Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-04-15

tits pension day" she thought. al
know where sho IS. Upstairs crying
Tor him that's gone. Blue-blue as
she can be. HIN! I'm blessed that
iny past don't sorrow me, nor my
future either. There it is nowI Mil
lion n minute! Gold-hceled shoes
Keep it upl"
Abby spoke of wealth with rich
exaggeratlon. Her ideal independence
was simply freedom from debt.
She had one desire that ruled her life
and that, to possess a home. The
knowledge that her landlord might,
% a lapse Of payment, turn her out,
rode her rs sense Of infcriority. Her
material standing seemed as insecure
as her credit. But TO own the ground
she walked on, that was to wear gold
heeled shoes. Every step left the
impress of weath's equality. All
her efforts, then, were directed to the
reduction of the insufferablc mortgage
that threatened her home.
She labored hard in every channel
known 10 her countrywomen. She
picked and sold berries. She gathered
and cured swect-fag. She had a
patch of garden with many herbs in
it, and others she gathered wild and
sold i'll lunches for the druggists and
mcdicine-makcrs. She stitched boots
when that seldom work cffored. She
knit and sewed. She did not know
an idle moment the year round.
BY years of patient toll Abby had
reduced the amount oe The mortgage
to one hundred dollars. And one
night, when she looked at her bank
book and counted the days receipts,
she found enough to cancel the debt.
1t was a matter of vcriication only,
for she knew to a cent the state of her
finances.
Pardonably she wept a little tha.
her work was accomplished. The
goal was reached she had set, and be-
yond which she had not before looked.
Now she was brought face to face
with blankness. Whittier should she
wander through it, and what should
she strive for? She asked herself
these questions, for it was borne in
upon her that the old desire was Il
thing Of the past, being gratified, and
that she must discover a new one.
Through anticipation, her hope had
mirrored brightly, but now she found
its reverse side dull; and with the dis
appointment mingled bitter surprise
that it was so.
The widow broke in upon this con-
jurcd-up sadness with real living sor-
row of her own. She was crying, and
all Abby's heart-tenderness went Gu;
TO her at once, for the widow was a
proud little woman, and had kept her
gricfs at home untilnow, fairly driven
for consolation to Abby's kindly arms
And there she lay and sobbcd her
story-how Jim had been placed
under bonds and had broken them.
and could not pay and must 60 away
o some prison. Little by little she
laid bare the trial of desolate years,
and Abby listened sympathetically.
'JIm could get away" said the
widow, "he would go into the navy,
as his father did. Jim always wanted
to, but | couldn't let him go; he is all
! have. He can do nothing else, and
would not let him go. l was so
seltish-I kept him against his lean
ing-and now he must go to prison.
LIS judgment on me-"
And Abby conso,ed her distress and
lulled her to rest as gently as she
would growing child.
The next day Abby strode down the
white rode to the village. and drew
all her money from the bank. The
cashier joked her upon extravaganza.
"Going to buy gold-hceled shoes
now, Abby?"
She looked up smiling. ayes, my
gold-heclcd shoes. Took long time
to pay for them, didn't liz"
81 wish we might all get them if it
would make US look as happy as you
do now," said lie.
Abby MAJ ched from the bank into
the presence of the town fficials ST.
ting on Jim Barkcr's case. The con-
stable was there, ready to conduct him
to the state reformatory.
"Wh~t will it cost to get Jim off ?''
she demanded.
zone hundred dollars said the
clerk.
Abby counted the amount on the
table, whilc all the room stared.
..Come, Jim" said she.
jim came from his constabio-guard-
ed corner, and followed her out. He
was amazed. His malodolus career
had not brought him many acts OF
kindness at the towns-peoplc's hands.
..What does this mean, Miss Abby?'
he said, huskily.
She smiled at him reassuringly.
"Just this, Jim-gold-beelcd shoes.
And, Jim, go home now, and say
goodbye TO your mother. Then be q
z==ssseQasses=.l6lgsszs4
Quickly be stood bareheaded. "Be-
fore God, I'll try" he said.