River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-05-01

were insane. / did not take the cross
to the office. IL must be somewhere
around the house. not that it signifies
in the least"
His wife turned fiercely upon him.
"Signifies. Is it possible that you
don't care whether your only child
lives or dies! Read that, Henry
Durand."
1t was an item in weekly newspaper,
headed THE Deadly Cross" 1t went
on to say that it was customary in
France for those in charge of funerals to
provide themselves with a number of
wooden crosses. one of which was
thrust in the sward at the foot of every
wayside cross that the procession
passed. 1t was superstition among
the French peasantry that whoever re-
moved one of these little crosses died
within the year, generally on the an
niversary of the day on which the cross
had been removed. The item con-
cluded by saying that by strange coinci-
dence this superstition had been borne
out by facts, ard the consequence was
that the little crosses were very rarely
disturbed. IL gave an instance of a
man who was on his deathbed, when it
was discovered that almost a year be-
fore he had taken one of the crosses
away, not knowing the dreadful con-
sequences. A man on horseback was
sent in hot haste TO replace it, and
from that moment the patient began to
mend and seen recovered.
81 lief - cafH nd lallrfnrr
hope that sort of irresponsible nonsense
doesn't affect you?"
Henry" she cried Historically.
''where is that wooden cross? 1t must
be replaced at whatever cost"
my dear, listen to reason. Don't you
know -"
II only know, Henry, that the cross
must be replaced and TO be replaced it
must be found. Don't speak to me till
you hare found it," and Mrs. Durand
threw herself down on sofa and wept
frantically.
Henry Durand was puzzled. This
was a phase of his wife's character that
he had hitherto known nothing about.
He turned and left the room. In the
hall he met the doctor coming in.
doctor, / dent know what in the
world is the matter with my wife. She
has just called me up from the Office for
the most extraordinary reason" and he
went on to tell the family physician
the particulars of the strange interview.
Its like this" counseled the doctor,
Mrs. Durand is worried and unstrung
about Laura. If l were you l would
hunt up that cross and agree TO send it
back. Whether it goes back or not is
matter of small consequence as long as
she thinks il has been replaced. We
find it best in cases where the nerves
are evidently wrong, to humor the per-
son as much as possible until the
trouble is bridged over"
Durand, busy though he was, spent
the afternoon in searching for the un-
lucky cross. The cook remembered
having it and she believed it was then
in the garbage-barrel. She offered TO
have it looked for.
Where is the garbage-barrel," de-
manded Durand, Il will look for it my
self"
The cook. with some reluctance,
showed him into the cellar. There was
not one garbage-barrel but dozen. Re-
fuse, vegetables and all sorts of stuff
were in them, and what there was not
barrels enough for was scattered in
heaps elsewhere in the cellar.
''How long has the cellar been in this
condition."
Not very long, sir. You see, sir, 10
one ever comes down here, and We
didn't think it made much difference"
with frown on his brow. John, get
some one who will remove this stuff"
As the barrels were dumped into the
cart Durand superintendent the raking
over of the contents, and in the fourth
barrel was the much-sought-for wooden
cross.
lie had it washed, and took it up TO
his wife.
81 will attend to the sending back of
this thing" he SAID to her.
She looked at him for a few moments,
and he read very well-founded disirust
in her eyes.
THE sending of it back has all been
arranged for, now that we have it to
send back" remarked Mrs. Durand,
calmly. "Dr. and Mrs. Forhan sail for
Europe next week. Il nave eApidlncu
all about it TO Mrs FOrhan, and she has
promised me that with her own hands
she will place it where it was taken
from. / have drawn her a map of the
road and drawn from memory a picture
of the wayside cross. Within three
weeks this will be back at the place il
should never have been taken from"
Next week Il cross was on the At
lantic, and at the same time Durand
walked through his cellar and saw that
it was as clean as the parlor.
Now, Henry" said Mrs. Durand TO
her husband six months after, ''you
doubtless thought was very silly when
insisted that that cross should go back
to France. / have been waiting for yoa
to admit that the sending of that cross
back was the cause of Laura's complete
restoration to health. Admit that there
may he something in what you men call
superstition. You have not done it of
your own accord, now what do you say
when you are asked the plain question"
Il am quite willing to admit, Mira.
Eva" replied her husband, "that the
finding of that cross was the cause OF
the restoration of our little girl to us in
good health. Luke Sharp, in Detroit