Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-04-03

they travereed street after street, but
in vain. And on a dreary February
night, when the snow was turning to
discolored slush on the pavements and
dismal fog hung over the streets,
Marian looked sadly up into her
friends face.
The soles of my shoes are worn in
holes, Juliet, said she. my feet are
soaking wet, and my head aches, and
a don't think / can GO out any more.
It's of no use. think heaven has for
gotten u.s."
Juliet, stronger and more courageous,
orewed her friend cup of weak tea.
and produced two soda crackers from
the cupboard.
Eat and drink, Marian, and you
will feel better, said she. Il have
heard of a woman who wants a book
keeper in her business and l must go
there at once, this very evening, be-
fore any one else has chance to
crowd me out
you won't get the place, Juliet"
'tHow do you know?" cheerily.
II don't know it. i feel it,"
well, you'll SEQ. Eat and drink, I
say, dear, Don't sit so mournfully
there"
When you are gone, Juliet"
But when Juliet was gone. Marian
rose and put the soda crackers back
into the cupboard.
She thought I didn't know they
were the two last" said she. Juliet
was always hearty eater. She is not
so good at starving as / am. But the
ends come at last!"
She took from the mantel little vial
OF dark liquid labeled 'Laudanum'
Outlet had had ague-in-the-face a few
days ago, and had used little of it),
and looked at it questioningly.
II hope itisn't very wrong" she muir
INJURED; ''but-but it must be so hard TO
die by inches! Harder still to go to
the poorbouse on Blackwells Island!
On, no, U'could not endure that"
And removing the cork, she drank
the bitter draught.
Surely this would be a dose strong
enough to silence all the pangs and
woes of a dozen poor souls!
''Will it be painful?" she asked her.
self, nesting down among the pillows
of her bed. Because ! have not much
strength to endure"
No, it was not painful. Heaven be
thanked for that!
"A sweet drowsiness, like the breath
OF peoples, overspead her being and
with a half-murmured prayer on her
lips, Marian drifted into slumber.
Didn't l toll you IL was always dark
est before daylight Wake up, Marian
wake and rejoice with me!'
Through a sort of cloud. Marian saw
Julietls radiant face. She struggled
into sitting posture, and tried to re-
member what had passed.
Was it true? or was it only dream?
''Who do you think the woman was
who wanted book-keeper? Why, my
mothers dearest school friend! She
knew my name at once, and she says
she should have known me anywhere
| from my resemblance to mother. She
is in the perfumery business-oh, such
a nice big store!-and she manages it
all herself And / am to be boolS-keep-
er, with nice salary, and you are to
have a good place there, too-right
away. Marian, dear! And we can pay
/ good Mrs. Popover now, and live like
Christians again; and I've brought
nome such n nice little supper of cold
roast chicken, and hot potatoes, and a
| pitcher of smoking coffee. A real
treat, Marian. Rouse up, dear, and
enjoy it,
a faint, sad smile fickered into Ma
( rian's face.
Had all the sunshine come, now that
it was too late? And yet how good the
| little feast looked-how deTiciously
fragrant was the coffee!
With feeble gesture, she pointed to
/ the little vial on the mantel. Juliet
would know what she meant.
why" cried the girl, where is all
my cough medicine {? / got the bottle
flied only yesterday, for l knew that ]
kept you awake coughing at night.
Mrs. PopOver gave me some out of the
children's bottle. She's such q kind
old woman. Laudanump Oh, yes. j
know that's what the label says. but
the vial tipped over long ago, and all
the laudanum leaked out! Never mind,
! dear-we can easily get more now.
We are not beggars any longer. Here,
sit up. Drink this hot coffee before it
has time to chill. And eat the chicken
and taste this dear little teeny glass
of current jelly. You see I'm getting
extravagaut but we have been starved
so long!"
What a coward have beenm said
Marian, to herself. "Oh, thank God
that He saved me from my own rash
will--saved me to begin life anew
/ saved me for new strength and hope!
Oh, never, never will abandon my
self to despair again. no matter how
dark the future seemsm
And Juliet never knew how near
/ Marian had come 20 the solution of all
I LIES problems. It was secret be-
tween herself and heaven. Helen
Forrest Graves in Saturday Night
stopped by shark