The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-03-04
RALPH,s MOTHER.

signs and symptoms. 30 lney MeIe
married and hired a neat little nat,
furnishing it as best they could.
stIsn't it nice?" said Emmy ''Oh!
Ralph, don't you wish we had some one
to visit us?"
..If it would be company for you,
DEAR" said Ralph Crystal, smiling.
.sRut there's no one that Il know of,
said Emmy, except some far-away
cousins in Dakota. And l never knew
much about them. Oh! Ralph, haven't
you any relations?"
His face clouded over.
81 don't know whether l have or
not" said he. ''Oh. Emmy. God help
mel I've left my past behind me.
He had sunk into q chair, with his
head in his hands. She went silently
behind him and laid her cheek against
his forehead.
s.Ten me, Ralph" said she, what is
it? Why have you never spoken to me
about it before?"
Because" he answered, 81 didn't
want to appear like savage. Although
don't think have claim to be called
anything else"
what is it Ralph?" she repeated.
Il ran away from home when l was
10, Emmy" he replied moodiiy;
:
don't say he was right, but now, as
look back to it, know that l also was
wrong.
81 ran away from home and came TO
the city to fight my way for myself. And
when / had earned enough to make q
little home went back to get my moth
er out of the atmosphere that WASH
natural to her any more than it w tC
me.
81 was a fool to suppose that time
was going to stand still for my cOnven
nience. When l got back to Hickory
Falls father was dead and the folks had
| moved away-nO one knew where. En-
my, ! can't tell you how felt when
heard it.
But Ralph" soothed the young wife,
''you will find her. No one could ever
| be lost"
''rve tried, Emmy-Ive tried my
best, and it's of no use," he sighed.
Emmy was silent for a second or two.
1--we always wanted a mother" she
murmured half to herself, land Ralph's
mother would be all the same as my
| own" After that she secretly devoted
| herself TO the task of restoring to her
| husband the dear old mother whom he
had loved and lost.
One day this little Mrs. Crystal, being
| economically disposed, was searching
through a secondhand establishment
for coal-scuttle and firearms.
I'm not going to pay outrageous
| prices when can get bargain only q
little used" said she, thriftfly.
Couldn't l sell you something else,
ma amp" said the dealer, with that in.
sinuating smile which is peculiar tO
| proprietors of secondhand shops. 1--WE
a set of red damask curtains"
Emmy shook her head.
No. said she, 81 need no curtains. ~
'HaH a dozen dining-room chairs,
then?" suggested the man. ''Or pair
of real o1d-fashioned girandoles with
cut-glass dropsP"
But Emmy Crystal did not hear what
/ ne was saying; her eyes were fixed in
tently on a certain old bureau of ancient
mahogany, darkened with age, almost
/ to the semblance of ebony. with odd,
brass ornaments under the draw-hand-
les, and curious claw-legs. just such a
one, in truth, as Ralph was making in
/ the odds and ends of his time at the
i shop, because, as he said, his mother
| had bureau like that.
where did you get that bureau?''
she asked, quickly.
"Ma'am?" gasped the dealer.
81 mean who sold it to youP'
at was brought in yesterday from q
| place out on the Sound-one o. them
little one-horse settlements where they
| don't have no secondhand emporiums.
| But / assure you, ma'am," fiutterins
over the leaves of his ledger, ''yoU
won't get it no cheaper by going to the
principals. I've bought it out and Outi'
81 don't wish to purchase it, said
Mrs. Crystal. ''But 1 would like to SEE
| the person that-that sold it to you"
There was lot of other truck from
the same place." said the man.
They're breaking up house. guess.
| Oh, I've no objection to give you the
| address, ma'ami There amt nothing
underhand in my way of doing bust
ness" and he wrote off few words or
a slip of paper. 'lt's an old woman
with q hooked nose and tongue like g
| mili-wheei."
Mrs. Crystal, however, did not allow
herself to be discouraged by this UMPIRE
/ possessing description, but pretending
| to Ralph that she was going somewhere
to attend an auction sale for the pur-
pose of acquiring some table furniture,
| china, cutlery, and such like, she took
| the horse cars TO Harlem, there chang.
/ ing to another line, which, creep j 9
| gradually out among the elms and syca-
mores, took her to the edge of the
Sound, where there was a Struggling
settlement of little houses around tan
factory. In the farthest of them ala
queer little cabin where the spray spark
led its chimney-stacks at the equinox
tides, and a row of boats was pulled IN
on the edge of the sand, lived Mrs.
"a. Ill 4 !
sold the cIaw-footed bureau to the deal
er in secondhand furniture. The min
ute Mrs. Crystal saw her beak-shaped
nose peeping through the crack of the
door she knew that she had come TO the
right place
Anything pa'tickler a-wanting?''
said Mrs. Pepinstall. Because I'm
mortal busy to-day a-movin'. I'm goin'
to live with his folks up in New London,
and I've got all the hard things to pack
and my boarder TO send of to the poor
house afore / can set down to rest. II
you're a book-agent, or one o. them
travelin' photograph people-1 here
comes Simon DOOlittle's oRe-hoss wag-
gin now arter my boarder."
She bounced back into the house like
an India-rubber bali. but Emmy pushed
past her into the carpetless. unfurnished
room, where the vivid November sun
shine printed of the pattern of the win
dow-panes on the boards of the floor
with sort Of forlorn glory.
lis your boarder an old ladyr said
she.
you'll find her in the back roon,''
screeched Mrs. Pepinstall, 'tsettin' all
readyT'
And sure enough. in the back room,
covering in the scant warmth of the
sunbeams, sat q little old lady In
black silk. quilted hood. snuff colored
cloak, and mittened hands, crossed
meekly over each other, as If waiting
for some expected summons. Her visit
full eyes raised themselves piteously in
the direction Of the newcomer.
lis it the wagon from the poor
houseP" she asked. s.rm ready-ves.
quite ready. didn't think should
ever come to this; but I'm an old won-
ana very old woman. Ny money Is
all spent, and I've neither kith nor kin
IN the world-and Pm an old womanF'
Il hate TO send her to place like