The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-01-11

! III.
falling back step and taking in, with
one glance, the small room, fireless,
bare, and windy, the pallet and the
kneeling figure.
Yes. it is; and she's tainted or some
thingr' cried the woman. hurrying by
him, and touching Pansy's shoulder.
She had indeed tainted, and with one
lift of her strong arms Mrs. Ross laid
her on the pallet. with her pale pinched
face upturned and proceeded to vigor-
ously rub the lifeless hands.
''Iou say you are friend of the
lady's sir?" she said, turning to the
stranger. who stood apparently stupefi-
ed. 80 FL make bold to tell you the
truth. She's a-dyin' out of pure hunger,
weakness, and a-grievin' for the little
sick baby. If you'll 90 for doctor,
and get some wine and things, I'll have
'em carried down to my room, third
floor front. where it's warm.''
Yes, | will at once-dying of hunger
my Godn' exclaimed the stranger,
disappearing as if no haste could be
| great enough.
So it was that when Pansy awakened,
her first thought was that God had
heard her prayer and taken both her.
self and baby to heaven.
| Certain it was that she was warm oh,
so warm. Kind faces bent over her,
| her hands were in some ones tender
clasp, and there was a little gurgling
sound like baby's precious laugh.
For one wild, delicious moment she
thought they were in heaven. II was
| John mo held her hands. it was baby's
laugh she heard They were together,
never, never to be again separated.
Then reason slowly came to Danish
the delirious joy. One face after an
its place in her memory. Then she saw
another face, and with startled flash
of recognition spoke his name:
''Mr. Leslier'
s.Mrs. Eldridge," he answered.
''Oh," she exclaimed, seizing the
hand he held out. "How good it seems
to see you; how it makes me think"
But there she broke into choking sobs
| and buried her face ir the pillow.
Don't cry, dear; just see here'' ex-
claimed Mrs, Ross, and With the quick
| instinct of one who knows mother-love,
she held to Pansy little Lillian who in
truth was laughing warmth and food
had driven death away from his coveted
! prey. And as Pansy snatched her baby,
with her grief turned to JOY, Mrs. Ross
| hurried into the next room, so that the
| friends might have d chance to talk to
each other s.e..
'.Why did you run awavP" were Cor
| don Leslie's words. soas 3-5..L
| Il did not run away" answered
Pansy in some surprise. II simply went
because l had to-. Wben-wheh every
thing was changed so. could not afford
to live there | had to work.
''You work. he exclaimed. 'sAnd
your father worth thousands
MY father cast me- off," she said
simply. Il loved and married poor
man, and have never been sorry"
''But your husband earned good
salary in my bank; he must have left
! s-r,. --.s--.t ;-a, --h-r ~ ~
Excuse my asking-I want to be
| your friend-what has brought you to
/ this strait?' exclaimed Mr. Leslie, ris-
ing and walking about the room in
| great agitation.
"One misfortune after another" she
answered sadly.
"a week after first moved the house
was burned, and Lillian and / lost every
thing, besides some money l had just
| drawn from the bank.
at was a severe loss, and ate deeply
| into my small account.
| Then. when / found work, [ sup
| pose | worked too hard. for | fell very
| i'll, and for three months had to be
nursed, besides paying the doctor. and
| having some one to take care of Lillian.
After that L was so long weak l
could not work, and it takes money to
| live, you know"
There she broke down, sobbing pitt
| fully, and coming to the lounge he laid
| his hand on her sunny head, over which
so many clouds had passed, and tender
| ly said:
Poor child! poor childr'
Coming from him, gray haired and
nearly twice her years, it seemed father
ly loving, and was inexpressibly COM
forting to Pansy's aching heart.
She did not dream of the love and
| longing in his heart to take her in his
arms, to comfort and protect her. to
| tell her never to worry or grieve again,
but be his wife, give him the right to
love and shield her, and to learn to love
| him if she could.
No. she did not guess, nor did he
| speak it then.
| But two months later, when, through
| his influence, she secured well-paying
work, and her frail strength again re-
belled, be went to her, resolved that he
would save her precious life and make
her his own.
'.Be my wife" he said, stretching
out his arms to her with prayerful
vehemence. Let me save you. Give
me the right to love and care for you,
for YOU are dearer to me than my own
| life.''
IL your wife?" she cried, shrink
ING back in her chair and putting out
one hand as if to ward him off. 'Oh no,
Mr.. Leslie, you do not mean it-you do
not love me-you do not
''But l do" he interrupted vehe-
mently. when that love was wrong, /
knew that it was in my heart. Since /
filled my whole life. Listen to me. OH
Pansy-"
"HushT" she cried. starting up with
g cry of pain. That was his name for
me. No one else ever called me so.
Oh. Mr.. Leslie, say 70 more to me. My
! heart, my life-aye. all but what l live
for. my child-is buried in the ocean
with my husband. But for my child /
would pray to die; for her | must live"
'.Yes, for her you must i've" he in
terrupted her. And for her sake listen
to me. do not expect you to love me
i know too well how YOU love, once
given. is deathlesS. But you do not hate
me. Give me liking, respect, and esteem,
and the right to love you and save
your lite for your child S sake and mine,
| and | will be content
..If you refuse, think of the wrong
you do her. But few weeks more of
this life and your frail strength will be
gone. Your child will be fatherless,
motherless, homeless, and in her baby
hood.
"Can you view that picture, knowing
its certainty, and consent to it?'