The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-12-29
CRUTcHY..
Continued FROM f,rst pare.


AS he enters the room call Crutchy
and formally introduce to her my
lord and master. She lifts her great,
bright eyes. and. it would seem, takes
his measure at glance MY senses
being keen, ! feel instinctively that
Keith does not impress her as have
hoped-as have been sure-he would.
AS if to find an answer to- my uniformed
question in his face. look at Keith.
God help lne!-the answer is there
speaking from the dull. bleared eyes,
from the lax. unsteady lips. from the
red. bloated cheeks. from the brea tn
but let what have named suffice.
odd little beast-comic-make good
model
'KeM."
s But the eyes have closed before my
cry is ended. With . moan turn and
kneel before Crutchy. Ter arms around
me. my head pillowed upon her hollow
little breast.
From whence came that mysterious
influence that brought together two
atoms for mutual good-C,.ut ny and
me? In the hours, the days. the weeks
that pass. no mother could console me
as does this crippled child. The hid
eousness of inebriety is no new thing to
her. Her face is a barometer. | fall to
reading. and confident am | that hope
is near if a smile be in the ascendant.
1t is smiling often OF late. for Keith
is working pretty hard now upon new
picture. Crutchy is his model. When
his hands are steady the bright eyes
grow in radiance and all their dazzling
beauty is caught upon the canvas;
when they tremhc and lose their cum
ming then Crutchy comes to me, and
there's nothing can do but bless my
little New Years gift
My small inheritance is all gone
Keith's money nearly so. and shorter
commons than these to which we've
either one Of us been ever used. is quite
the order of our present day. Our last
domestic takes her leave. and Crutchy
and | vie with each other in the culia;l-
ry art.
Rice is cheap eatin. and slice O.
toast. Teas too excitin' to the nerves
come and goa baf1ied lot. The money
is not to be found. nor any trace of it.
But the shock and my apathy arouse
my husband. Like one touched by
powerful battery, he springs into new
life. and swears, by all that he holds
holy and dear, to have done with strong
drink. And know that he means it.
But Crutchy grows thinner as the
days shorten; and when the sun enters
Libra, feel that the frail tenement
will hold her buta little while longer
She feels it, too, and, nesting close,
tells me of her gratitude.
II couldn't do much for you. dearie,"
thus she pet-names me. but what I
could, did. And when die
80, Crutchie," wall.
81 want you to promise me to put
something in my hand. hope I'll live
till New Years. dcarie. cause somehow
it 'u'd mean more then. If | die afore,
and it amt too long, keep me till New
Years, dearie. if you can
scarcely hear, so great is my grief;
but recollect, afterward, what l now
promise her.
Auus CIlc LdSI tIllUS, utdTlC,
open my Grilnm's Fairy Tales, and
you'll find something that I've wrote
there"
She lives until New Years eve. al
low no hands but mine to touch the
dear, misshapen body, but place it, my
self, reverently to rest.
With choking sobs l bid Keith fetch
the book she loved SO we'll; and, as he
goes to do my bidding. place the satin
bag she asked for in her nerveless
hands.
Keith comes to me, at last, and to-
gether we open the message from the
dead, and read:
"DEAR ANGLE UPON ERTH. l stoled the mon.
ny. You'll find it in the Satten bag toied you to
putt in my Hand I stoled it cause was Trade
your husben would kill hisself with so much
monny to spend fer drink. l was goan to kepe
it til new years and then Civ it back and make
him promuss to do Right. take it Now and tell
him how it was. god bless you bottle.
from
'CRUTCHY."