Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-04-24
THE LOST POCKET-BOOK.

yellow CLEAN OF dying sunlight
stole into a small, plainly furnished
room in the second story of an
old tenement-house. 1t stole over the
bare floor and trailed itself across the
small white bed in a corner and the
white face upon the pillow-a pitiful
little face, with the great dark eyes
fixed upon the dingy ceiling, while one
thin, frail hand stroked the head of
half-starved kitten which nestled upon.
the coarse covering of the bed.
Most done, mammal" asked the
child's soft, weak voice.
Most done, darling. Be patient
little longer" came the low, soft an
swer, and the child sighed plaintively
and said no more. There was small
fire in the little CRATE, for it was win
ter outside; but inside the winter of
poverty reigned, and sit is always
winter with the poor" Between the
fire and the one window, as though to
catch the little light which fingered in
the western sky, writing-desk was
standing, and, seated at the desk. a
woman worked away for dear life, the
small hand which held the pen fairly
flying over the paper. She was young.
with pale, pensive face, and sad,
thoughtful brown eyes; her plain black
dress told its own story of desolation
| and bereavement.
Slowly the moments went by. and
still the pen flew over the paper. The
| thoughtful look deepened on her face.
and the lines around the firm, patient
mouth grew tenser; she turned the last
page, and with sigh of relief laid her
| pen upon the rack.
'Thank heaven!'' she calculated fer
| vently, sit is done. | will carry my
| manuscript to the office at once-it is
barely sundown-and if it suits Mr..
Lawrence will pay me, and then [ can
get Eddie's medicine, and some wine
for him, poor child! And | can pay
the rent; it's overdue,' and she sighed
YEARLY. "And [ can order little
COAL and still have a trihe left for re-
serve fund. But if the story should
not suit"
She caught her breath with a gasp of
| horror, and the small hands trembled
as she tied on her hat before the
cracked mirror.
IF it should not please him-or-if
he declines i pay me at once-l-
heaven help mel"
And the poor little overworked au-
thor. with the roll of manuscript in her
hand, approached the bed.
Eddie, darling" she said softly.
STOPPING to kiss the child, "can you
stay alone till mamma comes back? l
must carry my story to the Office, you
know, dear, and when I come home l
will bring YOU"
She hesitated, checking the promise
upon her lips. How did she know that
she would be fortunate enough to pro-
cure the needed money? So she kept
back the rash promises and hurried
away. She had worked for a certain
publisher for year or more, ever since
she had been left a widow with her lit
tie child to provide for. and she had
been quite successful; but, as a begin
ner in the profession, she was not we'll
paid as vet, and with Eddie's sickness
and its inevitable expense the poor
widow found it hard to keep the wolf
from the door.
Annie Roberts had not always been
poor. She was an orphan, and had
been adopted by a wealthy old man,
childless and alone-his wife having
died soon after their marriage. He
had reared Annie with the expectation
of becoming his heiress at his death;
for he had no living relative save
nephew for whom he had no special
liking. When Annie was 16 (she was
Annie Give then) Harry Roberts be-
gan to call upon her. For some unac-
countabie reason the old man did not
fancy young Roberts; but he was good
and noble, and Annie loved him, and
at last she became his wife. The old
man dled soon after, and no will be-
ing found it was presumed that he had
disinherited his adopted child, and the
estate reverted to the next of kin
Stephen Lancaster, the nephew re-
| ferred to.
Harry Roberts and his winsome wife
did not mourn over the loss Of the for
tune; he had good situation and for
time everything went on smoothly.
But alasl he sickened and died; and
poor Annie, with her child, was left to
| face the cold world alone. She took
courage for Eddie's sake, and fought
her battle bravely. But, after all, the
world looked pretty dark to her that
chill November day as she hurried
down the long wind-swept street to-
ward the publishers office. Such an
accumulation of debts, and Eddie sick,
and-she could not shut her eyes to the
fact - her own health was failing.
, What would become of her child if she