The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1894-02-03

{ dismal subject to be sure--a theme Of
despair and death perhaps that
was oil the better. She could put
more soul into it as last effort.
She had worked for an hour and
succeeded in completing four line
stanza when the door. opened and
Jack came in. + 49,:
She looked mp eager, in spite of her.
self, for single tender word or glance.
But there was none. He threw his
hat aside and went into the bed
! where he fell heavily on the bed.
Had he been drinking2 She corld
! not believe it of her Jack.
She tried to- go on making the
verses. Tried, and tried and tried. usz-
til after midnight. Then, worn to ex-
haustion, she was compelled to give
| up the effort.
Her husband was, sleeping heavilv
She did not awaken him. She UNI
dressed quietly and drew the coverlet
over her and fell into exhausted
slumber
But as the quick dawn of a mid
june day approached she began to
awaken and doze OF again and re-
awaken, with torturing thoughts Of
| money that must be had and pages
that must be written. Oh, the I'M
speakable torture that grew upon her!
In her half-slumber she seemed trying
to scream in order to let something
out of her brain before it should
split. There was such horrible inner
pressure:
At last, in struggle she fully
aroused, sat up and looked around
her: 1t was not yet 7, but she arose
and dressed and sat down to write.
BUT what should she write? She
had NO thoughts, no ideas, but those
| of her own present misery. Well, she
would write those.
And she did.
+ One hour, two hours passed. Jack
still slept
I Lucy was writing her own story
/ the misery of her own heart. Her
heroine was also young wife, faith
/ tHal and devoted, ready even to die, if
| need be; to fulfill her part. She had
become So interested in the troubles
| OF this other woman, this reflection Of
herself, THAT her heart had forgotten
/ to- ache except vicariously.
| And as she wrote on toward the
close she began to pity Adela. the
|: heroine, and to feel first regret that
| the poor woman should die, next a
desire to-. help her from her fate.
Poor, poor Aeela! It would be wrong,
wicked to let her do such a foolish
thing, when by patience and just a
little struggling and all would come
| right. Adela's husband, George? No.
no! he must not be struck down with
this climate OF misery. Poor George!
He had all the sensitive, impu1sive
| qualities of Jack. But how. how, how
| to save the young couple? Were there
no rich relatives to appear oppor-
timely? Absolutely no helping hand?
Lucy drew long, deep breath
Ting-a-ling! Ting-a-ling. The bell
| the street bella shrill whistle blew
in the street. She came back to her
own Identify. lost for the time being.
''The' postmam," she said dreamilv,
fetched the key and ran quickly down
the several flights to the entrance.
There were three letters Two for
her husband, and one for her
She tore open her own and scanned
the contents hastily. Then she turned
and ran-ram without stopping
surely never anyone ran so quickly up
, so many steps of stairway.
Gasping she burst into the room and
rushed to- her husband still sleeping.
Jack, Jack. dearest, wake up, Jack.
They have taken my story-Lhey have
sent me a check. Oh, we are saved,
saved, savedn'
| And then she broke down and sob
bed for joy.
+ The story of Adela was made to end
pleasantly. And Lucy will always
have. a peculiar tenderness for that
particular child of her BRAIN