New-York tribune., 1884-11-05
WHY Did He We'd HerP
.~ TEETH WITHOUT PLATES.
CHAPTER /.

| .p,ma will vou give me the legal right 10 care ior
Won viii you have me for your huspanu H' "
| gently taking her hand and bending over hcr' 49,
| .Oh sir do you mean IT Can yon mean IL ENC
,,hed gazing nm in his face with childish frankncss'
rrrrise and deligh-thc failing light kndlng IN hef
dark eyes the fading color flushing IN her wan cheeAS
al do mean It. dear child VIII you give yoursen 10
me =" he asked smoothing her dafA nan WAN '''
| eweed hand. ,,,o, . Moor
ayes. OH YES II you want me- but am sich poo,
oro,rre abe answered holding out to him her wasted
| hand and smiling family o.. Ut,
$50 he it, then" he said lifting the little hand 10 Ills
| lips ,, .,r
| awhat a mockery.-sir. you must be mad. seVerey
| spohe a woman who stood beside the poor INV ~ " -
which the fading girl declined, and over winch 'hc H"o
| gentema leaned.
T. d,d indeed seem mockery-a cruel, bitter insulting
mocEery. o,r,aco va.
For the scene of this startling proposal OF mar''e "
in the rear room in the attic OF an od .unoIns 49,
| tenement house in the lowest anu i"o
nuarter Of New-YOrk city. -,
II Was room OF about twenty feet square put 'ie oao
roof sloped from the boards half way across te 10"
ceiling The bare walls were freshly wmtewaS"e'' INC
hare floor cleanly scrubbed. To the left In the corner
stood poor little cheap sewing machneide now, 'e'O
many weeks, since the work had iaeh iroiu 'N' ""9
| hands Of the fair young seamstress ~
on the right side the with its head against INC
wall stood a small, sin gle co-bed covered VIII" p'.'
work quilt Of many colors To the right .oi 'hs s'oo al
ola burean with its top covered by white clotD' On II
Law Bible prayerbook and hymn-oooK. 40 'ne i'i'
v-,s \ nine table also covered with white cloth'
sh ,, tlo scene in which our drama OF life opens.
| A for the actors
The first speaker was Cleve stuart, man In the morn
ing of lie health and strength; tall handsome stately
blonde with fresh complexion. blue eye, ana SILKY
yellow hair aud moustache He was perfectly dressed
in day suit of gray tweed. lie was an arlstocia' from
| head to foot.
She 70 whom he spoke was young girl scarcely passed
childhood; dark brunette witha thin dark iace arse
cavernous dark eyes and wilderness of curling dark
hair wandering all over head, neck and shoulder
The fires OF kndled in her hollow eyes and burned
I'm her wasted cheeks. And yet she was creature OF
,ronlrous beauty even decay She was clothed III
faded blue wrapper and lay back, proppcd with pillows
| in nm old armchair near the window
The last speaker Wasa woman of middle age, with
tall spare form pale face and iron-gray hair
"whv sbould Il be a mockery Mrs Pole r. inquired
the YOUNG man. dropping the hand Oft girl and draw
| Ing himself up.
at is nn nonsense and worse than nonsense. And
ron ought ~ know It. sir The child is too young To-
marry nr, how. " ever So we'll and strong And
,,r iu.t onk at her She Is oh you needn't stare at
| mo ond shake your head. sr' she knows her state
She be- fully rrronc.l u t The minister has been with
brr ever, day fo week past She IL young saint re-
raral ioi heaven sir mot sltl ready to he married
,ic,o stuart did not THE hut turned and took
|
sho raised hot brilliant darn o,rs tr ha with depro
eaiiua liauoo. aui then replied to the woman
"r,u.t deu't do,t nruso, YOU mako me ashamed 10
saint uh. iaf ftuW il Do
Glove stuait silently rtrs-rd hrf hand
iul hhu is usht h euu irsre'i ait continued 'he
sd 4" da Au"n m ''ml % YEN auu ,, q" i'''"'''' ~
Ai onid, Whllo lnrio Ia N" lnrir IN hope oven
faI na alui And iu alto Nuuu.i lh thr rhtrai nplh+
umr uc wilma ,nan-o ol s,ene i4'" an good l"nd
and devoted attention snrh "5 M"H p@ I1,, ,rr \" w.
you day and night helh ana rllrnt'n N N"llu 'l"in u
you And yuu have -td thit yon VIII eHo o.lhr lth"
il.ht 20 dc,oto mysclt to yon IA ihis way" ,,,
Yes, said soi not because hope 10 tet Wt @ h, ne ne
little time have i've. even 10 The last az Garth fear
tli- i, very selfish of me- She added de"eealihey,
No no. NY child. thole is 40 stlt,iuc7- ia your WISH
and il shall De rutincI hc said, again c"ressins her
05.rrvc my rcicr That there a touch OF PITY and
lecynlcee In his words and toward tAs failing
r: hut theie Wa no '1,' % o. & 1'e "F or c l,s' III 'e
! "You good very good to me God bless you"
IL itcd her hand his lips ana arose and took his
ny Viii 20 ont now and fetch minister and carriage
| far ycl We Will D.. married immediately ana then
vii never cye y9n "-ai4 VII M tA1G M o II, once on,
y, @ -. 'r..I ar and cool b.clcs and breath the
hca.-cyin- fragrance OF the pines Will DC back here
She put up her hand to stop him. and then said plead
@oG 10, sir; no. please not this day-no tins Of all
lie aesitacl III pcrplexity.
/ But why not this day Why not this hour The
sooner are married the bcitar tink me -dd; for
looking down in her wan face, and hearing her faint
voice, he thought her days-perhaps her hours were
Bn today Is Good Friday" sail Palma. eraycly.
And We could not be married on Good nday You
Tomorrow then ?"
"Cl MOI Taat would be almost as bad. But on sun
d!; iliei tnr H. !iu !i' T i a. ,, ,l,so
Very vel Hile l-Y'',g ~ S,',l IN or I ~ lo T. c- l,gts
service. Uili claim }oui hdY ne >hd checfiul'.l
M 3o oaT 6gg y G 1Sce Sri % Yoa @ Sesia Fl oo at NS ne
significant tell You sne knows her state jut as wei
90, ami deal better than yoa do She gGd 10 20,
/ tell you. Sir" persisted Mrs. Pole.
Bui then the fading girl spoke.
on. no, nurse; Not g"d TO- 60 Eesifned' Submissive
Not glad. NO" tnat yoa are here ,he added turning
now On indeed would, r the Lord were willing"
" Dear little Palma, you must 1--we! You ShW live!
mrIriuurcd Clcvc stuart smoothing her hair with his
hand ana speaking from The pity, not from the love of
h- hert aud dccciyns himself in'o the BELIEF that he
thank and bless you! know need not die II you
II tIi,k von usd better 20 now sir do indeed All
This talk ht- trcd Lcr much she Is almost exhausted
ami need, re,t" said Mrs. Polo.
stuart took up his Lat, lut Palma held her hand
"0h doni leave me, Stay with long as you can.
g. would stay with You always' II might. dear child"
down ana taking her haad tendery i'll MS aud keep
no. ali wrong all wrong ali wrong" Mrs. Pole re
No, nurse, -ec' lean back IN my chair and close
my eye and sink 10 ccp so conienedly with my hand
WI Il hone Won wi he abIe to ge good resi- beforo
the rar,on comes anyhow" sighed the woman.
&" Is the minister coming here 10 day r. inquired the
Young man.
OF course he is lie comes every day. Eu there
service in his church this morning So be VIII he here tai,
afternoon
Palma was showing signs ~ extreme WEAKNESS Mrs
Pole and shifted the pillows behind her back made
her comfortable IN her seat, and then brought her gIs.
Of milk.
Wien she had drank Il she sank back in her chair NTH
deep sigh, closod her eyes and dropped her hy
her -ilc from sheer exhaustion.
Now. don't speak To her again for Of least an hour
sir please said Nra Pole she went to wash aud put
away the rmI tN glass.
Ccve stuart nodded in silence took the hand of the cr
hausted eir and held II In his OWN.