The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-06-18
A CONSCIENCE STILL.

"Scores, indeed" said Mrs. Hale, who,
with her daughter Maggie, was busted
about the supper. "Why the first thing
Mrs. Burton did was to so and buy ba-
by carriage. Probably she'll want one for
herself next" she added with laugh.
Think OF her setting up with baby-car.
riage."
"The baby s sickly, mother, " said Maggie,
"and too big for little Nellie to carry in
her arms. I've often heard Mrs. Burton
wishing for carriage in which the baby
could be drawn about comfortably"
They're as delighted as if the fifty
pounds were a thousand" continued the
mother. 1T isn't much to be proud OF
fifty pounds
well, only wish | had hall as much"
said Martin with sigh. We're owing two
months rent, now, and what made down
at the furnaces won't 60 far, to say moth
ing Of the chambers score. / think George
is in good luck"
They had always been good neighbors,
the Hales and the Burtons. The two men
worked at the iron mills in the town, and
were known as two steady, honest fellows;
but it often happened that work was slack,
or even at standstill, and then those
who were turned off had to be idle or look
for lob" at the furnaces, some thirty
miles up the railroad.
Both Hale and Burton had returned
from one OF these eXpeditions-the latter
to claim the good luck that had befallen
him, and the former to repine that no such
luck ever came to himself.
About week after this, Martin Hale,
on his way home from work, overlook
George Burton, who had paused outside
the window of one OF those variety shops"
where anything is sold, from box Of
matches to a suit Of clothes, or a set OF
cheap iewelry.
He was gazing at girls jacket OF dark
cloth, neatly trimmed.
Thinking of buying your wife diamond
ring, George" said Martin stopping beside
him.
Not yet while, " he replied good hu-
mored(y. II was looking at that little al
fair" nodding toward the iacket-"and
thinking would like to buy it for Kitty,
il it isn't too dear. l know she needs some
thing warm for winter, and to-morrow's
her birthday"
Suppose you go in and ask the price?"
The two stepped into the shop. The
women who helped to keep it were eloquent
in setting forth the merits OF the garment
and it's wonderful cheapness.
When Burton hesitated at sixteen shil
linSs she brought down the price to twelve
and he pulled out aleathern purse and paid
the money.
YOUR spending your fortune pretty
freely, George, remarked Hale, as his COM
panion closed his purse.
'Well, yes, in this instance; but you see
Kitty's seventeen tomorrow, and girls
like to be nicely dressed Besides, I've
cleared off my little debts, and this ten
pounds that's left goes into the bank to-
morrow"
The woman, anxious to get as much as
possible out OF her customer, produced
some wooden socks, and Burton, on exam
lining them, laid his purse on the counter,
where it was speedily covered with goods.
Concluding not to purchase the socks, he
took the bundle containing the jacket, and
with never thought OF his money, left the
shop.
Martin Hale took the purse from under
the goods, unseen by the woman who had
turned to replace che things on the shelf.
| II will give him a little scare, he thought.
''The lesson won't hurt him."
| When Burton reached his own door, and
paused to wish his companion goodnight,
! the latter raised his hand to his breast
pocket But suddenly dark thought
whispered to him. Burton had not missed
| the money; Burton would never suspect
him. And while he hesitated, his compan-
ion had gone into the house and closed the
| door.
tI'll give it to him to-morrow--yes cer-
] tainly to- meErew,n said Martin TO him.
| SELF and explain that it was joke, he will
see that none OF the money In missing
| But next morning when alone, he opened
the purse, just to see that the money was
all safe.
He counted it QUE, exactly ten pounds.
/ With that amount he could clear off his
score, and pay his months rent; and it so
! happened just at this time Martin Hale
was more in need of money than ever he
had been in his life. He had made but lit
tie the past summer, and winter was COM
/ ing with it's manifold needs.
/ That day the workmen were oil talking
OF George Burton's loss. He must have
placed his purse containing the money, in
coat-pocket, he said, for upon reaching
home be found it gone, and hole at the
I bottom of his pocket.
He was SO absent minded at times, and
| he remembered that he had forgotten to
tell his wife Of that torn pocket. He offer
ed q reward to the finder but no one came
| to claim it.
! This seemed turning point to George
/ Burton's good luck Next day his chill
dren were taken with the measles, and a
| doctor had to be called in. One little do
meStlc trOuDle aiter hnOtner came upon
/ him, and at last he received his dismissal
fam the iron mills, where there were, the
| proprietor exclaimed, more workmen em-
! ployed than we're necessary.
Tho same fate befell Martin Hale. and
as he walked gloomily homeward, he
! thought OF the ten pounds laying in the se-
cret place where he had hidden it. Never
once again had he looked at it, and not a
! day had passed that he had NOT shrunk
from the thought or it and from the sense
consistency, he could not bring himself. to
part with the money.
A haunting dread of poverty and want
tempted him TO keep it, and people who
noticed that be had changed, that he had
become nervous and morose, attributed IL
to his poverty.