Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-07-04

sab, yes, yes, madame, they are M
bread winners; bat viii go positively
tomorrow. Have you seen Mime. Ducros';
robe? Do you like it?"
at is exquisite. She ought to paS
you good round sum for such work a;
that"
Rose Marie smiled sadly.
"She offered me fifteen dollars and ]
accepted it."
"Fifteen dolIarsm Mrs. Ross threw W
! her hands in surprise. "Do you mean to
| tell me rich woman like her, who knows
the value of such work, and can afford to
! pay il, has offered you the pitiful sum of
! fifteen dollars for what is worth fifty dol
| lars? Don't take it,
Il have promised" Rose Marie said in
| her quiet voice. "Besides We are strang-
ers here, and our work must be known
before We can command prices. Fifteen
collars will keep us q long time, we eat so
little.
Mrs. L had come here to give you
! some work, but, of course, under the cir
cumstance, you cannot make it,"
'No, madame, not nova distressed
look came TO her face-"but I may get
better soon. I may hear of Carl. If he
knew, ali, if he only knew. But he thinks
of NE as so wicked, never having written
70 him.
"And here | am, poor worthless o
weighing thee doWnp cried the poor old
woman passionately. "Ah, good ladies,
pursuade her to let me GO to some chart
table asylum. There are so many in this
city. IT Is too much on her and she owes
me no duty, zone. I was bad to her and
her husband when 1 was strong and well,
| separated then, sinner that I am!'
beating her breast violently. "She will
not desert me, and she is breaking her
heart. An, yes, day by day she is paier
and thinner, and | say to myself, You
wicked woman who have done this; why
90 you not dier" She burst into a
storm of sobs.
Rose Marie moved swiftly to her
mothers side and laid haDd on her
shoulder.
Don't mamma" she said tremulous-
iy. "You shall not go to any hospital or
asylum while / can work. 1 love Karl
and re loves me, AMI if he is alive he will
find ne. All mamma, do you want to
make me a bad daughter chat wonId
desert helpless mother? Then, indeed,
the good Lord would not listen to my
prayer. We must do our duty, and trust
10 o,
to Mrs. Ross.
It was simple faith, but it sustained
Rose Marie during the weeks that follow
ed-weary weeks, when slowly, but surely,
the blurred vision grew more and indis-
tinct. There was an eminent oculist in
the city, good, humane man and an old
friend of mine. [ interested him in the
case, and he examined her eyes, but re-
fused to give final verdict until his re-
turn from ShrevepOrt,whe he was going
the next day.
Bring her back in three weeks, when
return" said DR.. R. will do all /
can, and I hardly think il is a hopeless
case. Meantime she must be built up.
Exercise, fresh air, good food and a
quiet mind, if possible, will be excellent
preliminary treatment"
l thiE Mrs. Ross and both fell il love
with cur beautiful, stately protege, she
was SO patient, and even cheerful, in spite
of her misfortune. AS for the mother, I
feared sometimes in her outbursts of pas
siorate remorse she would dash out her
brains against the wall.
"Ah," she would cry, eff Karl would only
come, [ would fall before him and the
kiss ground under his feet"
Marie and her child to one of the CITY
squares, where fine band was playing.
Sue loved music passionateiy, and in her
darkened life it seemed to speak 90 her
as DO human voice could do. They we're
playing the tSoldaten Lieder," and as J
looked at her 1 saw that her hands were
clesped together, and the tears were roll
ing down her white cheeks.
Gle used TO play it," she murnHured,
''my Karl, ah, he played so beautifully"
[ did not notice that little Henri, in
playing about, had skipped through the
gate of the square into the street. Sud
denly heard confused crys, "Ah, the lit
tie boy. He will be killed" and looking
up, my heart stood stall as | saw the little
fellow almost under the wheels of press
of wagons going and coming.
But at that moment saw one of the
cornet players dash down his instrument.
leap over the barrier and snatch Henri
from his periluGs situation, and bear him
abort IN his arms. had been too much
terrified TO utter a sound during this
drama, and Rose Marie, sitting by my
side, was utterly unconscious of the child's
danger.
''What is the noise about? Why has
the music stopped suddenlyf" she asked;
but did rot answer, for | saw Henri's
rescuer, with the child in his arms, look
ing around the square, the little boy
pointing TO us and talking. As he ap-
preached / saw a tall, handsome, soldierly
young fellow with yellow hair and smil
ing blue eyes, rose from my seat as he
came up.
81 bring your little boy safe, madame"
he said TO me with bow.
There was loud cry. At the sound of
his voice Rose Marie had sprung TO her
feet and with outstretched arms, blindIy
staggered forward. / heard an answer
ing cry.
"My Rose Marie; my wife! my beloved"
and then | underatOod that Karl was be-
fore me.
will pass over that meeting and the
one at the house with the repentant old
mother. Karl had made home a. the
west, and, frightened at his Wife silence,
was on his way to France for her. None
of his letters Or inquiry to his old neigh
boIs mad been answered, and he feared
her death. He said to me:
II knew she was true 10 me but | did
not think she lived. As it was with a
heavy heart when my old comrade Franz
Myer, persuaded me to join his baud for
today, that 1 obeyed! Aud it was my
own boy that saved. Strange! S range!
All this happened more than ten years
ago, but the rest of the story is short.
Rose Marie recovered her sight, and I
spent a week last summer with her and
her husband at their pleasant western
home. The old mother died year ago,
tenderiy cared for cy her dutiful daugh-
ter. Henri is fine, tall boy who bids
fair TO be comfort to his good par