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

take you, Mary Edith, ana go OUT 10 tue
cemetery Sundays; we put clam-shells
all around the grave, and fsh-geraniums
at the head and foot. We've never been
able to get stone."
Roper, in dazed way, thought how
little Buster should have tombstone.
"Wasn't it kind Of Mary Edith re-
memberin' it was his birthday2" asked
mlssus. IT,
sob, don't mention itl' said Mary
Edith. "Dick took the photo. He said
he'd never been able}t to do much for
YOU and pop, aud he WAS real glad. II
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. "Melia 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 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. tsThere's 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 tn:
lounge. But Roper had not been able
to say word about the tombstone, the
photographer stand, the electric treat
ment, nor the flat--and in his pocket was
the money that might Do everything.
If his wife had only Sbeen in one of
her tempers he might bave-what
might he have done9 Gould he
tell her about the money! There was
no fear in him. but strange bewilder-.
ment, like nothing else he had ever ex-
perenced, and shining through it all
were two small clear lights-little Bus
ter's eyes as they had last looked into
his. Why had mlssus reminded him of
that2 Why had Mary Edith remembered
it was little Busters birthday2 Then
the door opened, and pale Melia came
| in.
"Poor Mrs. JordanI" 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 it she wouldn't
| please excuse him If he'd ever been cross
to her. And he was honest; wouldnt
take pin that didn't belong to him."
ssHonestl" cried her mother. "Whd
amt honest2 cap say that much for
son. Roper. I've Sbeen little crisp
with you 1a,ctyy~~1ven't I, old mani
Sometimes I think things upsets mo a
purpose. Don't think of it, Dan, l."
But she broke down again. "Oh,
Dan, it's little Buster. He Maybe
it's because it's his birthday and Mary
Edith brought the pictures 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'posen he'd lived. He'd
be twenty eight. Maybe he'd went
wrong. I often think of him when see
reelin' man in the lstreet, 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 a fool,
Roper.
She had come round to him, and now
positively kissed him. The daughters
exchanged glances and smiled and went
"nan- said hia -Wife.; .tdon't mind
about that money you didn't get, don't
mind about the lever 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 hima 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, AMI he and
mssus and the baby had gone to see the
parade.
MIssus loved him, his girls loved him,
nobody had much against him. But he
was poor. he had nqs been treated right,
and his chiidren me- aded the assistance he
would have been able to afford them had
he been treated right. And yet-ah |
those pure shining little lights still shin
lug in his eyes, would they fade away
aud N ever be found by him in the huge
hereaftcrf
The women were. nurmuring over
Mary Edith's sleeping child, talking
about the hard times and the sorrow OF
being poor. N
"Poor!" said Roper all at once.
"Who's poora Only the thief's poor"
He glared at them, and missus had a
word ready for him, when she happened
to remember the day.
ga thief" he went on. 81 am a
thief!'
The women were pale.
"a thiefi" he repeated. "Do you
hear2 A thiefm
His wife strobe over to him and
caught him by the arm. "You liel" she
sternly said. "You are the man chose
for husband; you are the father of my
childrenp
"Let me co." he cried, "or it'll be the
worse for you. must 60 down to the
wharf, l tell you. Ihave something to do
there II didn't lock IN and the safes