Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-12-05

the manager; and his "what can
do for you I" was curt.
But Jonas cared nothing TO
anyone's manner now. He an
swered sadly:
Il want to buy shawl"
"a saleman will attend to you
sir" said the manager.
"No!' said Jonas. 81 am toe
i'll, too broken, to talk to a sales,
man. can trust you. | want the
costliest shawl you have"
"a madman!" thought the man
ager.
"Our costliest shawl is five thous-
and dollars" he said, REFRESHING a
smile.
Have it put up for me-" said
Jonas.
Certainly mad" said the man
ager to himself.
But Jonas had drawn a check
from his breast, and with tremb-
ling hand was filling up the blanks.
The manager looked it over care
fully. "Jonas Pray" he said, more
respectfully. Then it flashed upon
him that he had read of fatal ac-
cident to this mans wife that
morning. 1t was a strange pro-
ceeding, altogether. Secretly he
called others to look at his custo-
mer. One knew him-finuncially
he was all right.
"And the rest is none Of your
business" said tue manager, as he
saw the bundle of splendor carried
down after Jonas Pray. "They
spoke of him as a miser in the pa
per. That's pretty purchase for
a miser J"
Meanwhile Jonas drove home.
From the door foated streamers of
black Grape. No sweet face smiled
a greeting. Within all was hush
ed. Carrying the shawl under his
arm, he went up stairs to the dark
ened room, where, under straight
folds of white drapery, seemed to
lie the sorrow of the house. Then
alone in the room, he knelt down
upon the floor beside the coffin.
"Sara" he said, "Sara, can you
hear me! | loved you, Sara, but l
was such a miser-such q miser.--
I've brought you a shawl at last.
Oh, Sara, Sara I've paid as much
as could for it, my dear. You
shall be wrapped in it in your cof-
fin"
But at that instant a voice cried
"Oh, Jonas, Jonas, dear! Oh,
my poor Jonas"
And turning, he saw his wife,
either in the spirit or in the flesh,
standing behind him. He cried
out to heaven to protect him. But
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 said.
"Do You really love me so! And
it was all my fault. / went to my
sister-in-law's and there, in pet
oh, l was so angry, Jonas i gave
away my dress, my shawl, and my i
bonnet, to a beggar woman, and |
vowed to sit in one of my sisters |
Clothes to come home IN. 100 Ana the !
poor woman-she was tipsy, too, my
dear-was killed two hours after
ward and | never knew that she
was taken for Inc until this morn
ing. Oh, such dirty creature, my
dear, the papers described her
And for a little while l was glad |
you had fright; but l am sorry
now that | was
For answer he took the costly !
shawl and wrapped it about her,
and took her folded in it like a
to his heart again.
1.-The miser is dead,' he said
"but Jonas Pray will show his wife
how he can cherish her."
He did. And if, ever after
ward, Sara detected symptoms of a
relapse, all she had to do was to
wrap herself in the wonderful
shawl. The sight of it inevitably |
recalled the moment when he learn
ed how little, after all, is the value
of money, and realized in agony of
soul, that SHOULD man give all
the substance of his house for love,
t would be utterly condemned"
He may, indeed, love money yet,
but he knows that he loves his Sa-
ia more.