The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-03-31
THURSDAY, MARCH 81, 1879.
AFTERNOON.
BY RxBEccA HARDING DAVIS.

NEEAnK 4UAL6 6AA4o ~
Chestnut street, and frightened their
ewes. their plaid cloaks and scarlet
Dlumes futtered; the red sunset gilt
tered on the windows; people called
gailv to each other as they passed; out
of every area window came sayory
whiffs of dinner. The world, to Sam
Render, had never seemed more IN
s~uItingly good humored.
How dye like this blow, Sam?
Smells Winterish, chi?
How goes it, Bender?"
What's the good news. Sam?"
Bender turned at this. 1t was lit
tie Joe Houston, one of his fellow
clerks, who had clapped him on the
back.
Good news? no good news" turn
ing grufay away. 49,,
follow would stay with him. He felt
terr;blv elone-as he had never done
before in all his life-things had
reached such a narrow straight with
MIN to-day. -,
since you've been sick. Do you think
you're the first man that's had ty-
pbOid?'
ave lost more than my health. l
find to-day Stouch stopped my salary
after the first week"
tWhew! But, after all, what's mon
ev bow Can sordid dust make the
'bosom's lord sit higher on his
throne?' tapping his gaudy little
waistcoat Electrically. Anyhow, /
don't believe Stouch knew any thing
about it. It's that cursed old Nor
ris."
: What does hat matter? It's
gone. I've been saving for years to
Day of the mortgage on u house.
I'M have to take the money to clear
off the debts Of the last three months,
and the mortgage falls due to-mor-
That's the devils " luck
Such a snug little house, tool How
long have you lived there, SAM?
- was born In it. It's the Bender
homestead. I've been saving. ever
since I vas married to pay off that
mortgage. But now"
"Mary's done her share of saving,
too"
Bender was silent a moment.
Il have no fault to find with my
wife" he said coldly.
1NO CudHEC " lulu .
None. He is glad of the chance
10 forclose."
Too bad. too badl"
He was chewing his sandy mus
taohe. Joe was always fdgetty and
il motion.
nov. She's a brick of a grill Know
her ? 1t would be worth a fellows
while to cut in there, hey ? If you
have nothing more to say, I'll join
her. Sam" his eager face growing as
red as his hair as the young lady
came near.
i've nothing more to say"
Z" Bye then > touching his cap and
Skipping off to the side of the large,
calm-eyed blonde, who was now
abreast of them.
Her heavy, lustrous silk brushed
against Sam as she swept by.
When Houston joined her, he spoke
eagerly, motioning back to Sam
then they both laughed.
What had induced Bender to make
a confident of the man? He cursed
his own folly, looking after him as h
went skipping along, light as a grass
hopper. Yet he used to think Jo'
was soft hearted as a woman.
But what did il matter to any ma
that he stood there ruined to-day, tn
patient toll of years swept away il
one blow? What did the world care
Or God2-if there were a God.
He looked for a few moments stol
idly over the heads of the gay movin
crowd into the cloudy sky.
Only a year ago Sam had been
reid church member, teaching a elias
OF boys in the Sunday School. I'll
tried to teach them to trust In a liV
ing Christ, to trust In each other, con
stantly growing stronger himself froI
the teaching. Now
1t was not the loss of money. Blu
that Mary should have turned fror
him. :.
He walked down the street, hi
head on his breast. Then he cam
slowly back to the door of Saul's war;
rooms: in a few minutes he Woul
know the worst, and he would nc
shirk it.
He did not remember to have nj
tioed this place particularly befor
1t vas a seven-storied white marb
building-the warerooms above til
ground floor occupied as a sale d.
partment. The manufacture was e1
clusiyely that of gas fixtures.
Che windows, beside one Of who
he stood, were filled with cost.
bronzes; the lofty ceiling of the roo,
within glittered with chandeliers an
lus5ers. Two or three of these gre
eevgaWs would have paid for b
home, he thought, bitterly.
1t ,Ras strange that, at that momer
WheI he was waiting to know if b
vile we're true or Ease to him, Il
loss Of the home should have OCCURS
70 aim. But it had become, throul
long years of waiting. of penny savil
aud self denial, a mania with Bende
Saul, Crompton & Saul"-he rel
the name of the firm oyer and owe
The Sauls we're merchant princes.
Hicksite Friends. He knew the
stately houses on Locust street.
It was Crompton, whom Morr.
khe overseer, had told him, with
meaning a smile, was a gay fello'
+" not to be trusted with so pretty
wife as yours, Bender"
It was only tAt morning that Mo
ris had told him this. when he b.
erept down to the Office for the fiji
time after his three months illness.
He felt, when he opened the off
door, as If 1t were the ghost of Sar
Bender who was going in, the streng
was SO drained out of his body.
Then he had for a long time motto
the change N Mary-how preocc
pied she was, silent, going about t
house with her thoughts far off.
had not failed to note her long a
sences, even when he was still j
aud needed, or thought he need,
her constant care.
This thing had worked q do