The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-08-07

~ her-su.L.y, IOr ner
1raWn, excited face almost fri-htened
him-"Well. Lois?" She started so
when he spoke to her that he spoke
again as to child. with the quaver-
ing softness of an old man?"
"WelI, Lois, what can / give you to-
day?'
THAT" she said, and pointed to
the little lower shelf.
The old man followed with his eyes
the direction OF her finger. He bent
forward to look more closely in the
ausky corner at what the shelf con.
tained.
"That!" said Louis again, as if he
had not heard her.
A tear came into the eye of the kind
old man as he remembered what folks
had said of her mother in years gone
past. And he said to himself: poor
Lois! Her wits are gone, too, sure
enough"
THAT! said Lois Cragshaw, leaning
over the stained and whitfield coun-
ter.
eyes, yes, Lois" gently spoke the
awed snop-keeper with an air of light
ness he was far from feeling. "But
there's more'n one that here! Which
that would We have?"
",rhe red one" she said. "The red
one next the blue one! Oh, don't ye
see?"
Eyes, indeedy, indeedy! Sure enoughl
I'll give it We! Wait q minute an I'll
dust the durt off fur ye," he said with
glance at her black gown. "Sure
enough Lois, I'll give it to vel"
Carefully turning his back upo n ner
he rubbed the covers of O small red
book with his big ginham handker-
| chief, then slowly turned and gave it
to her. She was waiting, one hand
outstretched, the fingers twitching. In
the other hand was the purse she had
not forgotten, so strong was her de-
sire for possession. The gaping neigh.
bors gasped as they saw the old strap
lped wallet, into which so many had
ransom from q sharp bar
fse....as-e.ssrom which none could re
member hsSH.e wrested an extra cop
| per. VI
''How much is it?" asked Lois in a
hot whisper.
The man shuddered q little at the
thought of q dead mans money sc
soon coming into his till, but hi:
thrift got the better of his supersti
tion.
"Well, used to say dollar'n fifty
but iolks about here don't seem tc
take much to that sort o. thing. an
they've been lyin' around in thai
culch for some time. Ill call 1T seven
shillings to ye. if sc want it pretty
much" II
| The girl plainly chafed under Sh
old mans volubility, but withodt
word she counted out the money-sil
yer pieces all green and mouldy wher
they had lain go long in her ybiser ia
i theirs keeping. and without wore
hurried from the door.
i Down the street she fled, the lon
j red rays OF a long AFTERNOONS hot SUI
searching like arrows for her heart
blood, her face now blotched, nov
paled with sudden feelings. Her limb
trembled with that weakness which j
strength to feyered creature or
maniac, and her1both hands clntche,
oct ween them the little red hook.
| Unseeing eyes and unguided feet let
her along thp oft-trod path to her lone
lly house, and the habit OF years drew
her themes to the room that had beer
her only Irefuge--hardly more than
bedded' den beneath the eaves--bn
lher own. She was free to use an,
room in the house as hers now, bu
she did not think of that. One ide,
was in her mind then. Sheturned tn
wooden button on the door, thel
threw off. holding fast her treasure il
one hand or the other, her heav,
black dress, Barring her neck and arm
to the cool breeze that began to cree,