The Washington critic., 1886-02-10
RALPH'S MOTHER.

Ralph, don't you wish we had some
one to visit us2'
"If It could be company for YOU, my
dear" said Ralph Crystal, smiling.
But there's no one know Of" said
in Dakota, and / never knew much
about them. Oh, Ralph! haven't you
any relations?"
His face clouded over.
81 don't know whether I have or
not, said he. Oh, Emmy God help
me! I've left my past behind me"
He had sunk into a chair with his
head in his hands. She went softly
behind him and laid her cheek against
his forehead.
"Tell 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.
81 ran away from home when | was
sixteen, Emmy" he replied, moodily.
Father was strict and cross with me.
] don't say he was right, but now, as
| look back to it, / know that | also
was wrong.
Il ran away from home and came to
the city to fight my way for myself,
and when had earned enough to make
little home | came back to get my
mother out Of the atmosphere that
wasn't natural to her any more than it
was 10 me.
81 was fool to suppose that time
was going TO stand still for my con.
venience. When got back to Hickory
Falls father was dead and the folks
had moved away-no one knew where.
Emmy, can't tell you how felt when
heard It,"
"But, Ralph" soothcd the young
wife, you will find her. No one could
ever be lost"
"I've tried, Emmy-Tve tried my
best, and it's of no use," he sighed.
Emmy was silent for a second or
two.
"I've always wanted mother" she
murmured half to herself, "and 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, be-
ing economically disposed, was search
ing through secondhand establish
ment for coal scuttle and fire. arms.
'"lm not going to pay outrageous
prices when | can get bargain only a
little used, said she, thrifty.
"Couldn'tI sell you something else,
ma ann" 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, II need no cur
tains."
"IIalf a dozen dining. chairs,
thenY' suggested the man. cor pair
of real old. fashioned girandoles with
cut-glass drops?"
But Emmy Crystal did not hear
what he was saying; her eyes were
fixed intently on a certain old bureau
of ancient mahogany, darkened with
age, almost to the semblance of ebony,
with odd, brass ornaments under the
drawhandles, and curious claw legs.
Just such one, in truth, as Ralph was
making in the odds and ends of his time
at the 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 il to your"
'lt was brought in yesterday from n
place out on the Sound-onc O. them
little one-horse settlements where they
don't have no secondhand emporiums.
But l assure you, ma'am," iluttering
over the leaves of his ledger, you
won't get it no cheaper by going to the
principals. I've bought it out and
outH,
81 don't wish to purchase it," said
Mrs. Crystal. "But would like to see
the person that-that sold it to you. 4"
"There was lot of other truck from
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 n few words on
q slip Of paper. ats an old woman
with hooked nose and a tongue like a
mill-wheel."
Mrs. Crystal, however, did not allow
| norSelI TO De discouraged by TINS un'
prepossessing description, but pretend
ing to Ralph that she was going some
where to attend an auction sale for the
| purpose of acquiring some table furni-
ture, china, cutlery, and such like, she
| took the horse cars to Harlem, there
changing to another line, which, creep
ing gradually out among the elms and
sycamores, took her to the edge of the
Sound, where there was struggling
settlement of little houses around tall
factory, In the farthest of them all
"a queer little cabin where the spray
sprinkled its chimney stacks at the
equinox tides, and row of boats was
pulled up on the edge of the sand,
lived Mrs, Peter Pepinstall, the woman
who had sold the claw-footed bureau
TO the dealer in second hand furniture.
The minute Mrs, Crystal saw her beak-
shaped nose peeping through the crack
of the door she knew that she had come
TO the right place.
"Anthing patickler a-wanting ?"
said Mrs. Pepinstall. Because I'm
mortal busy to-day a-movln', pm goin'
to live with his folks up in New Lon
don, 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
III you're book agent or one o them