Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-01-10
THE BROKER.

wrapper. she SHOOK her duSt clOun through
the grating, and inspected the yard of the
large three story house. Young wives were
standing about in the hall, resting their arms
upon the banister expecting their husbands.
1t was about noon time
Her husband came home first. a thick
set bald headed little old man, with liver
colored face, staggered slowly towards her.
They scarcely noticed each other; then they
both looked out into the yard together
"Why do you come home SO earlyi You
ALWAYS come at a time vixen dinner is not
readvl Is there no business the woman be-
gan. The man did not answer; he was look
ing out watching his youngest child, beau
tiful blonde boy, frolicking and playing in
the dark inhospitable asphalted yard.
And the woman again spoke.
''What are you LOOKING at.'
cat this yard! l shall probably never see
1t again. am sick, very sick; ! shall never
be a well man againl Take the business sign
from my door"
He cast one last glance out into the yard; ;
then, with trembling hand, he unscrewcd the
sign from the door, the zinc plate on which
was inscribed in gilt lot1ers Josef Gross,
Broker Then he went in and went to rest,
To restl He closed his eyes, and from under
the compressed lids one old, solitary tear
stole out
.What is the nlatterf" asked the woman.
"The heart-the old trouble. On the street
I was again seized with a spasm. [ fell to
the ground, and a servant led me home. |
knew that it would end like this; my foot
pains me violently, a. if boiling water were
flowing through my veins instead of blood.
Prepare my bed"
DO not lose courage! The physician says
there is nothing the matter with youn-
Nothing but that must die! What will
become of youf
'Of the glilf'
'Of vOuT
'And of the little childn-
A yainly suppressed, low moan forced itself
" from his broad chest. The little child
a-tel in pampered voice:
''Papa. what have you brought for me3'
"Notningr
Then his daughter came in. His Oldest
child The image of the mother. \ tall
fi-3rc with a berry mouth and curved eye
l"oN.. She was not yet eighteen. but the
1rrtt, little pink dimple under her chin was
already deepening. As they were thus stand
in side by side, the dau liter and the mo-
tAer. one might have taken them for "a pair
OF sisters.
And as the broker looked at them, first "a
wild then a dull, despair seized him What
was to become of his wife, what OF his mar
ria9eaDle daughter, if he should diei The
wife could, perhaps, find bread and shelter
with one or the other Of n er relatives, but
the daughterf How is she to find a husbandt
Who will marry her without money! No
body! Or perhaps some coarse, uncouth me
chauic. which is still worse. How his Oldest
son will 90 to ruin, who, in spite of his great
intelligence, has not improved one jot: a
thoroughly good hearted fellow, bat who
perhaps at this very moment is playing cards
somewhere, for no one has had as much as a
glimpse of Liza since yesterday. And what,
finally is to become of him who is almost as
near TO him as his wifef What is to become
of his youngest, 5-year-old son, his splendid
boyf OF this too delicate, spoiled idols God
knows what he, had life been spared, would
have made OF him.
But it cannot be; the broker feels that he
must die. Once, twice more the spaSms of the
heart seized HIM more violently than ever be-
fore; then the feet began to swell, and il
came, what he had expected with mortal
dread, but still prepared, as one condemned
to death expects the downward swoop of the
az that has been lowering over his head
dropsy.
His father and his two elder brothers had
died from this disease. The broker had oh.
served the beginning of it and was acquainted
with the conditions that served to hasten the
catastrophe 49, the exciting va-banque game
with life. He was present when his father
one day, during brokers' transaction on the
exchange broke down. He knew that the
consequences Of an unhappy speculation
changed one of his brothers from vigorou,
man into a dying skeleton. He had seen it,
pu1 all their a wing beuou like lig
The image of approaching death would not
have been so terrible to him were it not that
he must die now, must leave his family now
when he had not penny to call lis own
now, when he was not even able TO meet hi,
interest for the next quarter, In several
months things would change thoroughly
Thea he would procure money, If he had t
dig it out of the ground
The sick man is alone in his room. 1t i,
dusk Through the open door he can sec
the guests sitting in the parlor. In the
CHEEKY, home like CLEAN of the hanging lamI
the faces look SO friendly so full of love- Hi.
daughter is sitting at the table and is pouring
tea into her neighbours cup. The strong, sun
burned young man thanks her, smiling defer
entially. There is peculiar exposition about
the lips Of the young girl when she addrosse,
the young man, aud now and then a flaming
red floods her face and snow white neck
And the young man listens to and answers
only her. And as the broker looks at thi:
pair of lovers, his heart contracts still more
They can never belong to each other. But
Ii he had lived or had left fortunei
The sick man Is entirely forgotten. And he
forcibly supprssses his groans and signs il
order not 10 interrupt the conversation il
the next room, not to cause the slightest dis
cord in their low laughter. In the laughter
of his wife aud daughter, which only Toe
soon will change into loud sobbing. Int
weeping and lamenting as soon as they heaI
that al this spiendor, their high living, wa
empty delusion, their wealth many hued
hollow soap bubble; when the furniture, the