The Penn's Grove record., 1894-09-07
I6det tue covers Of the bed her s0a

1ndef tue covers OF the bed her son
bad used. Then she stole into the
room, and softly lifted the sleeper's
battered clothing and shoes from a
chair near the bed, and bore them
back to her room.
She looked at them aghast; they
we're beyond repair. For twenty min
ntes she sat ~helplessly looking at the
heap Of rags, unable to think.
All at once her breast heayed. She
arose, and going to the box in the
corner, took out the suit Of clothes
she had shown her neighbor the day
before.
"It 'ud be a shame to low i'm to
20 away in them rags" she MUIR
INJURED softly; and all at once she
buried her rigid face in the clothing,
and held it there for a silent moment.
BESIDE, lobe lowed, If he never
came back, to give 'em to some fell
!er as needed 'em; an yet l wish't l
might a kept m, TO look at once in
l while"
She measured the two suits to-
yether; she put the soleless shoes
against the bottoms Of the high-heeled
boots, and was satisfied with the
measurement. Then she folded the
ragged clothes up in bundle and put
them behind some rubbish in a corner.
Taking the other suit and the
boots, she placed them noiselessly
upon the chair near the strangers
bed, and softly withdrew, About
three hours later the guest put his
head cautiously out of his Dom and
caught her eye.
81 can't find my Clothes" he said.
81 left t'others for YER" she said.
huskily and she coughed a little behind
her hand. "Yore'n was bout played
put. Yore welcome to 'em-I recken
they'll ft yer"
When he came out wearing the
suit, and she looked up suddenly and
saw him standing near the water, she
fell to shaking so violently that the
pan she held fell to the floor. She
stopped to pick it up, and without
giving him another glance quickly
left the room.
When the young man stood in the
door, Laid and the Sheriff rode up to
the gate and called him to them.
They had come to restore the money
that had been taken from him, and
to tell him that a man had been ar.
rested in the next county with Broad.
enex's money in his possession, and
that the man had confessed the crime.
The young man took the money.
That's the money your boy sent
YER" he said to Ladd. SAN now II
think I'll go. I've been away from
my folks fer three year, an l amt
thought much about home, but some.
how I've got the strongest hankerin'
to see my nanny | ever had in my
life. Good-by. Tell your wife Pm
much obliged fer FER kindness. u
know how she feels, an won't bother
bout tellin' Ter farwell."
Ladd tried to speak, but could not,
He walked on down the road by the
young mans side to a stree where his
favorite mare was tied. There were
tears in his eyes, and his feature,
were softer than they had been since
childhood.
"Hold on" he said. He put hi.
hand upon the neck of the mare, and
looked appealingly into his compan
IONS face. "Fer heavens sake don't
refuse what I'm agwine to ak YER
he began. 81 blieve, on my soul, III
die If yer do? You've forty mile tel
go-I want ter give you my mare, feI
yo' ter keep for good. I've packed
some victuals in the saddle bags
Don't refuse me-,
81 cayn't take yore boss, man.
said the other. ''You needn't feel
ike I'm agwine to harbor any ill-will
agin yer. l amt that sort"
eyer must take 'er!" groaned the
farmer. II cayn't take no refusal. "
The young man looked into the
streaming old eyes for a moment, then
he said:
SAIL right, sence yer insist on it.
I think l see what's botherin' yer, an
if 1 kin hep yer, I'm willin'."
Laid watched the horseman ride
away. When he was almost out OF
sight down the long road, Ladd
turned and found his wife at his side.
Her face was as hard in expression as
a statues. But she showed surprise
when she noticed the tears in her
husbands eyes, and his TRANSPORTED
visage. She looked away in the sun.
shine after the departing horse and
rider. Then her face lighted up with
sudden eagerness.
sDid you give IN Betty, Jacob?'
( she asked.
He nodded.
She wavered an instant, then she
threw her arms around him, and with
her white head on his breast, burst
into tears.