Grant County Herald

RIGHT TIME TO WRITE.
It Is Not When One Is Feeling Blue and Discouraged.

It was 10 o'clock, and Irene, who had been reading all the evening, looked up from her book in surprise as she heard carriage wheels on the driveway. A moment more and there was a soft, familiar tap! tap! tap! at the door.

"It's Nan!" she cried, and, running into the hall, joyously admitted her sister.

"How perfectly lovely! How did you happen to come? Have you a holiday?"

The tall, pale girl, wearily dropping her suit case, did not answer these questions, but asked another:

"How's mother?"

"Oh, she's all right."

"And father, is he any worse?"

"Why, no, I think his rheumatism is really better. They're both in bed. Why, what's the matter, Nan, dear?" asked Irene, in astonishment, as her sister sank into a chair and began to cry. "Is there anything wrong at the office? You haven't lost your position have you?"

"No, oh, no!" sobbed Nancy. "It's only that I've been so worried and unhappy all day, and it's such a relief to find everything all right. I'll be all right myself in a minute."

Irene, still mystified, said nothing but busied herself by gently removing Nancy's hat and pulling off her gloves while Nancy grew slowly calm.

"Was mother very sick yesterday?" she asked, at last.

"Why, no; she just had one of her old headaches."

"Was father in a very serious condition?"

"Well, hardly. He was gardening a good part of the afternoon."

"Then, Irene, why did you write me that he was 'failing fast' and that mother was 'awfully ill?' I got the letter this morning, and I've been so nervous about them all day that I could scarcely work, and just before closing time at the office I made up my mind that I simply must come home, even if I could stay only a few hours, for I have to go back on the earliest train to-morrow. Of course, at this time of the night I had to take a cab from the station, and the trip from the station will cost me nearly five dollars, and you know we can't well afford to throw that amount away. I don't see how you could send me such an alarming letter."

"Oh, Nannie, I'm so sorry! I didn't realize how my blueness would affect you. I was discouraged for a little while yesterday, when mother was in bed with the headache and father complained that his rheumatism prevented his digging and hoeing the way he used to. I felt lonesome, too, because my best girl friend has gone away to study music, so I scribbled a wail to you. Mother got up quite well for tea, and some of the boys and girls happened in in the evening, and we had such a jolly good time I got entirely over my blue mood."

"I wish you had waited until then to write. Please select your cheerful moments for writing to me. It's hard enough to have to live away from home without being worried unnecessarily."

Tears again welled up in tired Nancy's eyes, and Irene, throwing her arms round her, said:

"Oh, Nannie, how thoughtless and selfish I've been!"—Youth's Companion.