Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-03-04

On, I've no ODJBCblOU 10 give you Tit
address, ma lam There amt nothing
underhand IN my way of doing bust
ness" and he wrote off few words
on slip Of paper. Its an old WON
an with hooked nose and a tongue
like mill wheel"
Mrs. Crystal, however, did not al
low herself to be discouraged by the
unprepossessing description, but pre-
tending to Ralph that she was going
somewhere to attend an auction sale
for the purpose of acquiring some
table furniture. china, cutlery, and
such like, she took the horse-cars tC
Harlem, there changing to another
line, which, creeping gradually ou1
among the elms and sycamores, took
her to the edge of the Sound, where
there was struggling settlement of
little houses around tall factory. La
the furtherest of them all Ia queer
little cabin where the spray sprinkled
its chimney-stacks at the equinox
tides, and a 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.
Anything pa'tlckler a-wanting9"
said Mrs. PepInstall. Because I'm
mortal busy to-day a-movin'. I'm
going to live with his folks up in New
London, and I've got all the hard
things to pack and my boarder to send
off to the poorhouse afore can set
down to rest. If you're book-agent,
or one o them travelin' photograph
people There comes Simon Doolittles
one-hoss Vaughn now after my
boarder.n
She bounced back INTO the heu Sc
like an India-rubbcr ball, but Emmy
pushed past her into the carpetless, un
furnished room, where & e vivid
November sunshine printed off the
window panes on the floor with sort
of folorn glory.
is your boarder an old ladyl" said
she.
You'll find her in the back room, :"
screeched Mrs. Pepinstall, "settin' all
readyp
And sure enough in the back room,
COW ering in the scant warmth of sun
beams, set a 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 wistful eyes
raised themselves piteousiy in the di-
rection Of some new conner.
SIS it the wagon from the poor
house2" she asked. I'm ready yes,
quite ready. 1 didn't think l should
ever come to this; but Pm an old
woman-a very old woman. My
money is all spent, and I've neither
Blth nor kin in the woodland I'm an
old womanp
81 hate to send her to a place like
that, said Mrs. Pepinstall, reappear-
ing on the scene with a b2nd5ox and
two bundles, "but it's Just as she says
her moneys all gone, and she hasn't
no folks of her own, and what be | to
do2 His folks up in New London
don't want to take in no outsiders. "
Emmy Crystals eyes shone through
tears. She held out both her hands to
the poor little shrunk figure in the
silk hood and snuff-colored cloak.
Come with me- she said softly.
who arc you" asked the old wo-
man wonderingly.
II am Ralph's wife. You are
R1lph's mother"
Ralph ran away faitered the old
woman, her lips beginning to culver
81 always said his father was too hard
hard on him. Ralph run away and
never came back"
but you are going to him, said
Mrs. Crystal. Come with me"
"Be you her folksl' SAID Mrs. Pep
Install, well / never did y
Simon Doolittle's one-horse wagon
drove away from the door without his
expected passenger, and the little old
woman trudged along to the horse
cars leaning on Emmy Crystal S
arm.
you're not afraid2" soothed the
younger woman, as little SILVER
went through the doll-like frame of
her companion.
mo, =" said the other, Pm not afaid
of anything any more. I'm an old
woman. II Ralph had come back
they never would have taken me to the
poorhouse, for Ralph always loved
me.
That night when Ralph Crystal
came home to supper he called cheer
/ lily TO his wife from the back room,
where he was washing his hands:
Well Emmy, what did you buy ~
The old woman started to her feet
with dilated eyes and figure projected
breathles sly forward. Evidently she
recognized the voice Mrs. CRYSTAL,
with her arm tcnderly around the
wasted figure, answered:
Come here and | will show you. .
And entering tbs room Ralph Chy.
stall came face to face with his moth
er.
Ralph, Ralphw she cried, cropping
IN the air With slender withered
/ hands.
"Motherl' he gasped, and then they
We're in each others arms
/ Emmy stole away with q mist of tears