Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-11-21

'OODNl4N2k, VA., w
Suppose you wear. this just one WIN
ter more!',he said, sjust one.n u Is
1.-THE shawl IS very thin," she said
Il shall catch cold again, as I did last
winter"
poor girl !" he said softly, and look
ed to the desk whore his check-booh
lay But the grip Of the fend that rules
a miser's soul nipped him sorely as he
did so. ls'ta- II. GCitisstfG .stss.
''They wear sacques great deal.
Sara, don't they ?' he said.
f 'sOh they are very fashionable" re.
Piled his wife.
'Then couldn't you make one out Of
that old billiard cloth that is in the
the trunk room?" he said. my poo,
mother bought it at auction. She mean.
to use it for a coverlet. It's very
pretty green. Don't you think so, Sara
And such nice MATERIAL"
There is limit to a woman's pa.
tience. This suggestion measured Sara's
She started to her feet, and, gathering
up her bonnet and shawl, walked Out
OF the room. After she had gone, 10
mas really looked at his check-book.-
For at least two minutes ne contem-
plated drawing large check, and tell
ing his wife he had been teasing her.
But he could not bring himself to dc
lit. 1"-A-9 -''+- '-Ati ss--
After a while his wife looked into the
room, with her old bonnet on and her
old shawl about her shoulders, and
said:
Jonas Z! l am going to spend the
day with my sister-in-law ; but I shall
be home before dinner-tine. ~ e
II hope you will enjoy yourself, ms
dear" said Jonas. He saw her eyes
were heavy with weeping, and he looked
away ashamed Of himself. r-.
Then be betook himself to his Office
where he ground out his money, and
during the day he compromised with
himself. He would do no extrayagant
thing, but when he went home he would
give his wife what was necessary. After
all, as he said to himself, it would have
been better to do it. He had grieved
her, and she was the only thing he loved
on earth.
He went home earlier than usua! that
evening, TO make what amends his soul
would consent to and as he walked
briskly along, being light upon his feet
yet-for who ever heard Of a miser
growing fat ?-he thought he would new
er again bring tears to those good kind
eyes. Never, never, again and then
What was that crowd? People were
coming that wa, looking backward as
they came. Men. boys, women. little
chlldren-ail the rihrad that accident,
or quarrel. or al arrest, will collect in
the city of New York. And now he was
in the midst OF the throng. and close to
four policemen, who, with set faces,
marched in time, bearing between them
stretcher, on which lay human form.
1t was covered covered with shawl.
Jonas looked. Oh. heaven! he knew
the pattern Of that shawl. Only few
hours before its dingy palm leaves Of
yellow-brown, its faded fringe, its shah
by brown centre, had been spread out
before him. 1t was his wife's shawl
stop! stop! stop !" he cried. ''I.et
me see her! let me see her ~
do you know her ?" asked police
man.
''Let me see her facet" said Jonas,
growing so faint that a kindly man
hard by supported him by the arm.
you'd not know her face. A tele-
graph pole fell on her. It's crushed all
out Of shape" said the policeman
''But shawls are alike. Keep up your
courage. LIDO not think this is any re-
llation of yours. She's too shabby
Look at her shoes, See this is her bon
net. You don't know that ?" A.
He held up bonnet. 1t was crushed
and soaked with blood, but Jonas knew
It; the streaked ribbon, and a flower
among other flowers had lost its petals.
He had fingered it as it lay on the table
beside him.
Eyes, know it !" he cried It's
Sara. It's my wife !"
Then he pulled away the shawl from
the crushed face, and tainted outright.
Just as his senses left him he heard some
one say:
''His wife Why, thought she was
beggar J"
And another answered: Like enough
they call him miscr. I know him.
His name is Jonas Pray"
They carried the poor woman home
to Jonas Pray's old Housekeeping him
to follow as be became himself. She
was laid upon bed, and there was a
coroner's inquest. Then women pre-
pared her body for burial-talklng
among themselves Of the shame it was
that she, rich mans wife, should be
so clad. Then there was pause, that
he might be alone with her If he
would.
Before the time came he had cab
called, AID ne went out in it,, He was
driven to large dry goods establish
ment, where he asked to see the mana
ger, and was shown to his office. The
manager found him there-a pale mis-