The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-06-05
THE SILK DRESS.

she heard the sound of footsteps on the
plank walk which lay along the front
fence. "Poor soul! l never see hel
chat I don't think of that verse in the
Bible which says that from him that
hath not shall be taken even that which
he hath, aud she sighed deeply.
Hooked from the window just in time
to see Annie Beldon before she turned
The corner Of the rext street. She was
I faded, careworn looking woman, a lit
tie past middle age, with dark brown
air thickly s~prinkled with gray. Her
.ress was a rusty black cashmere, her
black shawl was decidedly shabby, and
her Grape bonnet was shabbier still.
She looked neither attractive nor inter
esting, aud l turned from the window
and took up my crecheting again, re-
marking only that she looked as if she
had had her share Of sorrow"
Sometimes l think she has had a
good deal more than her SHARE" said
Aunt Jane. II know dozens of women
who have sunk INTO the grave under
only half as much. And the best of it
is, she don't never complain. She is the
cheerfulest soul that ever breathed."
"Does she live near here?" 1 asked,
more out of politeness than from any
real interest in the subject.
"No! but she was my next door neigh
Dor for twenty-five years when this was
a farmhouse. The town lay two miles
off then, and we never looked to see it
grow right up to Jul very doors. An
ME wouldn't be wearin' such shabby
clothes if there hadn't been a mortgage
on their place. She could have sold
every acre at a good profit if it had
been free"
Tell me all about her, Aunt Jane"
I said, as the old lady paused. You'll
have plenty of time before supper"
Dear me, child, there isn't much to
tell, n maybe the little there is
wouldn't prove very interesting to you.
/ know Annie looks shabby, mold, n
gray now, n not much like she did
thirty years ago. We was girls togeth-
er, n she was the prettiest n lfy aliest
little thing / ever saw. Her eyes was
as black as Goals, n her hair hung in
long curls to her waist. She had a
laugh n a good word for everybody, M
more beaus than she could tend to.
There was only two of 'em, though,
that she favored at all. One was Tom
Layton"
"The owner of the Layton Mills ?" 1
interrupted.
yes; but he didn't own the mills
then. He was only superintendent
then, n though he was q saving indus
trious young man, no one looked to see
him get TO be q millionaire. But he
had a good salary, 'n'his father was well
TO do, n he was reckoned a GOOD
match for Annie. For 9 while folks
thought she'd marry him; but he warn't
a professor, n Annie set a deal by her
church. She allowed that if she mar
ried q man who never went inside of one
she'd be false to her principles, for the
Bible says the righteous shall not be
yoked to the unrighteous, You know.
Tom took it real hard at first, but he
1idn't bear Annie no Ill will. m when
she married Luther Beldon he sent her
q handsome present. Luther, he was q
real steady young man, but somehow or
other he didn't have no luck. He had
; good farm, but. work as he might, he
never maze nothin' more'n a bare livin,'
IA Annie had to pinch n screw to keep
clothes On their back. She was O mas
ter hand at managin,' m she worked
like q horse, bat year after year went
by d they didn't get no bet
Ter or Drought n early frost m
too much rain, KEEP 'em alters be-
midland. 'n'jest when they was thinkin'
they was goin' to do better there'd
come something that would put'em
back again.
Luther he got discouraged, but
Annie she never lost heart. Leastways
she never seemed to. When they'd
come over here m Luther ned get TO
bellin' how crossways things alters went
tor him, she'd alters have something
cheerful to saw. She'd tell about It
was d long lane that had no turnin' n
Il was alters darkest jest before the day,
M there was alters q silver linin' to every
cloud, till Luther he'd get pleasant
again n ready to laugh with her over
their troubles.
"Ain't / got a treasure in my wife?'
he'd say. Long as frost m mildew m
Goods don't take her away from me, I
guess I can get along
"They was oyer here TO dinner the
day / was 80. | was wearin' for the
6rst fine q new black silk which John
had given me for a birthday present.
II was thick n soft n mighty hand
some, m Luther he didn'. seem able to
keep his eyes off il.
"I wonder when I'll be able to give