Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-12-10

& D N9SIR
HMs2n B1BMARpRcSBY
y
ICopyrght 1ss. by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Col
CHAPTER IIL-CONTINUED
They went upstairs and found all Sc
cure. 1t was an hour late in the even
ing, when the house was unusually de-
serted. All the doors of the chambers
were fastened; even that of number six
was securely locked. and when the
room was entered not thing was out
of place.
Even the policeman was fain to con-
fess that he thought it one of the nu-
merous scares he knew too well hyster-
ical women were apt to indulge in, and
went his way with grin.
Isaac Evesham was properly exasper-
ated.
"You will find yourself in a lunatic
asylum if you go on in this way much
longer, Esther" he said, grimly.
81 have, indeed, my share of trouble"
the widow pleaded, YEARLY.
on mean you make your VI
trouble and other peoples shares, too"
The widows eyes flashed Indignantly
Isaac" she said, ''in Gods name go
and leave me TO myself. 1 do not want
your help. / never asked it. Forget
that your brother ever had a wife and
children"
II wish to heaven 1 could" was the
blunt reply.
CHAPTER ".
REvERSES.
If it is true that whom God 1oveth He
chasteneth, Mrs. Evesham must have
been particularly favored by Provi-
dcnce, for the i'll tide of adversely swept
in upon her with resistless force, over
whclming her with such food of re-
verses that even her brave spirit nearly
sank in the waters of despair.
That croaking brother-in-law of hers
had foretold her speedy downfall, and
his ominous prophesies seemed in a fair
way of fulfllment. True, the world in
general had forgotten the mystery of her
unhappy dodgers untimely death; but to
her little world-the few upon whom she
was dependent-the event had brought
a sad reaction. One after another of
her dodgers left her, and none came to
over the house she found it impossible
to dispel. 1t was the old story-money
borrowed at a ruinous interest on her
furniture, foreclosed mortgage, and
she found herself adrift and homeless,
with four children dependent on her for
their daily bread. Not for one moment
did she pause to consider that one of
these little ones had no claim on her eff
AL lon f0
her as one of her own loved ones, and
she would have scorned the thought of
shifting from her shoulders the respon-
sibility of her care.
Nor was she one to sit down with
folded hands and bewail her misfortune.
For ten weary years she toiled as a
dressmal1er. working by the day for
rich ladies, who, charmed by her gentle
manners and exquisite taste, paid her
higher wages than usually fall to the
lot of women SO unhappily circum-
stanced. Thus with heroic effort she
was enabled to clothe, feed and educate
her children till they in turn grew in
stature and became breadwinners.
Then a glimpse of sunshine glowed
through the darkened clouds.
1t was at the close of the terrible war
of the rebellion. Society was revolu-
t;onized. Thousands had sunk in pow
crty; hundreds had grown suddenly
rich. Prominent among the latter was
a. young married woman named Alice
Potter, of Michigan. who CHANGED to be
visiting New York, and, having engaged
Mrs. Evesham's services, had in her
own generous, impulsive way formed a
deep affection for the gentle seamstress.
my dear creature" she said one day
to the widow, when they had succeeded
in designing a costume more than usu-
ally attractive, "why don't You make a
strike for something better? Come to
Michigan and start store. I'll help
YOU
The suggestion took the widows
breath. Michigan! Even in the COS
Michigan seemed an Ultima Thule to a
New Yorker.
1T would cost so much, Mrs. Potter
she sighed. "And the risk would be so
great
''As for the expense of getting
there" the impetuous young matron
declared, Il will see to that. You see,
dear, my cousin Jack is auditor of rail
road, and he shall get you all passes, OF
I'll know the reason why"
but have so little in hand to start
with" the widow pleaded.
''All the better for you; you will have
the less to lose"
''But, if failed"
Failed! Fiddlededee! You sham
fail. Come with me to Glastonbury
What, never heard of Glastonbury.
Well, the ignorance of you Kniclker
bockers is something shameful
as it village in Michigan"
IA village! Bless your innocence
Glastonbury is a big, thriving lumber
city on the banks of the lOveliest rive
you ever saw. We haven't many brown
stone fronts there, 1 confess, but we'r,
new and rich, and our women know
stylish dress when they see it, as
hope some day you will learn to you
profit"
''But the store?"
''Oh, We'll fix that. My husband ISM
half bad fellow when you know him
and he'll pull you through. You cal
get few things on credit if you are to-
proud to borrow. It is all as easy a
preaching may l speak to him thi
very afternoon?''