Show TWO HEARTS THAT BEAT AS 5 ONE W 15 CONTINUED FROM PAGE f t r NEXT morning Mary was awakened y bright and early by a conglomeration of r sounds that for a few minutes frightened k and bewildered her for she had not yet become accustomed to the din of Greater f New York She sprang out of bed and ran to the window Drawing the curtain aside a little she saw that although it was still very early there were signs of busy life in the streets VV Workmen were k hurrying by on their way to work newsboys newsboys newsboys news news- boys were crying out their morning papers now and then a wagon from the country loaded with fruit or vegetables passed on its way to market and other vehicles rattled over the cobble stones The street cars were already beginning their jangling and rumbling The sound t. t though somewhat confusing was a cheering one to Mary Surely where there was so much life there must be a ri great deal of work to be done and where there was so much work her willing hands could be be kept busy f The freshness of the morning sparkled v in her eyes and flushed her cheeks Hope and energy of youth sent the blood t bounding swiftly through her veins She ef had talked over her future with Mr M E Beresford and had received much encouragement encouragement en en- and helpful advice from VT i the kind old 01 d gentleman Your father t was one of my closest friends my dear i he had said and Mary saw a tear in the shrewd keen yet tender eyes And if I can do anything for James ames McGregors McGregor's I daughter I am at her service Mary had confided more to him than she had to anyone else since her fathers father's death for though she was reticent concerning concerning concerning con con- her own affairs his sympathy towards her together wi with th her confidence confidence confidence dence in his judgment and strong common common common com com- mon sense had drawn her out She had told him of how ambitious she was to become a journalist and of how she had hesitated to inform her Aunt J Jane ane of f that ambition fearing that that lady on account of her simple but rather severe notions as to the extent of a womans woman's sphere might regard the idea as somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what too new James McGregor was a scholar and had personally superintended superintended superintended super super- intended his daughters daughter's education He had endeavored to give her a broad solid foundation of knowledge and had selected such reading and studies for her as would bring about that end A strong tender love and a companionship rather uncommon between father and daughter had always existed between them Roberts Robert's peculiar disposition had been an enigma to his father for up to the time of the latter's death the lad had been wild and aimless The father disappointed in In this child hild had transferred transferred transferred trans trans- to Mary all that love hope and pride that a man usually feels for his eldest son As a result Mary had acquired more than an ordinary education education tion though she could neither paint pose effectively play the piano nor prattle in French nor in fact do any of a great many other things that are thought to be to a young ladys lady's education in some of our ur finishing finishing finishing finish ing schools II Her father had been very particular to practice her in English composition for he thought she had more than ordinary literary ability He had often told her that she was very observant observant observant ob ob- servant and had a remarkably clever concise manner of writing and telling things It was this thi interest of her fathers father's that first gave Mary the desire to become a journalist and she told Mr Beresford about it frankly but modestly He promised to do al all in his power to 7 t l help her but advised that she satisfy herself with some other kind of employment employment employment employ employ- ment until she had become adapted somewhat to her new life He was going across the continent to California in a week or two and would be able to do dovery dovery very verv little for her until his return Consequently Mary decided to apply for forthe forthe the position of keeper book in some office The first thing she did on the morning after her an arrival anival in N New ew York was to write out two or three applications and send them to the leading daily papers Then she finished unpacking her things and ana arranged her books and knick knacks in such a way as as' as to give to her abode a pleasant and like home-like appearance There must have been something attractive about her little advertisement for the next day about half a dozen answers came One of these pleased her particularly It was from the wholesale wholesale whole whole- r sale tea coffee and spice company of 4 Matth Matthew w L. L Minch Sons That afternoon afternoon after after- t noon she went to the establishment to tot see about her place She found Mr t Minch very much as she had i imagined he would be be-an be an old gentleman kind courteous and polite After asking her a few questions he decided that her qualifications were satisfactory and told her what her salary would be Then as she was leaving he said I am sure we shall get along very well young lady if you can ignore the peculiarities ties and gruff ways of df f a crusty old man nan Every morning after that nine o'clock found her climbing the dark stairway that led up to the office of Minch Company People on the street often turned to look at this girl as she went to her work in the morning Pale seamstresses seamstresses seamstresses seam seam- stresses and shop girls watched her and envied her splendid health that made the roses bloom in her cheeks and gave her that firm elastic step Feeble old men blessed her pretty face and prosperous business men looked at her and thought of of f their heir own pretty accomplished accomplished but s sickly daughters and wished that they had some of the young w womans woman's wo woman's womans wo- wo mans man's freshness and vigor Mary glided along those smoky crowded streets like a breath of the pure bracing air that swept across her native hills Fortunately she was quite free from self-consciousness self so that most of the openly admiring glances that were cast upon her passed by unheeded She was quite happy though her life was almost devoid of gayety and the company company company com com- pany of young people for she was earning earning earning earn earn- ing something for herself and J Jamie Jamie- amie- amie only a lit little e now its it's true but every cent helped to bring the little brother nearer to her And then in the evening she had her books and the long letter to write home and to Robert way off in Africa Bruce and Bessie Langford had called upon her once or twice and she had thoroughly enjoyed their visits She a and d Bessie were becoming fast friends and nd would have become even more intimate had not Bessie held herself a little in reserve The Langfords though as they said they had come to N New ew York to tomake tomake tomake make a fortune were really not at all poor but lived in comparative ele elegance ance Mary who was both proud and sensitive held herself somewhat aloof from them lest she should be put under obligations to them One night she was granted a pleasure that made her happy for weeks afterward Calve was going to sing in I. I Carmen and Mrs Beresford insisted on Marys Mary's accepting her invitation to go and hear and see the great singer During the whole performance Mary was entirely oblivious to everything around her She had never before heard anything so marvelously marvelously marvelously mar- mar sweet and thrilling as this woman's womans womans woman's womans woman's wo wo- mans man's voice She leaned forward with parted lips and shining eyes all her attention concentrated on the the music so that not one note of it might escape her o J r Mrs Beresford and many of of the people w f around enjoyed the performance more on account of the sight of that bright rapt f. f young face Just before they started for forthe the theatre Mrs Beresford had pinned a a. a cluster of pink carnations on Marys Mary's old take much pleasure pleas pleas- gown go Im too to ure in making myself look well so you must let me indulge myself in dressing w you my dear she said Mary took the flowers home after the play and put them in a vase on her dresser and the next morning wore a half dozen of them to her work As she walked along one of the narrow dirty streets she saw a crowd F of little street arabs engaged in one of those skirmishes to which they turn for excitement and amusement th when n other sources fail them This however did not seem to be a fair contest for as Mary came nearer she saw that there were two or three of the bigger boys all pitching on all one little fellow When she reached them she stopped and called to them There was a lull in the battle The little ragamuffins deigned to look around at ather ather t her and finding that it was not a cop copas as they had feared came a few steps nearer Her smile which had never yet failed to win a childs child's good will was effective for soon the boys walked close up to her and stood looking at her rather shame waiting to hear what she had to say The little fellow whom she had rescued the smallest and grimiest one of the group stood very near her and looked up into her face Mary was wise enough not to preach to those little heathens She unpinned her flowers and gave each one of the chilI children children children chil chil- dren one of the dainty fragrant bloc blos blossoms I r and only said as she started away again Dont hurt that little fellow You boys are all so much bigger than he heis f f is is that it isn't fair Then smiling at them all she walked quickly away Neither Neither Nei Nei- ther r she nor the boys had noticed that a I gentleman on the other side of the street streety j y had had s stood still and watched the incident 1 fI from its beginning Now he crossed the the street and walked leisurely up to the group that was energetically discussing this new kind of girl Aint she a daisy said one of them sniffing at his carnation as if he meant to inhale it Yes siree She's the sort she is said another She didn't give us no verses to learn neither and make us say wed we'd come to Sunday school an be good kids What did she say to you said the ther gentleman with an amused tw twinkle in his eyes Oh said the oldest boy only told us not to lick the little un an that thac was dead right too cause us fellers is him an we was a the him when she come up But I aint a goin gain to do it any more an I wont won't let these other fellers neither I. I Which one of you boys will give me your flower continued the gentleman All the boys clutched the car carnations in their dirty little fingers and shook their their he heads ds For a moment he thought of buying one of them but he knew that that course would win the boys over and though he wanted a flower he was glad that the little fellows would not give theirs up But just then he caught sight of a piece of maid maiden n hair fern that Mary had dropped and which was lying I near the curbstone and stooping quickly he picked it up and placed it between the leaves of a little book which he took from his pocket He put the book back in its place and strode away whistling softly II Blue lue Bells of Scotland nd 1 Quayle Brown r j |