Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-01-27
CiTCumStaltlal-..-
Evidence !
BY MARY e. sTTCKNEY.

you've got anything DeCCer TO 90, as II
good naturally bound to find excuses for
such awful waste of time at must be
awful tedious, though, settin' still that
way. No wonder you look thin and
peaked. You'd ought to go out more"
"Do you think so?" with smiling indif-
ference. These cakes are delicious"
81 most generally hev good luck"
with comfortable complacency But
you'd ought to get out more, say.
'Twould kind of chirk you up. Why
don't you go over, now, and see poor
Mis- Rogers?'
Mrs, Rogers?" with a quick, sur
prised gesture of recoil. And why
Mrs. Rogers2"
Because she's in trouble, that's why.
thought as | was comm along that l
would jest speak to you about her, for
you've got more time and money, too,
for that matter, to spare for neighborin'
than the heft of us has.
"And what is the trouble? aave the
neighbors been talking about her again?
her nostrils family quivering, a cruel
smile curling her lips
"lf they be- they amt sayin' no worse
than that the doctor amt had business
enough to keep salt in their porridge,
and that they are about wantin' the nee
essaries of life" with unwonted sharp
ness "Of course they are too proud f.
say anything, but | hev it straight
enough, and know it is SC, And she
has been so poorly that she don't do
much of anything but set and cry.
Mebbe you know that she is expectin' II
baby SOON"
"No; did not know" said Anita
slowly, absently watching a lint laden
branch of cottonwood swaying across
the window, one bare twig seeming to
clutch in futile effort after the drifting
silk that sifted in white shower through
the gaunt dead fingers.
Eyes, and the poor child-she amt
nothin' more than n child'when you size
her all up-she has been dreadfully ailin
all the time I've tried and tried to fix
up somethin' she could keep on her
stomach, but it want no use. And of
course she is nervous and worried-her
first baby too; and then to be bothered to
death about money on top of it. | tell
you it comes hard. You don't know
what it is, Mis- Bartels, to see the cup
board empty, and know that all the
while another mouth is comm to be fed.
1t amt that a mother begrudges what
she's got to give her baby-that amt
natur'-but when the world seems chock
full of nothin' but trouble it seems as
if there was sufferers enough already,
and woman feels it cruel hard that
she's got to bring one of her own to fight
his way, with the world all ag'in' him.
I've felt that way myself in the early
days, when things was hard. May the
Lord forgive me! | always seen my
blindness sooner or later. But Mis-
Rogers-the poor thing! she can only
see the dark side now, and it's the time
for the neighbors to rally round and
help her along what little they can"
81 never admired her" said Anita
coldly, reaching TO smell the great pink
rose. She drew back her head sharply,
with Il startled look; the soft, cool per
fumed mass was like the touch of a
baby's cheek Anita had the true mother
love for babyhood How often, in the
heartstarved loneliness of her life, she
had envied other women to whom had
been given the richest gift of life, the
love of little child, marveling that some
could seem to hold it so lightly And
now out from the shadows of the great
unknown n little soul was blindly beat
ing its way to earth, ine8orably
called to take up the curse of life. with
only sorrow and heart heaviness waiting
to bid it grewsome W. =, ONE. Poor little
babyl
wall, know she's been kind of up
pish, mebbe, and there's some that amt
liked her, and there's more that must be
pickin' on to somebody all the while. |
amt one to believe more'n half hear,
anyway, leastways when it's ag'in some
body. And some of the yarns about Mis-
Rogers hev been too reediclous. Why,
| they even said once-'twas before you
was married-they said that Don Bartels
and her was in love with one another.
| Everybody knows how much truth there
was in that"
Anita's glance might have scorched
her, but Mrs. Allen sat placidly I'M
moved, her shrewd eyes twinkling be-
hind their spectacles. Did she know
more than she assumed?
81 suppose to some the story seemed
| by no means impossible" Anita tried
to speak lightly, but the words seemed
to choke her and her voice sounded
strange and forced.
mot to anybody that ever knew him
let alone her," with sturdy contempt
for the idea, why, after he was sick
that time, and took him to board
had said wouldn't never take no more
boarders, but Don did look SO thin and
peaked that jest had to take him in
and do for him-aud he had your photo
graph on his bureau, and he used to
show it to me and brag about his girl
the same as if was his ma never
seen a man so proud of girl Anybody
could see he jest worshiped the ground
you trod on And he used to watch for
the mail to get letter from you, and
sometimes when Mis- Rogers would
come bringin' him somethin' nice about
mail time-and she was awful good to
Don that time anyhow, Mis- Bartels-
but when he was lookin' for his letter
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