Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-05-31
RoB'S ROSES.

pleasant. Even the Cry5iai IalaCe hh5
one advantage over them, for 1t has
the open street in front Of it, while they
have nothing but the backs Of half a
dozen tenement houses and beer saloons
within ten feet of their front windows.
Starr Place is such an outof the-way
nook, too, that even il you are IN search
of it you have 10 hunt some time be-
fore YOU see the diugy sign that hangs
no in the archway leading to II; and II
YOU are only BID ordinary passer you
have not an idea of lis existence.
If YOU choose to turn up this arch
way, however, which is not much wider
than an ordinary door, you get into
Starr Place, damp courtyard, some
ten feet wide, between the backs Of the
houses already mentioned, and eight or
ten rickerty wooden houses IN q block
by themselves.
Should any one be bold enough to
enter one of these houses that fronts
on the Place and grope his way through
the dark entry and up the three flights
of shaky stairs, he would come to the
room il which Rob McGregor lived.
Rob McGregor had not always lived
there, however. His parents had been
very decent Scotch people, and he could
remember when he was very little
boy that they used to live in COM
Portable house at the North End but
his father had grown teo fond OF drink,
and things had gone from bad to worse
until last Thanksgiving Mr. McGregor
had been sent to the Island for 60 days
for engaging in drunken row, and hls
wife and baby had gone down with him
TO the house of detention, while Rob
had been left to shift for himself, under
the nominal care of a neighbOr.
While at the Island, however, the
baby had been taken sick, and Mrs.
MCGregor had returned and moved
into this room in S arr Place, and since
then things had become still worse.
Their few possessions bad been left
in the city, and while she was away
the greater part of them had been
stolen, and she, half sick herself, had
neither strength nor courage to trace
them, but had gathered up what was
left, and moved TO their new home.
Rob was standing at the window,
looking out and drumming against the
pane. In chair with one foot upon
the siove-hearth sat his mother a tall
c0urt @ featured woman, in a slatternly
dress, and with Hnkempt, sandy hair,
grooming a Scotch song to his baby SIS
ter Rose, who lay breathing heavily IN
her lap.
After time, Rob turned uneasily
away and sat down upol the trunk.
The dispensaIy doctor had been in that
morning, and had said that the baby
had diptheria and was y very sick child
and after he had given directions about
the medicine, Rob had heard his moth
er say, ~ don't think she'll get over it,,
Doctor and the doctor had answered
IL nm afraid not, but I'll do what l
can"
He did not know much about dying,
but he did know that he should lose his
baby sister, and tho thought caused a
strange choking in his throat.
Baby Rose had been very cunning
when she was well, and had been very
fond of him; and when father came
home drunk and used TO beat him, he
would crawl by her side and she would
someume wake up and stroke his face
and whisper, POO Wobbie," and IN
some way, though why he knew not, it
made him feel better. 1t is true he
used to object to the care of her very
often, ne had occasionally struck her,
and this was not pleasant TO remember
now as he sat and watched Aer.
In fact, there wasn't much pleasant
that day for poor Rob, and he felt thor
oughy miserable rs he sat and watch
ed the baby, or dragged himself weari
" out into the street and back again
until at last tine wretched day WAS ov
err anG he crept across the foot of tn,
bed and pulled n corner OF the old
comforter over him, wiping away q
tear on it secretly, and at last feel
asleep.
When he awoke the next morning
his mother was moving about the room
in mechanical sort of way prepar
ing the breakfast. He noticed q chang
ed expression, sadder look upon he
face, and then he raised himself on
one elbow ard looked over TO wher
the baby was lying The little heap O
yellow httue was wonderfully still
and the breathing he had Eea rd ms h.
fell asleep was now hushod. A strspg
feeling came over him; he did not know
much about il hut il might be that tn
baby was dead.
His mother must have guessed hi
thoughts, for just then she turned, am
seeing that he was awake, said, TN
baby's dead.
Rob made MO reply, but the chokiu
came more and more lnhis throat an
be shifted suspici0usly, ana ut last, be
fore getting ont Of bed, was forced