The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-08-30

seriousness of it. Once, when she saw a
shadow of the thought on my face, /" Don't
YOU pity me !" she cried al am too happy
for that Keep your pity for the old wo-
men that are not grandmothers !"
"You set too much by the boy, Margar-
et," said the grandam, who had walked ont
with her that morning. w hat if he should
be taken from you?"
"What if he should be taken from me ~
she repeated, opening her sunken eyes as if
they had never seen the possibility before.
d" Well then, I should go too! 1t couldn't
healthy as he is bright and handsome.
only pray not to be taken myself till he can
spare me !"
Poor old MargaretL~ 1t was well for her
that she enjoyed herself while the sun shone,
for the darkness was coming soon enough.
One day, just as little Steve came out Of
his bath, and, running away from her, was
toddling about the room, his little body
shining1with the water-drops, his curls drip
ping in wet, bright rings, there was heard a
mans foot on the step and in the entry, a
rap on the door, and the visitor had come
in unbidden and stood before her.
1t was James Falconer
I" have come for my boy" said he.
Margaret, risen to fetch the child, stag
gered and fell back upon her seat and caught
little Steve and clutched him closely. She
trembled from head to foot; but she glared
back at her enemy like lioness defending
her whelp. shur
al suppose you do not deny that he is my
child 2" said the visitor, no longer the dark
and handsome youth, but worn and bag
gard man.
I" He is his mothers child" said Margar-
ct, hoarsely " and so mine. There was no
ring on Bessys fnger!" tg az
Falconer paused moment and gazed at
the boy; and the boy, full of roguish glee
and kindness, looked archly up at him, and
kissed the air after the pretty fashion that
he had. yes, he is Bessys boy fast
enough" said the man. "And he is mine
too, you will have to understand. And ]
have come to get him? ?"
go away, James Falconerw cried
Margaret, "Or will set the law on you p
There is no law to set on me-" he said
} There is no law for me, except the law
that gives man his child, born in honest
: wedlock"
~ Margaret blanched as she heard him
Her heart rose and sank, and sent pulse
, over her in hot waves. To clear Bessy's
name from stain But at such a price
Was it, was it possible? She looked at
the vanishing ambrotype that, framed in its
wreath of dead roses, hung beneath the
clock-the bright, beautiful face with the
smile.
WAS she ?" she whispered. presently
"was he born so? Was my Bessy lawful
, ?" He nodded. "Do you swear to it
, James Falconer? Will you publish it in
! the Morning Herald?" She ran and
, brought her Bible, over which she had sat
5 so many night spelling out the big type
, that promised blessings to the widow and
! the fatherless. She held it out at arm s.
f; length. Kiss the book y she exclaimed
land swear it ALL" James Falconer bent
{ his head and kissed the book. "Then you
3 can take the boy" she said. "But take
, him quickly, before it breaks my heart =
And the man went his way with his own
3 "Oh. Bessy! Bessyp' she cried, as the door
closed and left her all alone, you bright
= and careless girl, what an awful price have
= l paid for your good name! L have sold
my little Steve, his hopes, his future, his life
and soul, to that man-to that man and tc
evilw ts-s..se sFenaW
! That night the old grandam fumbled al
, Margaret's latch to come in, according tc
her custom, for social gossip in the twi
light. Margaret did not answer her. She
J opened the door and saw her lying on the
, bed.
i've had stroke p was all that Marga
ret said, as the other old woman bent ovel
-" I've had strokep
| God bless mel The palsy! Well have
. the doctor here
"Oh no, it's not that" murmured Marga
ret. But just the heart is dead within
me-"
The next day the poor soul did not at.
tempt to rise. She lay there with the
: Morning Herald, in which, at last, was
: printed the day and date of Bessy's mar
riage, nearly seven years ago, spread out
upon the pillow, as if in little Steve's place
: To them that would have ministered to her
she seemed in a stupor till she lifted her
eyes, as wild and suffering as those of a
dumb creature in mortal pain. She did not
listen to what anybody said she did not
speak herself; she tasted the nourishment
that was brought, and turned away-the
!
letting go her. hold upon the earth that had
grown worthless to her, She lay in tina,
half dream, and whether we came in or out
she neither knew nor cared. Only once
she spoke-sighed rather than spoke. "That
is right" she said. Punish me punish
me well for ever having dared to doubt my
Bessy"
But, Sunday morning, just as the great
first flush of the dawn came into the room
; and all the air rippled with the tumultuous
music of the birds, Margaret sat up in bed
and looked at the morning star sinking back
into the rose and golden glory. 1t cast the
shadow of the window sash in long dark
cross upon her bed. She glanced at the
shadow, and family smiled-the brighter
light would soon eface the shadow, soor
she would lay her cross aside! And the
cross paled, and faded, and was gone; and
then, as a child's voice somewhere in the
distance sweetly and shrilly joined the
chorus of the birds, she shivered, and heI
head fell forward and dropped upon hel
! breast-and the dawn came. slowly and
, softly up and shed a silver splendor round
the poor old head, and showed us that Mar
garet had passed into the fuller day.-Hn,
per's Bazar.. or ..-e~
A smart boy having. been required to
write a composition on some part of the
human body; expanded as follows aThe
Throat : A throat Is convenient to have
! especially for roosters and ministers. The
former eats corn and crows with it; the lat
! ter breaches through his n and ties it up"
IT