Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-09-27


ever and paid me the s. for it prompt
~. Her last words were:
"You are looking far from well. Mary.
Tom would hardly recognize his old
sweetheart IL he could see you now.
You need rest, my dear; do take some"
Then she passed out.
Good advice. excellent" said Susie
in "a hard voice and was glad she had
not noticed what Mrs. Greathouse said
about her brother.
instead of five. Mary. The dress was
worth it,"
Yes, | know" | answered. drear-
lily; "Dut even that would not have
paid all the bills" And for the first
time in Susie's presence l broke down
and cried.
Even as | wept softly and Susie tried
to comfort me. somebody entered the
little shop, and, bonding over Susie
and me, dropped letter i'm my lap-a
great. big, funny-looking affair.
"A letter! Oh. Mary! who would
send you letter." said Susie.
The lady" paused a moment in the
shadow Of the room. and | tore of the
envelope, and there fell into my lap u
great lot or bank dis.
Money! cried Susie, money!
/ Who-what does it mean? Oh, here's
n motel Listen;
DEAR Mary: Accept little present
from loving FRIEND.
That was ALL we looked at each other
stupidity.
"Who could have sent it? Oh, SUI
sic, it's mistaken | gasped."
No, it is not; the letter is sent to
you and is for you. l find it is just
800. | am so glad!n
kept the money. | needed it sore
| ly, and they all said it really was mine;
but felt uneasy all the time, and won
dered and wondered, for we hadn't u
rich relation in the world. But even
that hundred dollars would not last
forever, and by and by | saw Susie
Hooking over her old things and trying
10 make up her mind that the time had
come when she could tell her betroth-
ed husband that she was ready. Poor,
poor little Susie!
I've set the day at last she said
Its to be next Tuesday, Then she
! began 10 sob.
Once more 1.-The lady" entered and
dropped in my lap another letter and a
! book.
This letter was not so bulky. but
when | opened it found it contained
two bills of hundred dollars each.
'What-who?n | began vaguely as
/ before, when once more 1.-The lady,
bent over Susie and |, and winding her
white arms around our necks, fell into
n violent fit of weeping.
"Oh, my sisters" she sobbed, when
she could speak. "Do you think me
! blind us well n heartless? Do you
think you are to do all the work and
me none? Dear. patient ingers," and
to our astonishmcnt she kissed first my
needle pric6ed hand and then Susie's
chapped and toil-marlfed.
There's the book, she continued;
read it when you can. / began it
when my husband was first taken i'll.
/ | fancie1 | could get it done in time to
help him, but couldn't Yet he
| knows must know, how glad | am
! to be able to hep those so dear to
him"
Florence, said, in wonder what
are you talking aboutP'
why, my book; it is there in your
lap, as well as the money for it-a por-
E. ton Of it. | always scrubbed more or
less, but in a careless way, until saw
the great need, and then | found 1
could write even better than | dared
hope. | never told because | wanted
10 surprise you. Susie, little sister
don't dream Of that distasteful marri-
age. | was so afraid it wouldn't come
in time to save you. And Mary,
gentle one, I've something for you even
better than gold. forgive me! |
found out all about your sad lover in
the west, and | sent little bird with a
message of your faithfulness, your
noble life, and the answer came (Oh,
the west is not very far away: I'm
coming.
/ wondered why Susie with such
face of peace and JOY as / had not seen
her wear for years. should look
startled and step back. while 1.-The
lady'-oh, such lady-stood between
me and the door.
Suddenly she bent and kissed my hot
cheek, and deity snatching the comb
that held my curls SO very primly-as /
deemed most becoming staid old
maid she fled with Susie into the next
room and closed the door
| knew then why she had held her.
self so persistently before me, for,
standing on the threshold OF the out
side door stood tall man, tanned and
bearded.
/ could not speak. I would have
fled, too, but | could not move.
The tall man smiled and approach
ed me, took me in his arms and
whispered:
''ls it my own little Mary?'
And somehow in his sheltering arms
! found my tongue and answered bold
ly:
Yes, Tom"
We call her 1.-The lady still. some
times. for she is famous now and rich.
and Susie and her children live with
her. The old folks have found better
home with Fred. and | can not help
but think they told him how we love
his wife and all the happiness she
brought us.--Exchange.
A EsI e..I Ia