots of he, soft brown . hair. - "Ah, Dolly, I know now why you kept from eating butter on your toast that you might be prettyl" Bessie cx. claimed. "Did she do that?" Tom asked. "Yes, and she is prettier, too, but whoever thought Dolly had a sweet heart?" Tom laughed. "She has had himi a long time, Bess, and now he has come to take you both away. You'll go with him, won't you? You see it will take us both to cure, Dolly of her vanity." And Bessie said "Yes," very con- '] tentedly, and the rain drops fell out- t side, but a great joy shorme in the eyes , hat watched them from the high, nar ow window close to the root. DWELLERS OF FLORIDA KEYS. 'hey Are Skillful Fishers, and Make an Easy Living. The people on the Florida keys are nown, as "Chonchs," and are interest ig in their way. They know their wn country, but are lost if attempt. ig to act as guides out of it. The lear water about the keys makes the so of the water glass cOillion, and hey are very expert with it. This rater glass is simply a strong bucke.t, he bottom of which is made of glass. linking the bottom of this bucket a Dw Inches under the water, a Chonch rill see fish and "Florida lobsters," r crayfish, at a considerable 'depth, nd spear them with the grains. They iso show skill with the casting net ud understand diving for turtles. lear some of the keys are good ponge grounds, and with these and 11 kinds of fish, helped out with an ceaslonal job of wrecking when some Dolish vessel conies ashore, the !onch makes an easy living.-Travel lagazine. SIZE OF POULTRY. iuch Can Be Done By Breeding to increase or Decrease Size. The size of poultry varies and may 'e made to vary still more. The pos. Ibilitles of variation in this respect re beyond the experience of any. It ; possible that poultry can be made to ary as greatly in size as do canines, mong which are found some no zrger than rats and others as big as alves. The question for the farmer to set. le is what is'the most profitable size or him to keep. In the matter of ens, where they are to be used for etting, it is easy to get them too arge. One poultry raiser has had a reat deal- of trouble with his Ply riouth.-Rocks, some of which are ex essively large. He sets some of them very year, and the large ones reak most of the eggs on which they ,re placed, while the medium ones sel. lom break an egg. For eating purposes some of the owls are now being grown to great ize, especially in the case of turkeys, t'here specimens are every year sold hat weigh above 40 pounds. Weights if 60 pounds and excess are recorded, ut we have not reached the point yet vhere that weight is common. -EEDING TROUGH FOR POULTRY. )ne Which Will Prevent the Mussing of the Feed. A correspondent of the Prairie armor has hit upon an idea for mnak. ug a poultry trough for the poultry Feed Trough Open and Closed. vhich he says Insures the fowls from nussing the feed. A good idea is fur ished in the accornipanying illuistra ion. An ordinary deep trough is made vith a cover hinge in the top as hown. FATTENING CHICKENS. )ne Man Finds it Pays to Let the Farmers Fatten the Birds. At the meeting of- the Western On arto Poultry association, at Ouelph, dr. Adam Armstrong of Ferguzs told ~f his experience in crate fattening ~hicks. The first seasop lhe hiad 100) attening croops, eacl~ having a ca >acity of 20 birds, made. At the end f the season he was behind $100 and he cost of the coops. Then he thought >f the plan of lotting the farmers iave the coops and do the fattening hemselves. This has worked so well hat, though he sold the first coops, he >roposes to have more built, which lie vill lot out anmong the farmers for iothing. He says he usually pays even cents a pound for unfattened Lnd and nine cents a pound for fat ened chickens. Chickens make best ~ain when put in the coops5 at three to our pounds weight, and should in ~rease two p)ounfds or more on five veoks' feeding. A Certain Cure for Aching Feet Allens Foot-Ease, a powder: cures 1ire.i, Achinir, Sweating. Swolhlen ices am-d 'ient FitEE, Also 8 imple of FOOT iASE SANITARY Coax,-PAD. a new Iiven inn. Adiress, AIhen 8. Oimstead. Le row N. Yv a.r.., Out For.F THIS is the time of year there is not much buyi do not know dull da5 prices are two things that h Our goods are the very best all, and our prices are as lov can be legitimately sold at. UR entire line is Comp11 and we can supply yo, Clothing, Shoes, Hats, Hardware, Furniture, Bugg in fact anything' you need ca at the right prices. SOME to see us, and if with us, you will find t ter goods for less mtor paying. Another car of Majestic F $5-50 per barrel. Thanking our frie-ds and ct we hope to merit a continua Gaines & Gas Central1, FOR SAFE 11 DEPOSIT Y --IN THn LIBE RTY T1heir Sazfe has1 been tried an~d found Burg This Uni k Ens Bury lar Infrurar~ce, Firc In lose your lrion.. Lib~eial Ito irest allowed on Time Ia pc you up sastisfact ori ly, THE LAIER] HI. C. S[IIf!LEY, Cashier. Low Rate Mile ON SAL] Southern F 1n00 ile Interchangable Individuial '1 c. Rlwauy and thirty other roads in the Bou: ited one year from (date of sale. 2,000 mile Interchangenble Firm Ticket $1 wny and thirty other roadslt inl the southeast, ger, the had of a firm or employo. Lim'ite such persons at onet time. Limited one year 1.01) mnih-' Interchangeable Individual Tic Ra.ilwny and s'.venity-five othier ronds in t Limnrted one* y'ear from date of sale, On andl after A pril 1st, 1998, alhl mileage t on trainos on t rains icor in clecking bauggage, sattio~ns no~t faor the~ sae of tickets. but must exchaa'red for conrtinuous ticket. R. W. HUNT, Assistant Gen. Pass. Agent, Atlanta, Ga. hisiness when trade is dull and ng a.id selling, but we ts. Our goods and our lp to keep our trade up. that can be bought at as these same goods lete- no broken lots ir wants at all times, in Dry Goods, Groceries, ics, Wagons, etc., etc., n be procured here and you have never traded hat we can sell you bet ey than you have been our, the best made, at istomers for past favors. ncc of the same. saway Bros. t-4. C. KEEPING OUR MONEY! BANK. lar Proof. surarice, Cauhier Ifor~dcd, so you cani't its. See HI. C, Shirley and lhe will fix PY BANK. age Tickets! iBY laliway, keta $20.00-good over the Southern hiemit aggregatinig 80,000 miles. Lim 0.00-good over the S3 uthern Rail aigregating 7,0.000O miki H, for a Mana d to five hnit good for only one of from (date of sale. ket $25 00--good over the Southern 1o southeatt aggregating 41,000 miles. ickets will not he honored for passage except from non-egency stations and be presented at ticket ofheces and there J. C. LUSK, Division Passenger Agent Charleston, S. C. -