Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-04-24
AN INNOCENT BURGLAR.
Why Hannah Is Still Searching
for the Bonds.

night. Amt IL bad enough 70 be all
aches and pains, but you must add
fretting TO them?"
The speaker was tall, bony woman
of some forty-fye or fifty years, with a
hard face, that expressed far more an
nOyance than sympathy as she shook up
the pillows and arranged the covers Of
the bod where an older woman lay. Not
very old woman, but one whose gray
hairs and wrinkled cheeks told Of many
years sojourn in the world
Bertha" she said. in low. plaintive
voice. II want BERTHA
How many times have ] told you
that Bertha can't be found?"
She's downstairs.
Well, II it wouldn't try the patience
Of saint to hear you. Can't you re-
member, Aunt Martha? Bertha ran
away two years ago with that painting
ohap that said his name was Thornton.
Goodness knows whether it was or not.
But he made love to Bertha while he
vas painting her picture. | told you no
good would come Of letting her rig her
self out like play actress, and stand
up for hours, a-smirking and smiling,
while he took her picture and talked
soft nonsense TO her He ran away
with her and that was the end Of it.
Can't you remember
Yes, | remember he wrote TO me,
and he sent me q copy Of the marriage
lines, so I'd know be loved her true and
faithful | remember it all Hannah
And | was mad because they'd deceived
me- and wrote back an angry letter
But did not know how | should miss
her pretty face and sweet voice. She
was so young. too Hannah Only six
teenl Not more than a child | was
too hard too hard. But she is here,
now. Let nor come to me
All this was uttered in the faint. gasp
ing voice o. one whose Journey of life
was fast drawing to a close But there
was no pity in the hard face. no tender
ness in the harsh voice Of her niece.
II tell you She Is not herer' she said.
roughly, "and I'm tired or your eternal
whining for her Go to Sleep
81 can't sleep | never sleep now!
And l heard her. heard Bertha down
stairs"
II wonder, now, If she did hear her"
Hannah muttered uneasily Its bad
luck to cross the dying. II she would
only tell me whore she's put her money
Six thousand dollars in United States
bonds, Lawyer Brown says he's bought
for her, and never sold one: and they're
in the house, too. I've ransacked as
much as dare. but She sleeps so little
that l can't do mach in this room. And
there's the doctor coming every day, so
| darent make her mad, or she'll send
and change her will
Partly muttering, partly thinking all
this, the woman tidied the room for the
night and set the lamp on the hearth
before she went TO her own room. Sit
ting up to watch was hard work, and
Hannah Graves kept little stimulant
where she could drink unobserved To
10 her justice, she seldom took much,
and nodded in the armchair beside the
siek-bed pretty faithfully. But on this
night she was troubled with an uneasy
conscience and exceeded her usual al
lowance, falling into deep sleep in her
own room, where she had only intended
to change her dress for loose wrapper.
Earlier in the evening, before the
early darkness OF a December night had
closed in there had been a suppliant at
the door. whose low, sweet voice had
yainly pleaded for admission. The
granddaughter who had run away with
the artist had heard from farmer. who
went weekly 10 the city, of her grand
mothers Illness, and had hoped for one
word of forgiveness
The farmer was kindly man, who
had before carried tidings from the cot
tage to the city flat, where Marcus
Thornton and his young wife lived, as
poor people in great cities SO often live,
struggling bravely for daily bread. but
sweetening the toll By strong mutual
love.
Some time in the future helittle wife
was sure the paintings, that were to her
like dreams of fairyland. would bring
TO her husband wealth and fame. She
trusted him utterly. believing his
genius unequaled in the wide worlds
array Of artists And while she waited
for that genius to be recognized she
was we'll content to take in sewing, to
save and economic what he earned by
the occasional sale OF small picture or
the filling Of an order to decorate some
rich mans panels or walls. They were
often compelled to dine on porridge, but
they ate it cheerfully, and furnished the
sauce by building grand castles in the
air, as they handled their pewter spoons.
There was no thought OF her grand
mothers six thousand dollars in Bertha
Thornton's mind as she thankfully ac-
cepted the farmers offer to take her
home to see the old lady before she
died. just one word Of forgiveness was
all she craved. for she knew she had
been undutiful and ungrateful when she
left her home in secret 10 follow her
lovers fortunes. She was not aware
that Hannah Graves had quietly burned,
unopened, the many letters she had
written begging forgiveness, but that