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

to live till l get you a black silk dress.
"She laughed n told him he'd make
q peacock OF her if he could; but for all
her brave words | knew she was down
right fond of pretty things, n it really
hurt her to have to wear old, faded
dresses, n bonnets five years behind
the style. But she never said so, n
she'd walk into church Sunday after
SUNDAY in her old blue delaine' n yell
low straw bonnet, lookin' as sweet n
happy rs if she'd been dressed like a
queen.
"Well Luther he never came over
here after that without he had some re-
mark to make bout my black silk, n
he stuck to it that he would give Annie
one like it before he died.
But year after year went by, n nv
silk was all worn ont n I'd got anoth-
er, n still Armies best dress was but a
cheap delaine n it wasn't often she
could afford to buy even a 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 -
their crops. They lost their six chill
dren, one after the other. Three of EN-
died in one week of scarlet fever n 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 Annied have
give away many a 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.
We'll, time went on, n about five
years ago things seemed to take a turn
for the better with Luther. His wheat
crop turned out we'll, n he sold it to
good profit, n he got his corn off the
bottom lands before the river rose, N
that was a 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' m one afternoon l was out
in the chicken yard shellin' corr to the
hens, n all muff1ed up to my eyes,
when l heard a wagon stop at the gate
IL JISLS was AuIuGI d uOuulu Ii DSCh-
onin' to me. l went down to the gate to
speak to him, n before I got there he
was tellin' me how he'd sold Tom Lay
ton a'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 n 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 a surprise, he said; she
didn't know what he was goin' after.
well, the tears was in my eyes as |
watched him drive off, pleased as a child
at the idea of surprisin' Annie. But I
never guessed what the black silk dress
vas to cost her, poor soul!
at began to rain soon after Luther d
gone, m poured down for upward of
four hours. / was at the window when
he went on his way home, M 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 tina: 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 itI'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.
John he went over to see what was the
matter, n found Luther walkin' the
floor n groanin' with pain. The cold
had settled Il his side Il the doctor
couldn't give him no relief. But he
said he guessed he'd pull through all
right n there wasn't no need to worry.
Miss Parsons was maxim the silk
up. Lnther wasn't satisfied till Annie
had gone to the village n got some one
to work on it, n she thought best to
humor him. He wasn't no better
when the dress came home, m the doc
tor was still tending him; but no one
lowed he was anyway dangerous. 1t
was John who brought the dress home
from Miss Parsons, n he said Luther
was just too pleased for anything to see
the bundle.
Elm goin' to have Annie dress right
up IN it, he says, m you m Jane must
come over alter supper n see how she
looks.
well, as / heard afterward, John.
had hardly gone when Luther began to
tease Annie to put the dress IN. She
wanted to get supper first, but he
wouldn't hear to it.
4sI've been waitin' nearly twenty
years to see you in that Dress he says,
nj won't wait even an hour longer
aWell, Annie she made him lie down
for he'd been walkin' the floor con-
slant nearly all day-n' she went into
her bedroom to put the dress on. Shed
got the skirt on, n was fastenin' the
waist, when she heard a queer sound
from the spare room where Luther was
lynn. She stopped q minute to listen,
n then called to him to know If he
wanted anything. There wasn't no n
swer. n she crossed the hall m hurried