West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-09-28
Bertie's Sunday Frock.

lh"trht fr,r Pres.
lie was walking up Maycomb.street
/ Peering in on the Italians. glancing int,
/ open windows at hnk-buycrs, and nov
and then entering alleys to innec
Irickety old vehicles stsnding in front o
barns.
What am booking forY" he an
s"ered the policeman; "well. il max
strike you rs foolish, but We been
searching around Tor whole month
and mayhaNc 70 keepit up for another
l m looking for ssrngieuyer. Id know
, ms rig II | should ever see il ayain. but
|, haven't the least idea where hc lives O,
when III ind him. 49,, .t.
Did he steal something from Won 2?
Mo, was the hesitatiug reply.
Want him arrested for ANYTHING
Mo-
Inc officer was wondering what the
cause could be when the man said
feel Il bit ashamed 90 tell YOU. but
perhaps YOU wont laugh at me. You
see | have old clothes on, and don't
look a. If had any cash to spare. I'm
only a poor laboring man, renting a cot
tage up by Tie reservoir, and though Pye
only the old woman with me it's often
that we barely have enough tu eat.
when there 5 plenty of work one OF Us
Is sure to tall sick, and when We are i'm
health the world goes dead against us.
IL l. Il sort of a life and death struggle
with us, and sometimes we sit i'm the
darkness and wish we were dead and
burned longside of our little Rertic. up
IN the poor forks share of Elmwood.
mat llttle grave mp there is all that
keeps us herc-wc cling To life that we
may keep flowers growing there | We
stood on the wharf many a time and
ielt like going TO death at one Jump, but
that grave rose up TO warn ME bacs On
my way home at night I've feared. time
after time, To find the house deserted or
corpse ON the floor but that little
grave has restrained my wife the same
a. me.p fr... ~
How old was she {" asked the officer,
his own heart aching little. 80
'Th--three years old" replied the
man, and she was the only child ever
coming TO bless MS. We had luck enough
before she died. had work day I'm md
day out; my wife WAS singing the whole
day long, and when ! started for home
at night the knowledge that BERTHE would
be watching for me through the bars of
the gate picked my feet up faster than
anything ever has since.
WellP' quericd the officer. as the
man paused. Hs. "a.
4" Wen, she took sick and died /
do n 1 want 10 tell you more than That
or III be breaking right down here in
the street, and people w II wonder il I've
been drinking. it. was three wears AGO
she died, but her voice rings i'm my ears
thIA kfuHF a.t - a n. A r A.
at home. It's the same with the wife
SIR. n dozen times day she runs TO the
door, thinking she heard Berties voice :.
and never go in that she does not lock
at me with reproacb for not having our
dead darling on my arm"
] We lost children" sighed the Off
Ger, AZ he turned his head away. o.
Then you know how the wife treas
ures up the little dresses and stockings
and hats and things. We put all these
things away after the funeral, and
though 1T almost broke our hearts to
set the bundle down and look il over,
we somehow had to do il every Sunday
and there was MT a thing which had nj
been tear-wet before the first wear was
gone. Those relics have been our riches.
We would Mt exchange them for the
wealth of any man you can name. One
day, about a month ago, rag.bnvcr
came along. You may think It funny,
but even the poorest Of tue poor some
times have rags to sell. Wife made up
a bundle that day-enough 10 get a tin
cup, or something Of the knd--and in
some way or other Bertie's frock-
dead child's Sunday frock-gOt mixed
UP with the rags and papers and was
sold and carried of. Ny wife has done
nOthing but weep and lament since that
day, and I've looked here and there and
everywhere in hopes TO find the rap-man
and get the precious relic back. 1t may
seem n little thing 20 you, sir, but to IA
~ we remember the first time She wore
it-hOw proud she was-how We took
her walking how much she looked like
n rich mans child That dress had
more tear.stains than all tlie other
relics, aud though have MT $50 worth of
furniture IN the house, ID give every
stick of 10 and 90 into the street 10 find
Bertie's Sunday frook. ! do MT expect
to get it now il has probably been
shipped 10 the papeT-mill ere this. and
We have lost IL forever.V
o." I'm sorry" said the policeman
AND when j go home Tonight
whispered the man, "wife will be stand
ing. at the gate, watching and hoping;
and az far a. she can sec me she III tell
by my face that the search has not
availed. J had rather lose q finger than
meet her white face and reproaehful
look. ] wish We were both dead ~
And with weary step and hopeless
heart he dragged along, having such y
mission ~ neither hope nor despair nor
love brings 20 one in ten thousand
4 Numbering Novel Writer.
Elpucer pgs-