Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1878-04-24

W0JUluX y ME- luSStlu wAAOS NsPPCu uA.
boys with countless bits Of silver, and
even put my name TO . couple OF moder'
ste liabilities in behalf Of the household.
all for the sake of that dear face, to
have MacMurray come in and gloat
upon it night after night, to see the
faint color deepen In the cheek, and 9
tender light take birth in her eyes, and
at last to have this marauder openly pro
claim to me his undivided interest in
that fair estate upon which / had been
afraid 20 trespas ven In thought
But the future VA comfortably vague
MARY was the CORNERSTONE Of the home
masonry. and without her it would
crumble TO pieces. Her mother was .
helpless invalid, three Of the boys were
tof unruly age. and little Jamie was like
. baby Of M~ary'sown.
MacMurray complained INCREASINGLY
to me, who would have been glad to
shoulder the whole household for the
sake of its sweet womanly prop.
"She actually talks" said MacMur-
ray, who had, singularly enough, chosen
me for 4 ~confdant, q if this abom-
Unable state of affairs was to go on for
ever. wish it would please God to
either rid her mother of her infirmities
or take her whore such troubles are over;
- for the boys, they are q set OF savages."
Except Jamiefn l said, . little anx-
iously, for / knew Mary's heart was set
upon the child. 49,.
except nobody but Mary herself"
he returned. "Tm sick to death of them
al. don't suppose you'll believe it,
Bruce, but l swear TO you that this
woman, who is my promised wife, have
never yet held in my arms, nor have her
sweet lips been given TO my own. She's
shy and . little cold, and we never can
be one minute alone"
mansfield is An Englishman, you
know" l said, land is prejudiced against
our American customs" And as l spoke
/ felt q glad, warm, consoling pulsation
through my whole body. and the thought
that my little pearl ~ yet belonged to
nobody, even in . cares, lent q sort OF
exultation to my voice.
But MacMurry went on to solicit
my help in this extremity, and begged
of me to further any opportunity that
might present itself for this dual soli-
| tude which he naturally coveted.
Only one little week after, We sat, as
usual, around the blazing heater. 1t
was q freezing night in March; the wind
roared down the big, broad stove-pipe;
the flames went wandering upto meet it;
the sides of the heater sputtered and
cracked, and took q sullen red tinge in
unison with this fiery riot; and in the
meanwhile Mansfield went on with one
of his stories, raking idly with a long
plaything Of . poker this demon of q
heater, till the air fairly palpitated, AMI
the temperature was only fit for a sala-
mander.
Cant We 60 up in the parlors?'
said Mac. eff it's eve warm there, it
must be tonight; and l heard you say,
Bruce, that you wanted to look over the
engraving"
The ~ rascal knew this was a hobby
of Mansfeld's, and while We were busy
with the engravings, he could coax Mary
of into the front parlOr. Even while
my heart contracted with the thought,
his proposition was hailed with enthusi'
asm, and we proceeded to carry it out,
Mansfield at the head of the procession
with q lamp in his hand, for the hall
above had not been lighted, the boys
screaming after their father, Mary and
Mac following, and l bringing up the
rear. The poor invalid lady was the
only one left in the basement. No SOON
er mad We reached the parlor door, and
Mansfield had opened it, than a cold
blast whipped out the light that he held,
and suddenly We were in total darkness
I began to grope my way, Al people viii
in this emergency, and Immediately my
extended hands came in contact with
other hands, so soft and warm, and full
of an electric magnetism that it thrilled
through my every vein; and all at once
my two hands had drawn those other TIVE
hands, and the body hat belonged t,
them, close to my side. A fine, silkel
fluff of hair touched my chin. l wa
past helping then; my head bent in
stinctively down, and as my lips touches
hers / inwardly vowed to take without
murmur whatever poor penalty could b
meted out for this matches felicity
The intoxicating half-second had ~scarcel,
fed when I found some powerful retri
button close at hand. A mufied shriel
from below wa followed by more ligh
than We wanted. A volume Of smok
came rushing up the stairway.
: "Good God! my poor wife," erie
Mansfield, stumbling down this stifin
crater to her relief. 1 caught up Jami
with one arm, aud encircled Mary wit
the other. The boys scurried out throug
the front door with MacMurray, and "
) were soon in safety with some friend
i upon the block below, whittier Mansiel
! shortly brought the insensible form {
|, his poor lady.
! She was mot badly burned, but th
shock was fatal, and she breathed he
last before morning. Mansfield, who ha
never left her aide, gave way over tn
poor rigid body, and it was found this
: he had sustained severe injuries in reset
!. ing her. The doctor looked grave aft<
/ the examination:
D "Great Heaven!" cried Mansfield
; " there's nothing serious, / hopef Mar
I and the children have nobody but m
| now, and there isn't a half-penny," b
added, in . husky whisper, "betwee
them and starvation. / spent my la,
dollar on that internal heater that hs
burned Us out of house and home, an
, I've hesitated to insure because every
I thing is 20 shaky in that way"
. He looked around upon us appealingly
) Macs face wore a sardonic solemnitl
: mingled with a contemptuous reproacl
: and he remained silent; but l stammere
: out something to the effect that ever,
body had lost confidence in insurance {
; late, and, lingering behind when Ms
. and I we're about leaving for the nigh
l bent over Mansfield, and told him
: give all his energies to getting we'll, tn,
while ] had . dollar it should be share
: with him and Mary and the children.
"Gqd bless you, Bruce!" said the su
fering man." God in heaven bless you
' Two big tears rolled down his feyere
. cheeks, and ! caught just one swee
fervid glance from Mary's tear-dimme
and hollow eyes.
: "Here'sa nice lookout" began Ma
o as We walked along; "a hopeful futu
for me, isn't itf'
why, you've got your wish abo1
. her poor mother" / said, rather 81