The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-02-05
THE TATTOOED FOOT.

A'4 NlS liItle Cu1lu-ulS treasure, llS mos
precious thing on earth. He must g,
home and tell his mother that the DO,
was not found. All his life he ha,
dreaded this-all the little life. of tina
baby boy.
Often IN the night had the though
SO overcome him that he had stoler
from his bed in the darkness to fee
the little head of his sleeping boy OF
the pillow of his crib. Only once
once he was forced to tell his wife
That was when he tattooed the child's
foot
Right on the instep he had marked
1T with little blue w. 1t was pain,
fui-every prick hurt him worse than
Mt did the boy; and the mother. coming
home, had been angry and grieved.
Now it had come. The foolish fear
was realized. Lost or stolen, the boy
was gone. and that tattoo mark was
the only thing that comforted him.
They spent their small means in adj
vertising. They posted notices of
their loss on the walls. All in vain.
After others knew that they followed
a forlorn hope, they still pursued it as
earnestly as ever And so the weeks
rolled by; the months faded; the years
followed. Theirs was hard case
No other children came to these
people. and they were very miserable.
The man seemed crushed-he had
neither ambition nor energy. The
woman went about her daily toll in a
dull, Gstless manner. Their hair grew
gray and their brows wrinkled very
early.
At last they seemed to stand alone
In the world; old acquaintance and
relatives were gone or had forgotten
them.
A far away relative died and left
them a little fortune. He had not
taken much notice of them during his
life, but he had given them a thought
on his death bed. They were COM
paratively rich. When they knew it
the same thought came to each at
once. The woman uttered it first.
'Martin," said she, perhaps we can
find our boy after all. He will come
TO us-I feel sure of tat last, Mar
tin, at last"
'4es. it may be so, Agnes the
i man said. 1T may be so; the time
has been long, the days woeful; but
we may be happy after all that is gone
Agnes. believe it will be 500
They kissed each other and made
ready for the journey, which they
needs must take to enter upon their
inheritance.
The first evening in the new house
was almost happy.
/ agnes, we must put this cash away
{ An a bank tomorrow" said the hus-
band, counting over a roll of notes.
alt is not safe to keep it here, and we
must be careful, we have that to do
which must make us economical"
Yes, Martini, - said his wife, as she
held the light for him, and he locked
the small, old-fashioned safe.
Afterward, in the dark, their heads
close together on the pillow, the elderly
couple talked on, dreaming like
children
clark" said Agnes, ''what is that?"
They listened. A low, grating sound
at the door below, regular and care
fully subdued-a click-a crack.
''Someone is trying to break in,n
said Martin.
Agnes hid her face in the pillows.
They were alone in lonely house on
a lonely road. They had several thou
sand dollars in their possession. Martin
was not a powerful man, and, though
he had pistol there might be two or
three against one, and then there was
little hope for him.
He arose and took his weapon in his
hand, and felt about in the dark for
matches And Agnes heard a creak-
ing of the flooring and the sound of
muffed footsteps, and also sprung to
the floor.
''They are at the safe below" cried
Martin. agnes, the monev-the
money for our boy! o! if my life is
AoDo Iot Aoo Sc1hS, i CCullOG lose lQaJ. i
cannot cannotr'
''Martin! Martin! Stay-do not 90
What can you do -one man alone?n
screamed Agnes.
But he was gone. She was alone in
the darkness. 1t was all oyer in q
Z moment. There were shots, oaths-a
fall-silence. She crept down stairs,
rembllng, so that she could scarcely
stand. Leaning against the safe was
her husband, blood upon his sleeve;
on the floor lay a man, in a Grape
mask, stiffening in death.
"Martin!'' sobbed the woman, Mar
tint
81 have killed him!" cried the man.
~|Fasten the door, put up the great
bar. Had I not forgotten that thew
could not have entered. Oh, It is
terrible. but 1 could not lose every
chance of my boy. They fred at me-
/ at them. I wounded both. Oh, to
think ] should have killed a man. ~