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

take you, Mary Edith, and go out to the
cemetery Sundays; ws put clam-shells
all around the grave, and fsh-geraniums
at the bead nd foot. We've never been
able TO get stone"
Roper, in dazed way, thought how
little Buster should have tombstone.
msmberin' II was his birthdsyp' asked
missus. -
"oh, don't mention it!" said Mary
Edith. s'Dick took the photo. He said
he'd never been able to do much for
you and pop, aud he was real glad. IL
he only had three hundred dollars, he
could buy out the incest little stand"
Roper thought, ah, Dick should have
that stand, aud Melia should get clothes
and marry Smith.
"But, come, let's have supper" said
missus. "Melis won't be long gone now.
Poor child! she's not so we'll to-day.
Smiths sister was sayin' maybe lee
tricity d help her. Smiths sister wished
she could take 1t her own SELF"
Ah, thought Roper, Melia should
have electricity; so should Smiths sister.
~ wish you lived nearer US, mother"
said Mary Edith. 'sThere's daisy fat
down there, only It's more rent"
All, thought Roper, they'd take the
daisy fat. They were eating supper
now, the baby swallowing its fists on tn:
lounge. But Roper had not been able
to say a word about the tombstone, the
photographer stand, the electric treat
ment, nor the flat--and in his pocket was
the money that might dc everything.
II his wife had only been in one of
her tempers he might bave-what
might he have done7 Could he
tell her about the money! There was
no fear in him, but strange bewilder-
mcnt, like nothing else he had ever ex-
pcrienced, and shining through it all
were two small clear lights-little Bus
tcr's eyes as they had last looked into
his. Why had missus reminded him of
that2 Why had Mary Edith remembered
it was little Busters birthdays Then
the door opened, and pale Melia came
| in.
"Poor Mrs. Jordau" she said. "She's
sure Jim's in heaven. Everybody's sure
their dead goes there. Well, Jim did
drink, but he was kind. The last he
spoke he asked his mother ii she wouldn't
please excuse him If he'd ever been cross
to her. And he was honest; wouldn't
take piu that didn't belong to him."
"Honestl" cried her mother. "Whd
amt honest2 ! can say that much for
got. Roper. I've obeen little crisp
with you a,ciyy >~&vcn't I, old mani
Sometimes think things upsets mo u
purpose. Don't think of it, Dan, L"
| Il.
Dan, it's little Buster. He Maybe
it's because it's his birthday and Mary
Edith brought the picturei maybe it's
because of poor Jim Jordan, but the
little fellow seems SO near to me to-day.
rm not cryin' because he's dead. Roper,
don't think it. S'posen he'd lived. He'd
be twenty eight. Maybe he'd went
wrong. often think of him when see
a reelin man in the street, and when n
mans thief, or the like. It'd broke
my heart if little Buster d turned out
that away. Don't think me fool,
Roper"
She had come round to him, and now
positively kissed him. The daughters
exchanged glances and smiled, and went
to the baby. >
about that money you didn't get, don't
mind about the lower wages. Well pull
through. Maybe we've been proud over
gettin' the money. Let's be proud with
out it, for we can hold our heads high;
we're honest, and nobody can say we
amt"
She left him aud went to the girls.
Roper sat at the table. Honest! Buster
knew if he was honest or not. Jim Jor-
dan knew, old Boyd knew, all the dead
knew. Only the living did not. Was
little Buster shrinking from him9 There
was little Busters picture. He remem-
bered the time the daguerreotype, the
original of that picture, had been taken.
1t was the Fourth of July, an he and
missus aud the baby had gone to see the
parade.
Mlssus loved him, his girls loved him,
nobody had much against him. But he
was poor, he had n9 been treated right,
and his children ned ddcd the assistance he
would have been able to afford them had
he been treated right. And yet--ahl
those pure shining little lights still shin
ing in his eyes, would they fade away
and never be found by him in the huge
hcreaftcri
The women were murmurlns over
Mary Edith's sleeping child, talking
about the hard times and the sorrow of
being poor.
"Poor" said Roper all at once.
"Who's poor2 Only the thicf's poor"
He garcd at them, and missus had a
word ready for him, when she happened
to remember the day.
"a thicf!" he went on. al am a
thief"
The women were pale.
"a thief" he repeated. "Do you
henr1 a thiefm
His wife strobe over to him and
caught him by t. : arm. "You liel' she
sternly said. "You are the man chose
for husband; you are the father of my
cnildrcnl"
"Let me 60" he cried, cor it'll be the
woisc for you. l must go down to the
wharf, | tell you. have something to do
there. II didn't lock up,and the safes
open and | saw a thousand dollars there"