The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-04-08

place was empty, the gas burning in the
| Office. Roper went to turn it down TO
| tar, as ii was usually left, for the bene-
| 1t Of the watcbman outside. His hand
"as Oh the key Of the gas'fxture, when
lie noticed that the fire. proof was open.
| lie did not know how TO lock IL; that
was Toms function. Dared he leave
:ss paw win rnar nre.proor openY
No; he must stay he,e till the watchman
| came, at any rate, for there was money
10 the safe; there il tlay--greenbacks--a
little pile. How careless rich people
were with money! There was q paper
beside the notes. He stopped down;
the paper said the money was the rent
for some of old Boyd's property, and had
come too late for the bank to receive it.
SO this also would go to the church
fund.
Roper picked up the bundle. How
strangely valuable these little bits of
paper werel He turned over the notes,
counting them. Why, there arc just a
thousand dollars here, the amount old
Boyd had said he would leave him in his
will. Was this a posthurnous rightlng OF
u wrong7 The cold sweat came out on
| his forehead He looked round him.
| No, there was no one there. Tom had
been the last one hcre-impecuuious,
incorporate Tom, the cut off, angry son.
lie would swear Tom had said good
| night to him on the stCp--aud who had
ever known Sandy Roper to lie2 Melia
was delicate, and had an unpaid doctors
| bill; Mary Edith's husband did not get
| on well, mere photographer assistant,
| aud the photographer shop one of those
on wheels; missus owed a good deal, and
| Blum wanted the money for that suit OF
black and here his wages were cut
down. HIS lips were pressed tightly to-
| ucthcr lie reached and turned down
| the gas, then quickly fiarcd it up to full
| head, and left the counting house. As
he went out he dislodged newspaper
ON "A chair, then reached down and placed
it Just rs he thought IL had been. Then
he went into the street, leaving the door
unlocked, as he had found it.
A new rccklcssness came to him; he
felt like slappinS some one on The back.
lie came to the jewelers. shop, aud
/ thought Of diamonds and missus. lie
crossed the street, and plunged into n
| dark narrow way under tho cloudy sky.
His head was burning; it was almost as
though he had been to one OF the labor
meetings aud stood treat to dozen men,
who must stand treat in return. He came
to the tall house be called his home.
| There was Mother Jones II, tho hall with
Bill.
"Bll," she said, ego get them onions.
We amt having money left to ua. And
hurry, for it's going to rain"
| Roper laughed, aud told her it was n
large evening. lie went up to the third
floor. There was a buzz of voices there.
| Mary Edith must have come to spend the
afternoon with her mother. There was
also II good smell; missus always had
somcthiu,, nice for supper when Mary
| Edith came. All Mt once he heard the
COO OF II baby. lie stopped short; he
| seemed 10 have lived this moment be-
fore; he was coming home, missus was
.,tting supper, und their first child was
uurgliug unintclligibilitics in the cradle
-llttlr Buster. Then the loolishness OF
the thing struck him, and he threw open
the door There WAS missus at the fire :;
there was Mary Edith with her baby.
"lTaIloa, pop" she said.
"rhat YOU, Mary Eiith?' hc sad in
=. -.-A--I------ii,-.------rr--- L;--.--y-
| YOU look warm
| "luu'd be warm, to>," she retorted,
"if your eyes wcre broiling out of your
hcud."
She hal turned her eyes upon him,
anl she looked as though she hal been
| crying.
Mary Edith was dan Hing the baby.
| Tncrc WIS 4 sort Of aw:>wariuc3s il the
| 4
"l.poh out lur her bacE,' cries Mary
Edith, "it ain'' strong"
"A~ If | never mad kid in my arms, -
laughed Roper, iIthcr boisterously,
throwing the chIld IN the air.
"Don't, Roper said his wife from
the fire; "shc ain't strong. She's han
| die like" sihr did not finish the
sentence, hui turned to the frying pan
Mary Edith looked conscious. "What
allcl little Buster, anyway, mother2'
qucried she, gently.
"Spincm meniugitters," answered her
mother. 'lIc got it oil of the paste on
the bill boards ut the corner. He would
play there.
Roper wondered why, in the name of
heaven, they had been talking about lit.
|
"Whcrc's Mclia?" he asltc I, sharply
"Gallivautin' with Smth?"
"Shc amt that kind" said her sister
''nnd she wow': mtrry Smith till she eau
get some new clothes, she told me. She's
upstairs with Mrs. Juriln. Jim's dead
IT last. is i mercy, walking like
that"
eyes, he did go Il little lame" as,
scntcd Roper.
"lt was lnComotcr taxes vohm3ccrc /
Mary Edith, v"'ubiy. Its queer IN ne
Tor disease. Say, mother, dill he ever
work i'll car shops:'
"Not rs ever heard toll Of" al
Swcrcd miSsuS, wn", going uvcj TO the
table, announced that supper was
| ready.
"Won't we wait Tor MclIa:" asked
Mary Edith.
"M"lia'S dclicltc," st'l her mother,
"and pitIcS them tlat IN; sickness; be.
| sides, : nith'S sisters dci,rtt,. And she's
more pityiu than ever to-day because
| YOU brought that. ON Roprr." she