Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1885-11-14

talking among themselves of the
shame it was she, a rich mans wife,
should be so clad.
Before the time came he had q cab
called and went out in it. He was
driven to large establishment,
where he asked to see the manager,
and was shown into his room.
The manager found him there, a
pale, miserable object, trembling and
faint, as one in deep illness.
81 want to buy shawl" he said.
"a shopman will attend to you,
SIR SAID the manager.
'No," said Jonas, 81 am too ill, too
broken to talk to the shopman. 1
can trust you. l want the costliest
shawl you have"
GA madman," thought the man.
ager. sour costliest is five hundred
pounds" said he, repressing
smile.
"Have it wrapped up for me-" said
Jonas.
"Certainly mad" said the gentle
man to himself.
But Jonas had drawn check out
from his breast pocket, and with
trembling hand was filling up the
blanks. The manager examined
them carefully.
"Mr. Jonas Pray" he said, more
respectfully. Then it flashed upon
him that he had read that morning
Of Il fatal accident to this mans wife.
1t was strange proceeding altogeth-
er. Secretly he called others to look
at his strange customer. One knew
him-inancially it was all right.
"And the rest IS none of our busi-
ness," said the manager, as he saw
the bundle Of splendor carried down
stairs after Jonas Pray. That's a
pretty purchase for miser."
Meanwhile Jonas drove home. No
sweet face smiled a greeting. Within
all was silent. Carrying the shawl
under his arm, he went up stairs to
the darkened room, where, under
straight folds or white drapery, SEEM
ed to lay the sorrow of the house. A
watcher sat there. He sent her
away. Then alone in the room, he
knelt down upon the floor.
"Sara," he said, "Sara, can you
hear me? loved you, Sara; but !
was such miser. I have bought you
ashawl at last. l paid as much as |
could for it, dear. You shall be
wrapped in it in your coffin. l will
put 1t about you myself. Sara, Sara"
He spread out the costly folds A
moment more he would have folded
it about the dead form, but at that
instant voice cried:
"Oh, Jonas, Jonas, dear! Oh, my
poor, poor Jonas -
And turning, he saw his wife, either
in the spirit or the flesh, standing be-
hind him. His knees trembled un-
der him. He cried out to heaven to
help him. But the figure came clos
er. 1t was no ghost, but living
woman. She took him in her arms.
"How i'll you look" she said.
"Did You really love me so? And
it is all my fault. | went to my sis
ter-ln- laws, and there in Il pet-oh, /
was so angry, Jonas--I gave away
my dress to beggar woman-and
vowed to sit in one Of sisters wrap
pers unit. you gave me decent clothes
to come home in. And the poor
woman was killed two hours after
wards, and | never knew that she had
been taken for me until this morning.
Oh, such creature, my dear, the
papers described her. And for lit
tie while was glad you had had a
fright, but am sorry now | was"
For answer he picked up the cost
ly shawl and wrapped it about her,
and took her, folded in it like num-
my, to his heart again.
1.-The miser is dead, but Jonas Pray
will show his wife how he can cherish
her.
He did; and if ever afterward Sara
detected symptoms ola relapse, all
she had to do was to wrap herself in
her wonderful shawl.
The sight inevitably recalled the
moment when he learnt how little,
after all, is the value Of money, and
realized in agony Of soul that his
greed had brought down upon him
the contempt of his fellow-men, and