The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-05-01

III you 10 run on, Anu ullucf VIII bc Dio-
ken-hearted if you do. Can't you bear
as much as can. and only girl? See,
am wet through, and cold and fright
ened, but / won't mind it if you'll only
come home. If you go, I'll stay out in
the storm all night. How can go back
and tell them you stole out Of the house
like thief, at midnight? If you must go
Robert, go in the face ofthe day and ev-
erybody. 1t would kill me TO hear peo-
pie say you had run away. Oh, Robert,
think it viii be disgrace for all of US
nothing but shame, misery and dis
grace"
:" / tell you l can't bear il he said,
and stamped on The loose boards Of the
platform. / might as well go now as
any time"
I" Nc. not now, for my sake-wait at
least till-till / talk to father. What
would mother say, Robert? If she sees
US now she broke down utterly, sob
bing as if her heart would break.
Come on-l'll go back said Robert
sullenly.
Here, Watch p the dog came bound
ing to his side. "stop crying. Bertha
poor little thing, how you shiver There,
there" he said, softening, as he put his
arm about her, "we'II 70 on the run, to
keep you from getting cold-but mind, |
don't promise III stay-onIy | won't go
now"
II was week after Roberts attempt
to leave home, and Bertha was very sick.
The fright and exposure of that most
terrible night had brought on raging
fever.
:" | can't think how thechild took such
acoid, " said Aunt Mary, as she came into
the living-room one morning From
the day she had that miserable chill she
has been growing steadily worse. / am
worried about her, and so is tine doctor.
The poor child in her delirium irnagines
Robert IS going away
Grandma Macy LEFT her knitting fall to
her lap, folded her hands and looked sor-
rowfully into the fire.
it's two years this month since her
mother died, she said, softly. where's
Robert ?"
Upstairs with her-you can hardly
get him out of the room. The boy is
very fond of her. 1t 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 fe-
yer did its work. Robert hardly gave
himself time to eat, 50 anxious was he to
be by his sisters bedside. He grew hag-
gard, watching night AMI day, reproach-
ing himself constantly.
You'll stay now, won't you, Robert ?D
she said, ieebly, one day. You won't
leave the old home-you won't leave IA
ther alone He'll bediaerent when I'm
gone"
When you are gone-Oh, Bertha :"
said the boy, brokenly. DO as | did,
when you begged me down there in the
old depot, stay for my sake"
If could, dear, but it isn't as say
-and-I want you to promise me never
to leave poor father-and when the mon
ey comes-help him all you can-will
you ?"
I'll do everything you ask me- sob
bed the boy. I'll give him all of the
for l don't want it-without
you"
Don't you think, said Grandma Macy
very softly. to Aunt Mary, one day, that
there's great change come over Jabez
lie hasn't spoke cross word to Robert
since our little girl came down stairs
And the boy seems like another person,
las willing and chipper 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:
g / don't care how hard 1 work now.
and I've told father he shall have enough
of my money TO make all the improve
,nents he wants to shall never make
Ermer-he sees that now, but III md
more TO my liking have
been idle and careless, and probably the
money did have something 10 DO with it,
but I've changed all that
" made up my mind to it when |
thought We were going to lose you. Oh,
Bertha, if yon had died should never
have forgiven myself"