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