The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-12-11
She was at bay now and her eyes
flashed with unwonted fire.


flashed with unwonted fire.
What If amp" he ASKED, doggedly.
''Only this. That you can take the
things back with you to Buffalo. Twas
not too proud to accept them and should
have found them useful, but your coarse
allusion to my need gives too strong a
flavor of charity to your generosity,
You may have paupers in your own city
much more worthy of your bounty"
Hundreds! / haven't doubt of it, y
MIR. Evesham assented, utterly uncon-
scious of the sarcasm. "But that is
neither here nor there. The question
is, what are you going to do with this
deserted child? Let me state my propo-
sition before You decide. If you choose
to behave in a sensible manner and
place her in charge of the city author
tiles, / will continue to give you my
protection and assistance, to aid you
In clothing and educating your chill
dren, and, perhaps, to find a career for
your son when he is old enough to &c
out into the world; but if you obSti-
nately persist in encumbering yourself
with her support, shall decline, in the
name of myself and family, ever again
to hold communication with you. 1t is
a choice between the brat and ME.''
He made the INC" impressively en-
phatic, as though in his opinion she had
no alternative.
The widow was very pale. Even the
swapping of this slender link which
bound her to her husbands kin hurt
her keenly, but she bravely raised her
big, brown eyes, wet with tears, and
said:
81 think, Isaac, 1 shall keep the
baby"
An angry retort rose to the lumber
mans lips, but ere he could speak he
was shocked into silence by the startled
attitude of his sister-in-law, who stood
before him as though petrified with
fear.
Esther" he said, with some little
conjunction, 81 didn't quite mean
to"
''Oh, hush!' she cried, laying her
hand on his arm. Are you deaf? Do
you not hear?"
The lumberman caught the infection
Of the lady's terror.
NO! WhatP Where?" he gasped,
staring in vain for an explanation.
'Hark!''
For moment, silence. Then, over
their heads came the sound of measured
footsteps, as though some one was NOV
ing cautiously in the room above.
Gracious, Esther, how you scared
me. Is that alp"
at is in number SIX" she replied in o
frightened whisper; ''the room is un-
occupied, the door is locked and have
the key in my pocket"
Mr.. Isaac Evesham was prompt in
action.
"You stand on the stairs here, Esther,
to see that no one escapes by the front
door, while 1 fetch a policeman" he
cried to the trembling widow, and be-
fore a word of expostulation could
reach him, he had snatched his hat and
was flying down the street at 4 rate
highly creditable to his physical condi-
ton.
1t was not very heroic to leave the
woman to bear the brunt of the adven-
ture, but his was not the stuff of which
heroes are made, and he may be forgiv-
en- if he preferred the common-sense
view of personal danger over the stall
wart shoulder of an officer of the law.
It was very provoking. He certainly
was not gone five minutes from the
house; yet, when he returned with q
patrolman, he found the front door wide
open and his sistcr-in-law lying on the
stairs in a fainting ct, with two fright
ened servant girls chatting her hands
and using other homely arts to revive
her.
''Why are women such bundles OF
nerves?" he queried, petulan.ly, mop
ping his face with large bandanna
handkerchief.
ugh, you brute" the pretty house.
maid flashed, Indignantly, whereat he
collapsed into sullen indifference.
Presently Esther's eyes opened, and,
with long-drawn sigh, she feebly
asked:
us he gomez"
"Who?"
1.-THE man"
what man?"
1.-THE photographer"
"Now, bless my soul, what rank mad
ness! What hysteTical nonsense" Mr..
Evesham calculated. DO for goodness
sake try and be woman, Esther-at
least try and not be a woman, for they
are all emotions-but try for just two