Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-05-17

lor. where. in reclining chair. sat or
rather lay. lady whose hair was
snowy white. and whose pinched face
and care-furrowed 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 l told you OF
q month ago. and said he woke up and
offered me his seat in the bridge car
after We got over on the other lds.
Do you remember. you almost laughed
over it? And told you when I came
home tonight that he was coming 70
sec us Do you remsmberP' ~
Eyes Eunice, I seem to remember;
but 1 do not remember things as well
~ when your father was here Was
there no letter today"
'.No. mother, but there may be one
tomorrow. We must be patient. you
know"
"Mr. Grayson. sit where I can see
you plainly" said Eunice's mother.
She eagerly scanned my face for
whole minute, which seemed an age.
aud then said: "Yes, I think you
could be patient too. but could you
wait for letter for four yearsT And
then the tears ran down the pinched.
wan face and the sobbing brought on
a cough which ended in flow of bright
blood from the pale, thin lips.
Eunice took the pillows from under
her mothers head and while offered
to run for q physician, she had poured
out some styptic already at 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 time, when her mother slept
soundly. we walked noiselessH into
the front room, and almost in q whis.
per Eunice told me the story Of her
own and her mothers life.
Until hve years before. she, her
father and mother had lived quiet,
happy life, her father being . junior
partner in q grain and provision house
in Broad street. and from his share of
the profits had bought the home where
they now lived, and had laid by for a
rainy day snug sum of money in
bonds One day friend, whose judy
ment he thought infallible. came to
him and unfolded 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 further sum was required. and
rather than take his little remaining
hoard. he Endorsed his friends notes
with his firms name, which was a vio-
lation Of his co-partnership agreement.
The project failed. and Mr.. Gray,
after writing keart-broken letter to
his wife explaining all the circum-
stances, and another to his firm. in
which he stated that he would in time
make good the loss he had caused
them. had left the city, and from that
day no word had been heard from him.
His firm refused to take from Mrs
Gray the little money that she bad. or
even accept from her the deeds of her
homestead, which stood in her name.
and said they were willing to wait Mr..
Gray's own time for settlement.
In all 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 encroach on
their small boarding. The mothers
health was broken and she became
confirmed invalid which added another
drain. Eunice. who was bnt sixteen
at the time of her fathers flight. saw
but one way out of the difficulty. She
must go to work. Through her own
exertions she secured work in the
book-bindery where she now was, and
was earning fair wages. and there her
story ended.
''Oh! Mr.. Grayson, she added, '.if
only mother could get strong. and
father would return. would be a
happy girl again." and she broke down
with a burst Of tears.
l comforted her as best could. and
asked her how long her mother had
been 50 i'll. She said she had her first
suffusion of blood in the early spring,
but since then they had been rather FREE
quent and sometimes alarming. but
the medicine the doctor had prescribed
had always checked them.
When left her tn at night. told her:
81 always want to be your friend. and
il l can be of any service in any way.
and do not sec it myself, you will. l
know, point it out to me-" And then
we said our first "good night"
Early next morning l told my mother
the entire story of our acquaintance.
and begged her to call on Mrs. Gray
and see if any thing could be done to
relieve her in any way. which she
promised to do. Eunice had told mo
when We parted At night that she might
be late in going over. but l could call
the next evening If would 70 see how