The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-02-13
er by going to principals. I've bought

81 don't wish to purchase 1t, SAID
Mrs Crystal. But | would like to
see the person that-that sold it to
you"
There was a 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 am There amt moth
ing underhand in my way of doing
business" and he wrote of few
words on a slip OF paper. "It's an
old woman with hooked nose and a
tongue like mill-whell"
Mrs. Crystal, however, did not allow
herself to be discouraged by this unpre-
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, creeping
gradually out among the elms and
syCamores, took her to the edge Of the
sound, where there was a struggling
settlement of little houses around
tall factory.
In the furthcst Of them ala 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 secondhand furniture.
The minute Mrs. Crystal saw her
beak-shaped nose peeping through the
,lv % h. a II, |. -.
had come to the right place.
Anything pa'tickler a-wantin?"
said Mrs. Pepinstall. Because Pm
mortal busy to-day a-movin'. Pm
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 off to the poor house before can
set down to rest. Ii you're a book
agent, or one o them travelin' photo
graph people-There comes Simon
Doolittle's one boss Vaughn now arter
my boarder.'
She bounced back into the house
like an India rubber ball, but Emmy
pushed past her into the carpetless,
unfinished room, where the vivid
November sunshine printed off the
pattern OF the window panes on the
boards OF the floor with a sort of for
lorn glory.
as your boarder an old lady ?" said
she
you'll find her in the back ROOM"
screeched Mrs. Pepinsta!l, "settin' all
readyW
And sure enough, in the back room,
covering in the sCant warmth of the
sunbeams, sat 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 pite-
ously IN The direction of the new
conner.
els it the wagon from the poor
house," she asked "Fm ready-yes,
quite ready. l didn't think I should
ever come to this; but Pm an old
wOman-a very old woman. My mon
ey is all spent, and I've neither kith
nor kin in the world-and I'm an old
woman"
81 hate to send her to a place like
that" said Mrs. Pepinstall, reappear-
ing on the scene with bandbox 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
do? His folks upin 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 shrunken figure in
the silk hood and snuff colored cloak.
'Come with mel" she said softly.
"Who are your" asked the old
woman, wonderingly.
81 am Ralph's wife. You are Ralph's
mother. l know you by your eyes
and mouth"
Ralph ran away ~ faltered the old
woman, her lips beginning to culver
81 always said his father was too
hard on him. Ralph ran away and
he never came back"
"But you are going to him." said
Mrs. Crystal. "Come with me-"
"Be you her folks?" said Mrs. Pep
install. 'Well, Inever did"
Simon Doolittle's one-horse wagon
drove away from the door without
its expected passenger, and the little
old woman trudged along to the horse
cars, leaning on Emmy Crystals arm.
you're not afraid?" soOthed the
younger woman, as a littleshiver went
through the doll-like frame OF her COM
panion.
"No," said the other; "Tm not
afraid OF anything any more. I'm an
old woman. If Ralph had come back,
they would never have taken me to
the poor house, for Ralph always
loved mer'
That night when Ralph Crystal came
home TO supper, he called cheerily 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
breathlessly forward. Evidently she
recognized the voice. Mrs. Crystal,
with her arm tenderly around the
wasted figure, answered:
Come here and | will show you"
And entering the room, Ralph Crys-
tai came face to face with his mother.
Ralph, Ralph" she cried, cropping
IN the air with slender, withered hands.
Mother" he gasped, and then they
We're in each others arms.
Emmy stole away with a midst OF
tears before her eyes
From that time until the day of her
death, old Mrs. Crystal sat by her
sons hearth, serenely happy in Ralph's
love and Emmy's tender care. The
past and the present were alike a
blank to her-she dwelt in the present
alone.
Ralph ran away she kept repeat
ing to herself, ''long, long ago. But
he has come back. | always knew
that he would come back; and Emmy
Is here, too, and although I am an old
woman, they are good to me-"