Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-18
mother" he said suddenly, "wilI you

go and see ithem?" .s
She didn't answer for a minute, only
stood looking at him, and then said
softly:
"They paid you the first money!"
j. mo, he said hotly, 81 hadn't the
! heart to take it,"
"Then the money you paid was yours,
Lu?"
eyes mother" he says simply; and
those two stopped looking at each other,
till the wife bent down and kissed him,
holding his head afterwards fora few
moments between her hands, for she al
ways did worship that chap, our only one
and then l closed my eyes tight, and
went on breathing heavily and thinking.
For something like a new revelation
had come upon me. | knew that Luke
was twenty-five, and that I was fifty
! four, but he always seemed like boy to
me, and here l was waking up to the
fact that he was grown man, and that
he was thinking and feeling as [ first
thought and felt when saw his mother,
! nigh upon twenty and eight years ago.
lay back, thinking and telling myself
! that was very savage with him for de-
ceiving me, and that wouldn't have him
and his mother plotting against me, and
that | wouldn't stand by and see him
make fool of himself with the first
pretty girl he set eyes on, when he might
marry Mary Turner, the engineers
daughter, and have nice bit of money
with her to put into the business, and
then be my partner.
"No, / says, eff you plot together I'll
plot alone" and then / pretended to
wake up, took no notice and had my
supper
kept rather gruf the next morning,
and made myself very busy about the
place, and dare say spoke more sharp
! ly than usual, but wife and Luke were as
quiet as could be: and about II o'clock
went out with a little oil-can and two or
three tools in my pocket.
1t was not far to Benefits place, and
on getting to the right place / asked for
Mrs. Murray, and was directed to the
second floor, where, as l reached the door,
| could hear the clicking of my sewing
machine, and whoever was there was SO
busy over it that she did not hear me
knock; so L opened the door softly and
looked In upon as sad a scene as | shall
ever, dare say see.
There, in the bare room, sat asleep in
her chair the widow lady who came
about the machine, and | could see that
in her. face which told plainly enough
that the pain and suffering she must
have been going through for years would
soon be over, and situated as she was it
gave me kind of turn.
SITS no business of yours" I said to
myself roughly, and turned then to see
who it was that was bending over my
machine. IF
[ could see no face, only slight figure
in rusty black, and pair of busy white
hands were trying hard to govern the
thing and to learn to use it well.
$50 that's the gal, is it," said to my
self. "Ah! Luke, my boy, you've got to
the silly calf age and dare say"
got no further, for at that moment
the girl started and tnrned around, and
turned upon me a timid, wondering face
that made my heart give queer throb,
and couldn't take'my eyes off her.
ooh, dearw she said shortly, holding
up her hand and | saw that it was as
thin and transparent as if she had been
ill.
"Ny names Smith," said taking out
screw driver. "Mv machine: how
does it go? Thought I'd come and see"
Her face lit up in moment, and she
came forward eagerly.
"Pm so glad you came" she said, II
can't quite manage this"
She pointed to the thread-regulator,
and the next minute was showing her
that it was too tight, and somehow in a
gentle timid way, the little witch quite
got over me, and stopped there two
hours helping her, till her eyes sparkled
with delight, as she found how easily
she could make the needle go in and out
the hard material.
"Do you think you can do it now?" I
said.
ooh, yes, think SO; am 50 glad you
came" ao
$50 am I" says gruffly it will make
it all the easier for you to make the mon
ely to pay for it,
"And will work SO hard" she said
earnestly.
'That you will my DEAR" | says in
spite of myself for | felt sure it wasn't
me speaking, but something in me. "She
been i'll long~. said, nodding toward
her mother.
"Months," she said, with tears starting
in her pretty eyes; "but," she added
brightly, II shall earn enough with this
to get her good medicines and things she
eau fancy" and as [ looked at her, some
thing in me said:
God bless you my dear! I hope you
will and the next minute | was going
down stairs calling myself fool.
They thought [ didn't know at home,
but / did there was the wife going over
again to Benefits place and all sorts of
things were made and taken there.
[ often used to see them talking about
it, but took no notice; and that artful
scoundrel, my boy Luke, used to pay the
half crown every week out of his own
i e. l. r.
the widow.
And all the time I told myself I didn't
like it, for [ could see that Luke was
changed, and always thinking of that
girl-a girl not half good enough for him.
[ remembered when [ was poor, and I
hated poverty, and used to speak harsh
ly to the wife and Luke, and feel very
bitter.
At last there came an afternoon when
[ knew there was something wrong
The wife had gone out directly after din