The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-07-05

On, heaven ne KNEW Jne pattern OF
that shawl. Only a few hours before its
dingy palm leaves of yellow brown, its
shabby brown center, had been spread
out before him.
1t was his wife's shawl.
"Stop, stop, stopr" he cried "Let
me see her-let me see herI"
Do you know her" asked the police
man.
"Let me see her face" said Jonas,
growing so faint that a kindly man hard
by supported him by the arm.
"You'd not know her face; a stone
fell on her; it's crushed" said the police
man. But shawls are alike. Keep up
your courage. Idon't think this any re
lation of yours; she's too shabby. Look
at her shoes. See here: this is her bonnet.
You don't know that"
He held up a bonnet. !.
1t was crushed.
But Jonas knew it.
The streaked purple ribbon, and a
flower amongst the other iowersthat had
lost half its petals.
He had fingered it as it lay on the
table before him.
eyes, l know it." he cried. "It's Sara.
It's mywife.
Then he pulled the shawl from theface
and tainted outright. But as his sense
left him he heard some one say:
His wife"
And another answered. .
"Like enough. They call him a
miser. l know him. His name is Jonas
Pray"
They carried the poor woman home to
Jonas Pray's old house, helping him to
follow as he came to himself.
She was laid upon her bed, and there
was a coroner inquest, and women pre-
pared her body for burial, talking
amongst themselves of the shame it was
that she, arich mans wife, should be so
clad.
Before the time came he had a cab
called and went out in it.
He was driven to- large establishment,
where he asked to see the manager, and
was shown to his room.
The manager found him there, a pale,
miserable object, trembling and faint, as
one in a deep illness.
" I want to buy a shaw" he said.
"a shopman will attend to you, sir"
said the manager.
"No,n said Jonas; 81 am to ill, too
broken to talk to the shopman. l can
trust you, Iwant the costliest shawlyou
have"
"a madman," thought the manager.
"Our costliest is five hundred pounds"
said he REFRESHING a smile.
"Haye it wrapped up for me-" said
Jonas.
Certainly mad" said the gentleman
to himself.
But Jonas had drawn a cheque out
from his breast pocket, and with trem-
bling hand was filing up the blanks.
The managerexamined them carefully.
"Mr. Jonas Pray" he said, more re-
spectfully.
Then it flashed upon him hat he had
read that morning of a fatal accident to
this mans wife.
1t wa a strange proceeding altogether
Secretly he called others to look at his
customer.
One knew fundamentally it was al
right.
"And the rest is noneof our business, .
said the manager, as he saw the bundle
of splendor carried downstairs after
Jonas Pray. "They spoke of him as
miser in the paper. That's a pretty pur
chase for a miser." -
Meanwhile, Jonas drove home.
No sweet face smiled a greeting.
Within, all was silent.
Carrying the shawl under his arm, h,
went up stairs to the darkened room
where, under straight folds of whit
drapery, seemed to lay the sorrow of tn
house.
A watcher was there.
He sent her away.
Then, alone in the room, he knel
down upon the floor.
"Sara,n he said "Sara can you hea
me? loved you, but / was such a mise
such a miser. I've bought you
shawl at last. Oh, Sara, Sara, I've pal,
as much as 1 could for it, my dea1
You shall be wrapped init in your col
fin FL put it about you, myself, Sara
Sara"
He spread out the costly folds.
He lifted it in his hands.
A moment more he would have folde
it about the dead form, but at that II
slant a voice cried
ooh, Jonas, Jonas, dearl Oh, my poo
Jonas, my poor poor Jonas!'
And turning he saw his wife, either
the spirit or flesh, standing behind him.
His knees trembled under him. Blu
the figure came closer.
1t was no ghost but a living woman.
She took him in her arms.
ooh, how i'll you look!" she sale
"Did you really love me so? And it
all my fault 1 went tony sister-in-law'
and there in a pet-oh, l was so angr,
Jonas-I gave away my dress and shaw
to a beggar woman-and vowed to sit i
one of sisters dressing-gowns until 70
gave me decent clothes to come home il
And the poor woman was killed tw
hours afterwards, and 1 never knew tn;
she had been taken for me until tn
morning, o, such q. creature, my dea
the papers described her. And for
little while 1 was glad you had a frigh
but l am sorry l was the cause of it.3
For an answer he picked up the cost
shawl and wrappeditabout her, and toe
HcI, lolucus LII II lhC d AuuLlny, ~
heart again.
"The miser is dead" he said. OBJ
Jonas Pray will show his wife how hecs
cherish her" "
He did; and if ever afterward Sal
detected symptoms of a relapse, all 81
I had to do was to wrap herself in h
wonderful shawl.
7 The sight of it inevitably recalled Il
. moment when he learnt how little aft
7 allis the value of money, and realized
i agony of soul that his greed had broug
down upon him the contempt of h
i fellow men, and for a time wrecked b
happiness, and almost his reason.
z He may indeed love his money We
buthe knows that he loves Sara more.
e ONE day last week a Schenectady mi
cashed a draft for seven hundred dolla
d at a bank and received three hundr
dollars in small bills, which he put
y his pocket, thinking by its size that t
package contained the full amount. !
y was leaving when the cashier hand
. him out the balance, four hundred d,