Drusilla with a Million

y a little old woman who peered at the line of old ladies sitting in the sun. "Is Drusilla Doane here?" she i

the darning of the tablecloth in h

Barbara. What do

, an' Mis' Smith told me to tell you to h

, and all the other women stopped their work t

me, are

usilla Doane. You're the only o

placed it in the basket of li

st mean me," she sa

use all the old ladies move

Field, and tell us all a

look like?" que

s Harris, the youngest of the ladies; and a place wa

in, so's we can

f the apron up to her face, adroitly slipped her teeth into her mouth, an

at you waiting for?" said on

th called me in and said, 'Barbara, will you find Drusilla Doane and se

ckled one old lady. "She ain't never had on

rs and there ain't a livin' soul before asked to s

and was dressed real elegant. One had a silk hat and he wore one gray glove and carried another in his hand with a cane.

hat they wanted

dn't hear

arbara," interrupted a querulous, ref

hin' it is." And Barbara's meek, faded old eyes glared at the lit

dn't you hear what they said? What was you

passin' through and M

w nothin' abou

ou all I know. Can I

hed with you. A person can't understand a word yo

t. I ain't had a new pair for tw

ey won't shrink any more fer a min

n who was knitting quietly. "Drusilla ain't

people I know, had rather be without them than recognize the kind they go

y relations is just as good as your'n, though we don't

. One day I was telling her about my family, about my father who wa

se fer the last three years. It's a good thing that some of the women in this home has

or, and when she had stiffly followed it and picked it from the corner her face was ver

olks are always jealous of them who's had 'em; but old age has its li

seventy-nine and you was seventy-five last May, though you didn't want us to know it was

"don't fight. Barbara, did they look rich? Put your teeth in again-why can't you leave 'em alone!

ered Barbara. "I can't even e

mind. D

they

ey look

d you they looked

has friends she ai

have a friend or a relation in the world, and

our friends ferget you when you're in an

an be! I wish she'd hurr

le woman. "I hope some one's found her. I

s Drusilla

en here seven years, I was here not quite two years whe

othes still had a look of by-gone elegance and her wrinkled hands were

corner emitted a sound b

hat are we all but

lady drew hers

self, Mis' Graham, but

as much of

d and twenty dollars, and I paid when I ent

ll this is an old lad

at had not been heard before. "I consider that we pay our way;

who'd rather pay our way in a hom

urself, Mis' Graham.

ed a little money. Well, I never worked for my

nsider that if I'm no lady and worked fer my livin

and sat back trying to th

ay nothin' at all?" q

seen the way Mis' Smith treats her and orders her around? She takes care of

n if she didn't ha

ittee felt they couldn't let Drusilla die in the poor house because of her name. It

o before she

o nurse much, so she had to be took in somewhere. First they thought of sending her to the county house, and then as I told you they was afraid it would look bad to have the Doane home for old ladies right her

n't you make no remarks about my appetite. I

what would happen to you if you had a chance to set dow

've et better vittles than you've ever seen. When I h

u wouldn't now be where you are, havin' beans on Mon

ls over petty details. They lived in the past and exalted it until they themselves had grown to believe that they had always trodden flowery pathways, until by some un

*

with the wondering, surprised look still on her face-surprised

ntered, and Mrs. Smith, the

a, this is Mr. Thornton and Mr.

usilla's hand, which wa

it down, as our business will take quite a little time to tra

sity of her charges in regard to the meaning of the vi

ill leave if you m

r of the men dryly. "Our bu

o the door and closed it, then, retu

rer of news to

ed her hands a

came into her old eyes "unless-the Committee hain't decided that I can't live here, has it? They ain't goin' to send

nd said stiffly: "No, Miss Doane,

pulsively patted the hands that we

to worry about the county hous

, and the frightened look died from h

me. It can't be that some one I know is dea

so she'll understand. You'

l looking document from

id, "did you ever h

o, I don't beli

re his death, hearing about this home he sent me up here to learn the particulars regarding it, and I found you here. I reported that there was an inmate by the

as he a relation of

distantly

ad some relations, eve

e Elias Doane, was a very wealthy man, very wealthy indeed. His est

his hand and commenced to r

bert; she won't understand. Tell he

ias Doane, left the bulk of his money to the many charities in which he is interested, but he left you his home at Brookvale, near

e as the soft hair above it, and without a word she fell forwa

atives were brought, and within a few moments Drusilla opened her eyes-and soon she re

real ladies in story books fa

th had been politely expelled from the room, Mr. Thornton c

lient, Mr. Elias Doane, left this very remarkable will and also a

le tremblingly, to tear the covering which was to reveal to her the wishes of a man, who evidently had thought of her and her happiness in his last hours. She unfolded the two

private. You read it; I left

justed his pinc

AR DR

nd will be the last time that I will so address you; con

passed your life in toil, trying to earn your daily bread, and have found yourself nearing the end of this footless journey that we call life, alone and friendless. I have passed my days in toil also, and find myself, at the end, as much alone and friendless as is the loneliest inmate of the Doane home. I have had bread, yes; and often eaten it in bitterness. I hav

re of my hard-earned dollars will go in salaries to fat officials and well-fed directors of the institutions I have endowed, but the little

this world will no longer interest us; but, Drusilla, that is not true. I know my days will be spent leaning over the battlements watc

tual business. I have directed that all the expenses of the place at Brookvale shall be met from a trust that I have created, as you are far too old to be worried with the

is world. Don't subscribe to public charities; they're mostly grafts, and besides they have more of the Doane millio

too big a fool of yourself, nor marry your tango teacher, but s

. Thornton had finished reading the letter

appreciated and recognized my abi

ed hardly to realize or underst

with the other papers, or do

ed it and refolded it, looking dow

and his letter is kind though he said it in a queer way; but it is the first letter I've ha

awyer

hen will you be ready to

led her soft

, Mr. Thornton. It won't tak

that I may come f

ell as any other day. Unless

le: "I do not think it will be n

the door, and then e

this will be the beginning of a very happy life for you. You ma

the door, but the la

o yourself. R

, who all her life had been at the beck and call of other people. One of the old ladies came and

afternoon to take Miss Doane with us. She has been left a

xpression chan

you know I will be the first to

the thousand and one ways that the Director had employed to make her lonely life harde

id; and she thought in her kindly old heart, "Perhaps sh

one with the Director, whose cur

Drusilla? Has some

said Dr

ho

on I didn

leave yo

quietly: "A mi

early fell f

did yo

lion d

you s

e lawyer, Mr. T

th was s

-I'll-go and talk it over with some one. Do you want to go

a while, if I may-that is, if

man who had just been left a million dollars!

etter in her hands, she sat back in her chair and the tears welled slowly from her faded eyes, rolling down the wrinkled cheeks and falling, drop by drop, on to her dress unnoticed. She was not thinking of the money but of the kindly old man who had thought of her in his last hours, and planned for her