West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-02-14

NJ AhiQuiSntt III YOU must 20. hODerh
go in the face of the day and Of every
body. IL would kill me 10 hear people
say you had run away. O Robert, think,
1t will be disgrace for all Of us--shame,
misery and disgrace"
81 tell you can't bear Il :" lie said
aud stamped on the loose boards of the
platform. al might as we'll go now as
any time"
"No. not now, for my sake-wait at
least till-till l talk TO father. What
would mother say, Roberti II she sees
ms nOw"-she broke down utterly, sob
bing utterly as II her heart would break.
Come on-Pll so back, p" said Robert,
sullenly. Here, Watch" the dog
came bounding TO his side. "Stop cry
ing, Bertha-poor little thing, how YOU
shiverl There therew he said, soften
ing, as he put his arm about her, ''we'll
go on the run, TO keep you from getting
cold-but, mind, l don't promise TO stay
only won't go this time"
lt was week after Roberts attempt
10 leave home, and Bertha was very sick.
The fright and exposure Of that terrible
night had brought on fever
~ can't think how the child took such
a cold" sa d Aunt Mary, as she came
into the liying-room one morning.
''From the day she had that mi erablc
chill she has been growing steadily
worse Pm worried about her, and so is
the doctor. The poor child in her de-
irium imagines Robert is going away
Grandma Macy let her knitting fall to
her lap, folded her hands and looked
sorrowfully into the FIRE.
Its two years this month since her
mother died, ;" she said, softly. "Where's
Robertf
"Upstairs, with her-you can hardly
get him out Of the room. The boy is
very fond OF her. Ii is for her sake.
fancy, that he didn't leave home months
ago" Aunt Mary little knew how
nearly she had hit the truth
Day after day dragged on and the
fever did Its work. Robert hardly gave
himself time 10 eat, so anxious was he to
be by his sisters bedside. He grew hag-
gard, watching night and day-re-
proaching himself constantly.
you'll stay now, won't you, Roberto
she said, fcebly, one day. "You won't
leave the old home-you won't leave
father alonel Father will be different
when lam gone
when yOu are gone--O Bertha :"
said the boy, brokenly. ''Do as did,
when you begged me down there in the
old depot, stay for my sake"
''lf could, dear-but IL isn't as
say-and 1 want you TO promise me
never TO leave poor father--and when
the money comes help him all you
can--will you:"
'Pll do everything you ask me, {"
sobbcd the boy. "l'll give him all the
the money. l don't want without
YOU"
Don't you think" said Grandma
Macy, very softly, TO Aunt Mary, one
day, ''that there's great change come
over Jabeki He hasn't spoken cross
word 10 Robert since our little girl came
downstairs. And the boy seems like
another person, --as willing and clipper
about his work as can be-"
And Robert was saying TO Bertha,
who sat, white as lily, in her little
splint rocker, by the window
/ ''I don't care how hard / work now.
and pyc tcld father he small have
enough OF my money to make all the i'm
provements he wants to. / shall never
make a farmer, he sees that now, but I'll
/ find something mose TO my liking. /
have been idle and careless, and prob
/ ably the money did have something to
do with it, but I've changed all thar.
made up my mind TO IL when thought
we were going TO lose you. O Bertha,
il you had died / should never have for
given myselfV- YOUTHS Companion.