The Opelousas courier., 1892-05-14

SNLIShStI $1,000
all around the grave, and fsh-geraniums
at the head and foot. We've never been
able to get q stone"
Roper, in a dazed way, thought how
little Buster should have a tombstone.
uWasn't it kind Of Mary Edith re-
memberin' it was his birthdays" asked
mlssus.
ooh, don't mention it" said Mary
Edith. "Dick took the photo. He said
he'd never been able to do much Tor
you and pop, aud he was real glad. II
he only had three hundred dollars, hi
could buy out the incest little stand"
Roper thought, ali, Dick should have
that stand, and Melia should get clothes
and marry Smith.
"But, come, let's have supper" sara
missus. "Melia won't be long gone now.
Poor child! she's not SO we'll to-day.
Smiths sister was sayln' maybe lee
tricity d help her. Smiths sister wished
she could take it her own SELF"
All, thought Roper, Melia should
have electricity; SO should Smiths sister.
81 wish you lived nearer US, mother"
said Mary Edith. "There's a daisy fiat
down there, only it's more rent"
All, thought Roper, they'd take the
daisy fiat. They were eating supper
now, the baby swallowing its fists on the
lounge. But Roper had not been able
to say a word about the tombstone, the
photographers stand, the electric treat
ment, nor the fat-and in his pocket was
the money that might do everything:
If his wife had only been in n OF
her tempers he might have-what
might he have donea Gould he
tell her about the money? There was
no fear in him, but a strange bewilder-
ment, like nothing else he had ever ex-
perienced, and shining through it all
were two small clear li~ghts-little Bus
ter's eyes as they had last looked into
his. Why had mlssus reminded him OF
that? Why had Mary Edith remembered
it was little Busters birthday Then
the door opened, and pale Melia came
in.
"Poor Mrs. Jordan!" she said. "She's
sure Jim's in heaven. Ev~erybody's sure
their dead goes there. Well, Jim did
drink, but he was kind. The last he
spoke he asked his mother it she wouldn't
please excuse him if he'd ever been cross
to her. And he was honest; wouldn't
take a pin that didn't belong to him."
seHonestr" cried her mother. "Whd
amt honest? / can say that much for
you, Roper. I've been a little crisp
with you lately, haven't /, old manl
Sometimes I think things upsets me a.
purpose. Don't think of it, Dan, I"
But she broke down again. 'foh,
Dan, it's little Buster. He Maybe
it's because it's his birthday and Mary
Edith brought the picture; maybe it's
because of poor Jim Jordan, but the
little fellow seems so near to me to-day.
I'm not cryin' because he's dead. Roper,
don't think it. S'poseu he'd lived. He'd
be tweEty-eight. Maybe he'd went
wrong. I often think of him when I see
a reelin' man in the street, and when a
mans a thief, or the like. It'd a broke
my heart if little Buster d turned out
that away. Don't think mi a fool,
Roper"
She had come round to him, and o
positively kissed him. The daughters
exchanged chances and smiled, and went
to the baby.
"Dan," said his wife, stdon't mind
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 and went to the girls.
Roper sat at the table. Honesti Buster
knew If he was honest or not. Jim Jor-
dan knew, old Boyd knew, all the dead
knew. Only the living dld 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.
It was the Fourth of July, and he and
missus and 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 not been treated right,
and bis children needed 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
hereafter2
The wonen were murmurlnG over
Mary Edith's sleeping child, talking
about the hard times and the sorrow of
being poor.
aPoorl" said Roper ali at once.
"Who's poor9 Only the thief's poor"
He glared at them, and missus had a
word ready for him, when she happened
to remember the day.
"a thief!p he went on. 81 am a
thiefln
The women were pale.
IA rhieff" he repeated. "Do you
hear2 A thiefi"
His wife strobe over to him and
caught him by the arm. "You liei' she
said. aYou are the man I chose
for a husband; you are the father of my
childrenl,
"Let me co." he cried, tor it'll be the
worse for you. I must 60 down to the
wharf, | tell you. | have something to do
there. Ii didn't lock up,and the safes
open and I saw a thousand dollars there
Missls ran and got his hat. "Goi'
said, a strange look in her face.