The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-05-10
EUNICE GRAY.
CLERNuNT AVE-.
Brooklyn

EUNICE GRAY.
CLERNuNT AYR.
Brooklyn
...---.. --....--... $1,000. -.....-...
walked on air that day. and toll
was pleasure. and when il fell TO my
lot to write something about a collision
between an ice-cart and a horse-car. in
which an old lady was killed, the mat
ter-of-fact editor said To me: What's
the matter with you? Take this con-
founded blank verse and make q stick
fnl Of common sense Of it / came
down out If the clouds and did his bid
ding. and slept but little that night
after finding my pillow.
kissed my dear old mother with
unwonted tenderness that morning.
She was all l had in the world then.
and was all she had; my father hav-
ing died ten years before. leaving her
with a slender fortune and myself and
an elder sister TO smooth as best we
could her path down the declining
years Of her life.
A little more than a year before, nv
sister had been taken with severe
cold. which ended in fatal attack of
pneumonia. aud she was lying by the
side Of our father in the shades of
Greenwood. and poor mother. like
Rachael. would not be cOmforted. "
When met Eunice that morning.
she held ont her hand. covered with
the same neatly darned gloves, and |
could not feel rs If we were strangers.
/ told her so. aud also what little Of
history there was in INV humdrum. I'M
eventful life, and asked her If she
would allow me to call at her home
that night aud finish my story.
She said: Il have hut 4 poor home
to show You. but IL you will come.
shall be glad tn see you."
How slow the hours passed that day.
and when the hour Of seven came.
rung the bell At a cottage door. which
she herself opened to me. She had
changed her street attire. and had re-
placed it by house dress Of some soft
gray material. and looked lOvelier TO
me than ever.
She took me into the little rear par
Tor. where. in a reclining cha r. sat or
rather Law. a lady whose hair was
snowy white, and whose pinched face
and care furrowel brow still held the
traces Of the beauty which once must
have made her remarkably handsome
woman.
mother" said Eunice. this is Mr..
Grayson. the gentleman told you of
a month ago. and said he woke up and
offered me his seat in the bridge car
after we got over on the other side.
DO you remember. You almost laughed
over it? And ! told you when l came
home tonight that he was coming TO
see rs. DO You remember?
Yes. Eunice. seem to remember;
but do not remember things as we'll
as when your father was here. Was
there no letter to-dav?"
"No. mother, but there NAV be one
tomorrow. We must be patient, you
know"
"Mr. Grayson. sit where l can see
you plainly" said Euuice's mother.
She eagerly scanned nv face for q
whole minute, which seemed an age.
aud then said: Yes, l think you
could be patient too, but could you
wait for a letter for four yearsF' And
then the tears ran down the pinehed.
wan face. and the sobbing brought on
a cough which ended in 4 flow Of bright
blood from the pale. thin lips.
Eunice took the pillows from under
her mothers head and while / offered
to run for a physician. she had poured
out some styptic already ut hand, and
the hemorrhage was stayed. She fell
asleep soon after. and we sat silent
by her side for awhile. and uncon-
sciOusly had clasped our hands.
After a time. when her mother slept
soundiy, we walked nOiselessly into
the front room. aud almost in n whis-
per Eunice told me the story Of her
own and her mothers life.
Until hive years before. she. her
father and mother had lived quiet,
happy life, her father being a junior
partner in a grain and provision house
in Broad street. aud from his share Of
the profits had bought the home where
they now lived. and had laid by for
rainy day a snug sum Of money in
bonds One day friend. whose jndg-
ment he thought infalliblr. came to
him and unfolded a scheme where large
profits were sure TO ensue. but which
took more money than he alone could
command. Mr.. Robert Gray took all
his savings except two thousand dol
lars and embarked in the undertaking.
Then a further sum was required, and
rather than take his little remaining
hoard. he Endorsed his fricnrs notes
with his firms name, which was a vio-
laiion Of his eO-partnership agreement.
The project failed. and Mr. GRAY.
after writing a heari-broken letter to
his wife expla ming al the circum-
stances. and another TO his firm, in
which he stated that be would in time
make COOL the loss he had caused
them. had eft the city, and from that
day no word had l,een heard from him.
His firm refused to take from MrS
Gray the little money that size bad, or
even accsp: from iier the dee Is Of her
homestead. which stnnd in her name,
and said they were wiling 10 wait Mr..
Gray's own time fer settlement.
In al these years no word had come
from her father. They had lived as
economically as they could. had let
the upper floor Of the cottage to ten
ant, and still they had to eneroaeh on
their small boarding. The mothers
health was broken and she became q
confirmed invalid which added another
drain. Eunice. who was hut sixteen
at the time Of her fathers flight saw
but one way out Of the difficulty. She
must 60 TO work. Through her own
exertions she secured work in che
boOk-bindery where she now was. and
was earning fair wages, and there her
story ended.
''Ohl Mr. Grays0n. she added. II
ellY RgfhsE ea1li est sEene ed