Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-05-07

manager; and his, "What can l do for
you?" was. curt.
But Jonas cared nothing for any one s
manner now. He answered. sadly,
81 want to buy a shawl
"a salesman will attend to you, sir, :"
said the manager.
@No," said Jonas 81 am too i'll, too
broken to talk to the salesman. l can
trust you. 1 want the costliest shawl
you have
"a mailman :" thought the manager.
"Our costliest is $5,O0O," said he, re-
pressing a smile.
''Have it put up for me, said Jonas.
.'Certainly mad p said the gentleman
to himself.
Out Jonas had drawn check from
his breast. and with trembling hand was
filling up the blanks.
The manager examined them careful
ly.
"Mr Jonas Pray" he said, more re-
spectfully. Then it flashed upon him
that he had read of fatal accident to
this mans wife that morning. 1t was a
strange proceeding altogether. Secretly
he called others to look at his customer.
One knew him-fnancially it was all
right.
"And the rest is none of our business, .
said the manager, as he saw the bundle
of splendor carried down stairs after Jo-
mas Pray. "They spoke of him as mis-
er in the paper. That's pretty pur-
chase for miser."
Meanwhile, Jonas drove home. From
the sfcor-foated long -streamers of black
Grape. No sweet face smiled a greeting.
Within all was hushed. Carrying the
shawl under his arm, he went up stairs
to the darkened room, where, under
straight folds of white drapery, seemed
to lay the sorrow of the house. A watch.
er sat there. He sent her away. Then
alone in the room. he knelt down upon
the floor beside the coffin.
"Sara," he said-"Sara, can you hear
me ?-I loved you, Sara but | was such
a miser-sueh a miser I've bought you
a shawl at last. Oh, Sara Sara ! I've
paid as much as l could for it. my dear
You shall be wrapped in it in your cof
fn," but at that instant voice cried:
"Oh, Jonas Jonas. dear Oh, my
poor Jonas My poor, poor Jonas !"
And turning, he saw his wife, either
In the spirit or the flesh, standing be-
hind him. His knees trembled under
him. He cried out to Heaven to protec
him; but the figure came closer. 1t was
no ghost, but living woman. She tool
him in her arms.
"Oh, how i'll you look" she said
did you really love me so And it il
all my fault. l went to my sister-in
laws, and there in a pet-oh ! l was 81
angry, Jonas-I gave away my dress
my shawl and my bonnet to begga
woman-and vowed to sit in one of sis
ter's dressing gowns until you gave m
decent clothes to come home in. AnC
the poor woman-who was tipsy, too
my dear-was killed two hours after
ward, and l never knew that she ha,
been taken for me until this morning
Oh such dirty creature, my dear, tn
papers described her And for a littl
| was glad that you had had fright
but I'm sorry now l was"
For all answer he picked up the cost
ly shawl and wrapped it about her, ant
took her, folded in it like a mummy, t
his heart again.
'The miser is dead" he said. "Bu
Jonas Pray will show his wife how h
can cherish her"
He did !; and if ever afterward Sar
detected symptoms of a relapse all sh
had to do was to wrap herself in he
wonderful shawl. The sight of it ineY
itably recalled the moment when b
learned how little after all is the valu
of money. and realized in agony of sou
r that SHOULD man give all the sui
stance of his house for love it would b
utterly contemned." He may, indeed
love his money yet; but he knows ths
' he loves Sara more.