The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1881-06-17

could she mount the wretched STAIRS III
was bitter cold within rs without, but she
was glad to find herself at last under
shelter. Her babe still slumbered and
she did not waken it. Her frozen bosom
could only have chilled the little crea-
ture. There were few bits of broken
wood in one corner and with these she
made a fire in the old stove, and crouched
over it, striving to gain some little
warmth, while hen husband slumbered
| heavily upon the bed in the corner,
to which he had staggered on his en-
trance.
Thus an hour passed by, and Ruth
also fell asleep. The silence, the pleas
ant warmth at her feet, tine fancy That
all her trouble was over for the night,
lulled her to pleasant dreams. From
them she was awakened by the loud
ringing of the factory bell and by the
sound of cries and shouts in the street
below. She cast her eyes toward the
bed--her husband was not there TO-
ward the cradle-it was empty. She flew
to the wlndow-the street was full OF
factory boys with their tin kettles. Some
great jest amused them nightly. They
roared, they danced, they tossed their
ragged caps on high, they shrieked in
unmusical laughter, and the object of
all this mad mirth was only too evident.
On the steps of the liquor store op-
posite stood Edward Holly. holding his
child in his arms and exhibiting for the
benefit of the delighted crowd all those
antics of which an intoxicated man alone
is capable. He called on the grinni1g
master of the gin-cellar to "give this
child some brandy" and turned the
screaming infant about in manner that
left no doubt that he would end by drop
ping it upon the broken pavement
Wild with terror Ruth rushed out into
the street, and made her way through
the crowd to the spot where her husband
stood, but before she reached him the
scene had changed.
Some boy more brutal than the rest
had thrown a handful of mud into Ed
ward Holly's face, and he, Keeling and
disappearing, had dashed forward to re-
venge the act
The child had been flung away at the
first step, but fortunately had been
caught by an old woman who, though "A
degraded creature herself, had enough
of the woman remaining to save an III
FAINT from injury.
And now the whole horde OF boys besei
the drunken man, pelting him with
sticks and stoDes and decayed vegetables
from the kenpel, and reveling in the
brutal delight with which such scene
always seem to inspire boys OF the lower
classes.
Ruth saw that her babe was sale and
that her husband was in danger, and,
forgetfuf of all else, flew toward him
She cared nothing for the ieers of the
mob; before them al she fling her Gyms
about hirp and intezposed her beautiful
person between him and his assailapss
The head that had caGried itself litsie
proudly III she presense OF the highest al
the land-tbat had seemed more queen
liks than tha& of the Empress herself at
the court of Trance-that had awakened
the envy of Sstled English women when
the young American woman dwelt
among them--dropped itself low upon
the bosom of the drunken wretch who
was tine jeer ard scorn CS low mob, and
only in love ard pity, not in anger, did
she eak to him:
Come home; Edward. They'll hurt
you. my poor love! come home with me. +"
Mad rs he waN-filled with the demon
of drink, to the. exclusion, of the soul
God had given him-tke soft, sweet
voice, the fond toach of thswhite fingers,
awakened some memory CT the past in
the man breast.
"Go you home, grill" ks. whispered.
'Ill kill them? Don't ret I'll kill
'em, and"
Come home, darling," ssie whispered
again, and he stopped anli gave her
kiss. At that the boys yellod derisively,
and flung more mud and stones at them.
One threw n stone-a heavy stone, sharp
pointed and Jagged Whether he ever
intended to strike the maniis doubtful.
but the missile flew tiercely through the
air and crashed against the golden head
of the devoted wife. A stream of blood
gushed from The white templ0and poured
down upon the bosom where. 10 dropped,
never to lift itself again-never. never.
more. Only with a'quivervng shudder
of pain she felt for tile face of the man
who had sworn to love and cherish her,
and had broken that VOW 80 utterlF
while hers had been se.truly Kept.
"Good-by, Edward" she whispered
CT can't see you now-l,iss me. Oh, he
good to babyl' Be gs0d to. baby" and
The crow,Ilwas hustled H., silence. A
sobered man, bent over the dead woman,
whose hands-had dropped Away from his
breast and she love and trath and ten
derness of Ter heart ware an manifest to
him in that terrible moment-manifest
III vain, for repentance could not restore
her to hfe, nor blot out the love which
had crushed her heSnti Through all hose
weary days of her sad married life.
"What Is the mg6tpr here?" c-aed a
voice, as a portly man forced his way
through the crowd. "A woman hurt?"
A woman killed." said the policeman.
and that brute is die cause of al, and
the gentleman bent forward and started
back with a cry of anguish.
cit is Ruth ~ he said my Ruth! ~
and fell back into the policemasn's arms
in deathlike swoon. Forgiveness and
repentance had come alike tao late fos
poor Euth Holly Her father could giSs-
her nothing but a grave.
The child born amidst went and pen.
ury, Hourished by half-starsing mothaz,
pjncd away aDd died in the luxurious