The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-07-16

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ing powerfully glum, had to laugh.
Things get out so in boarding house.
We all knew that he had proposed and
she had said no.
Just as we were getting through
breakfast John Berry gave a groan al
the window and turned to Us with his
face working and his lips trembling. He
couldn't speak; just pointed across the
street.
Old Aunt Amanda was tying long
streamer of white crepe to the door bell.
"Over-the- Ways dead" said some one
in strained whisper.
"White's for little children, said Mrs.
Smith. '1t's Over-the-W Ways little baby.
o dearl o dear" And the good woman
burst out sobbing. None of US were
much better off, for that matter.
So it happened that then we made our
FIRST call across the street. John Berry
and Mrs. Smith went. Mrs. Smith went
in, but John paced up and down in front
of the house. Elizabeth Hawkins never
took her eyes off him. She was as pale
as ghost, and yet she didn't look exact
ly unhappy either.
By and by they came back. As soon
as they came in John took out roll of
money and dropped bill in his hat.
"Flowersp said he, and looked around
as much as to ask if anybody wanted to
follow suit. We all put in something.
Elizabeth Hawkins put in a dollar. l
knew she had saved it to buy some Sun
day gloves After John had gone out
Mrs. Smith told us how she had talked
with the poor young mother in the dark
ened room, and how the little baby was
to be buried the next day, and how John
was to see to everything and go to the
cemetery, and how the little coffin was
to be put in the vault and kept till the
father got home.
By and by John came back with q
great box. 1t was full to the brim with
lilies of the valley-not another flower.
Well, Johns services were not needed
after all, for that very night the young
husband came home from South Amer
lea, and the next day, when the carriage
drove away from the little cottage with
a little white casket on the front seat
heaped high with lilies Of the valley,
the poor young husband looked over to
us in the windows and made sort of a
bow and put his hand on his heart.
That evening, when it was time to go
to work, John Berry came down with q
satchel in his hand and began to say
goodby to us, saying he was going to
leave. When he came to the last one
Elizabeth Hawkins-he hesitated, then
held out his hand just as he had to the
rest of us. She just barely touched it,
and both of them looked white and
trembling. Just as he was going out of
the door she called to him:
"John"
1t wasn't a bit like Elizabeth Hawk
ms voice, and we all stared. John came
back, but didn't say word-just stood
waiting. And now they both were red.
care you going because-because"-
John nodded. don't believe he could
have said word to save him.
"Well-well-I-John, don't gor'
Long before she finished John had her
in his arms right before us all.
81 said No. John, because was
afraid you were hard and unfeeling-
till today. Now l know better"
'God bless you, my children" said
motherly Mrs. Smith. The stereotyped
old phrase was a relief, and we all
laughed in a teary sort of way, then she
added:
"When trouble comes and you need
patience and forbearance remember
what brought you together"
And we all said:
Observation-Disclosures Tribune.