Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-02-06
A STRANGE MARRIAGE.

a OIL Iva " Ia III AlLNlAUL
John Collins WAS out Of work. In
common with many others for reasons
not necessary 10 enter upon he had
been idle for some time. He was al
most out of mOnrv-b0 cents Is not
much. But he was not out * hope.
He was so de- "rmind to put his shoulder
To the wheel that Ne could not believe
that there would not soon he = wheel
to shoulder.
Now. on this Saturday afternoon.
with everything at - standStll. ke knew
that there would he 10 use in standing
before closed doors or of lettering in
empty yards; 40 les made mp his nIind
10 have holiday. aud all that sweet
sunny afternoon To pretend 10 him.
self that he had nothing 10 worry
about.
There was music in the park; there
were seats To- sit upon.
a man could cal scents worth of soda
crackers aS well there IA elsewhere. In
fact. they mule quite neat lunch.
On Sunday he weuld buy paper.
AMI grt every item in the columns
headed. "llelp Wantrd-Maies" by
granIme was the park.
Accordingly. he went home. climbed
to the top floor of iencment-h house,
where he had hired n hall-bedroom of
O washcrwnman. who did not need all
the rooms at her end nj the Hat. aud
dressed h:n'~elf in his Sunday suit
The suit was not fine one ut host,
and IL was lay no means new. hut john
was "a handsome man, aud there is
good deal ia that.
He blacked his boots, turned his
CATS. thanked fortune he still had
clean collar. aud sat off parkward-he
WAS just in time for the music.
The sky WAS blue, the grass was
green, the park WAS just rs much his
as it was snybody's. AMI after the
crowd had dispersed and the musicians
descended from their pavilion. he be-
thought him to walk about NV lille. aud
took has way toward the reservoir.
There Was not q snul there, aud I've
began To Sanntrr about the brink. eat
ing his crackers when his attention
WAS attracted iO The singular conduct
OF n Young girl, Who was creeping
along toward toward the reservoir.
looking over her slinntler. rs though
she expected to he fu,0wed.
Now and tlrn she lifted 10 her ewes
a handkerchief That shu had crushed up
in one hand, aud it was evident that
She was CRYING.
What can she BIZ doing?" John
asked himself In n minute more it
flashed upon him that she intended to
drown herself.
He was ahout 10 spring forward to
SEIZE her. wheu he reflected hat until
he was SURE that Eha was actually Il
woull-bc suicide 1t won Il hardly do
to lay hands ulon her. aud so. con-
cealiiiy himself as best be could, lac
waited.
Aud now he observed the girl more
closely. She WAS young. she was
small. and her features we're pretty.
Snn bad thai pecu lar attenurtcd look
that comes tO mast women With worry
and poverty. bat her clothes wcro not
ragged. aud she had very resppcla-
bic ain She wore one kid glove. he
noticed. Al first she stood behiud
stone pnrapet hat guard, the edge of
tire reservoir. CRYING and leaking over.
Then she fOled her hands nnd put
her facu upon them. and John fancied
that she prayed. After thi% by diul of
srrambling she pereheJ nlDn the
STOVES and sat there. John drew
nearer.
Al last she arose to her feet. and
John Was there below her, though she
did not dream of il.
''Good-hy. tou dear. pretty world"
he heard her say. Il wonder where L
am going to-" aud size mn 10 prcpara-
tiunS In jump into the water.
lnsirad of accomplishing this. she
was lifted lsndwar,l iy Two big hands.
and as she touched ground she began 10
sob.
'Oh. why couldn't you let mop" she
said. "Anh now YOU II rnt me ia
prison. Isuppose. for being TOO unhappy
TO live"
"lm not policeman" said John.
''Oh. thank goodness said the girl.
"You u let me 20. ,hen9"
Not yet" said John. 'You sea,
although I'm not n policeman. I'm a
man. aud that makes il my duty to
take care ri women folk when they
need il. You seem to-"
''Xou mrnu 10 bc very kind" said
the girl; ''bui you aro not | suppose
ycu have no idea what IL IL to BIZ nIl
alone in biz city. without money aud
without work?'
oh" said John. '.but have. I
haven't had any work for three weeks
aud that Is my cash in hand"