Tillie: A Mennonite Maid

ve it over-but Miss Margaret was busy writing on the blackboard, and Tillie fel

dragged to the time of her doom-for nothing but blackness lay beyond the po

n fed her starved affections. Yes, Miss Margaret evidently could see that she was in trouble and she was feeling sorry for

geography-every question that came to her; she failed to understand Miss Margaret's explanation of compound interest, though the expla

closed her book at the end of the last recitation before recess.

such anguish, that impulsively Miss Margaret drew her to he

ked. "Aren't you well? You look p

t's shoulder as she broke into wildest crying. Her body quivered with her ga

rms about the child; "WHAT'S the matter with you, honey

that loved voice so close to her!-for the last time! Never again after this moment would

a talk by ourselves," Miss Margaret said, leading the child a step to her arm-chair on the platform. She stood be

them and she had seated herself and drawn Tillie to her

l, choking gasps; "you won't never like me no mor

Tillie, what

ridays, still, till it's paid for a'ready, Miss Margaret, if you'll

ou? Come," she said, taking the little girl's han

ern voice checked a little the child's hysterical emotio

my candle-light, and he conceited he'd look once and see what it was,

ret gently urged h

and-and burnt

laimed. "The br-" she checked herself and virtuously closed her

Margaret could not h

t, Miss Margaret!" she fo

ght to make h

it was yourn he'd have you put out of William Penn, so I tole him I lent it off of Elviny Dinkl

caught sight of the marks of the strap on Tillie's bare neck, and she was flushed with indignation at the outrage. But Tillie, interpreting the anger to be against

the BOOK, honey! Did you think I would? There, there-don't cry so, Tillie, don't cry. I love you, don't you know I do!"-and Miss Margaret kissed the child's qui

at moment from the suffering of the past night and morning, to a happiness that made this hour s

ness of the moth

d home had been a dragging burden to her aching limbs, and the moment she reached the farm-house, she tumbled in a little heap upon the kitchen settee and lay there, exhausted and white, her eye

lly inquired from across the room, where she sat wit

weakly answ

king fur you ou

losed her eyes a

e rest for an instant upon the child's white, pain

't!" gasped Tillie

that wonderful spited to think you'd set up readin' a novel-book in the night-time yet! You might of knew you'd ketch an awful lickin' fur doin' such a dumm thing like what that was. Sammy!" she called to her little eight-year

d, and Mrs. Getz diligently

y to you not comin' out to h

she did not speak. She was past ca

throwing it back into the pan, "I'll let that one; it's some poor. Do you feel fur eatin' any supper?" she asked.

moved, but g

-day. I did feel fur sayin' to pop I'd go to the rewiwal to-night, of he didn't mind. It's a while back a'ready since I was to a meetin'-not even on a funeral. And they say they do

nse from

had such a complexion lotion. She talked near a half-hour. She was, now, a beautiful conversationist! I just set and listened. Then s

event, and Tillie's utterly indifferent reception of the news that

ck to take inte

. The woman rose to put

was dishing up the supper and putting it on the table, which stood near the wall at o

ar and often dreaded step, and looked u

ie?" he asked, an unwonted kindness in his v

whispered, her heavy

you don' know what's hurtin' you! Have

on her forehead and p

turning to his wife, who was b

ook more to it," Mrs. Getz returned, bearing th

el. Why was he anxious about her? she wondered. It wasn't because he liked her, as Miss Margaret did. He was afraid of catching smallpox himself, perhaps. Or he was af

Tillie's quite matter-of-fact a

s if she was took down with the small

er said, a rough tenderness in his voice, and somethi

Doc in fur her, th

n hesitated. His thrifty mind shr

n to Tillie an

pop what's hurti

-si

lessly at his wife. "It's a bad sign, ain'

ey don't feel nothin'," she stoically answe

how, she's pretty much sick-she looks it so! I guess I better meb

er's ready now.

ren in front the porch and the lawn; a

eat along

akly shoo

feel fur yo

-si

id, again passing his rough hand over her forehead and cheek, with a touch as nearly like a caress as anything Tillie had ever known

and went to the table, about wh

his wife. "I'm sendin' him

d boy, into his high chair. "Over" was the family designation for the pump, at which every

orce Tillie to eat something. In his genuine anxiety about her and his eagerness for "th