The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-11


one like it before he died.
But year after year went by, n my |
silk was all worn out n I'd got anoth- |
er, m still Annie's best dress was but |
cheap delaine m it wasn't often she
could afford to buy even pair Of cot
ton gloves to cover her hands. Things |
hadn't gone better with Luther'n n
they had other things to sorrow for
than losing their best horses N cattle r.
their crops. They lost their six chill
dren. one after the other. Three of 'em
died in one week of scarlet fever m the
others was sickly little things, N went
off in slow consumption.
"If it hadn't been that she had to
keep Luther up, believe Annie'd have
give away many time; but for his sake
she didn't show one-half she felt. An
she never lost faith in the Lord. She
said His ways seemed hard, but that He
knew what was best for her.
"Well, time went on, n about five
years ago things seemed to take turn
| for the better with Luther. His wheat
crop turned out we'll, n he sold it to
good profit, m he got his corn off the
bottom lands before the river rose, n
that was great help to him, He
seemed real cheerful, N told John he
was just beginnin' to enjoy life, n if
things went we'll he'd soon have the
mortgage cleared off the farm. The
weather set in cold n stormy just after
Thanksgivin' n one afternoon was out
in the chicken yard shellin' corn to the
hens, n all muffied up to my eyes,
when heard wagon stop at the gate
n there was Luther noddln' N beck
onin' to me. went down to the gate to
speak to him, n before / got there he
was tellin' me how he'd sold Tom Lay
ton colt he'd been raisin' n was on his
way at last to buy Annie that silk dress.
He asked me bout the number of yards
he ought to get m where he'd best go to
buy, n said he couldn't hardly wait to
get it now he was ready. He was goin'
to give Annie SURPRISE he said; she
didnt know what he was goin' after.
"Wen, the tears was in my eyes as I
watched him drive off, pleased as a child
at the idea of surprisin' Annie. But I
never guessed what the black silk dress
was to cost her, poor soul!
"It began to rain soon after Luther d
gone, n poured down for upward of
four hours I was at the window when
he went on his way home, n I noticed
he didn't have his overcoat on, N /
wondered what he'd done with it,
for / was sure he'd had it on when he
stopped at the gate. Annie told me
afterward that he'd taken the coat off
his back N rolled the black silk up in
it to keep it from gettin' wet. 1t wasn't
even damp when he unrolled it n
showed it to her, but he was wet to
the skin himself, n a few days later
there was a doctors buggy at the gate.
matter, N found Luther walkin' the
, had settled in his side n the doctor
! couldn't give him no relief But he
said he guessed he'd phil through all
, right n there wasn't no need to worry
"NIiss Parsons was maxim the silk
up. Lnther wasn't satisfied till ANNE
| had gone to the village n got some one
; to work on it, N she thought best tt
t humor him. He wasn't no better
|. when the dress came home, n the doc.
tor was still tending him; but no one
, lowed he was anyway dangerous. l
> was John who brought the dress home
9 from Miss Parsons, n he said Luthe
was just too pleased for any thing to Sc,
e the bundle.
i "'I'm goin' to have Annie dress righ
+ up in it, he says, n you n Jane mus
a come over after supper n see how sh
= looks.
/ "Well, as I heard afterward, Johl
e had hardly gone when Luther began t,
, tease Annie to put the dress on. Sh.
p wanted to get supper first, but h
j. wouldn't hear to it.
1 Give been waitin' nearly twent,
t years to see you in that dress he Saws
: n won't wait even an hour longer
L "Well Annie she made HIN lie dow
= for he'd been wallSin' the floor con
/ slant nearly all day-'n' she went int
4 her bedroom to put the dress on. She,
n got the skirt on. n was tastenin' bh
waist, when she heard queer SCUM
It from the spare room Where Luther wa
s lvin' She stopped 4 minute to listen
d n then called to him 70 know il Ii
o wanted anything. There wasn't no al
It swer, n she crossed the hall n .lurrie
g into the spare room. Well, child, sh
It found him dead, his face turned towar,
a the door as he'd been watchiu' for her, i
:, the sound she'd heard was the dea
v rattle in his throat.
It when John n got there he'd bee
II dead only few minutes, n ! tell vol
child it was a sad sight to see he
q kneelin' down by that low bed in he
n new black silk. her arms round tbs
/ dead man N noanin' u shudderin' Owe
HIM n beggin' him to speak to her.
NEIyo ,r,,tt Ja,,I T. CHI, ,oy.o IA ,,,r,
le came in. He has only tainted. c
N Jane! do something for him. Get he
t. water, n you'll find camphere in til
l. pantry on the lowest shelf to the right
TO "But saw that hot water n campher
wouldn't he 20 use, N ! told her so ;
,e gentle as I could n begged her to com
t. away. She wouldn't listen TO me :
n first, but after the doctor had come. !
"a he'd told her it was all over, N poo
ct Lnther'd died from apoplexy Of IL
stomach, she let me take her to her ow
e. room
w. As we was crossin' the hall she hear
O the dress rustic, n hestopped short
n looked at me pitiful.
1u "'He never saw me in it, after al
ID n she broke down and cried as if h,
heart would break.
e. after poor Luther was buried
there was y stone put over him n h
y. debts We're all paid, there wasn't not
an in left for Annie, N she was glad
s. take place in the mills. We wantt
ke her to come here, but she was t,
ali proud to eat bread she hadn't earne
n she said About week ago ! was o
ly with Miss Sniper gettin' subscription
ed for the church carpet, n we met Ann
nd on the street. Miss Sniper, she ail
m oyer.sensitive herself N she don't 81
,er no one else credit for being 81 N s.
el- up n asks Annie if she didn't ev
N wish she'd seid YES stead of mo-