The Washington times., 1894-10-23
D 8 s S6rt6d.

DOTS tuttl.
Her chimney blackened the soft morning
air as early as any intown; her wash luttered
white under the apple boughs long before
breakfast-that is, long before Elphalets
breakfast.
Eliphalet kept store. He preferred keep
ing store to farming because he could sit
down more.
In the store it was all in the way of busi-
ness. His customers sat down on every avail
able object-the counter, the sugar barrel,
the cracker box even the cask OF molasses,
but not on that last until the counter and
other things were full.
The house was over the store. The stairs
connecting the two came down in the end
where the store was, and when a customer
came in who wanted not seat, but service,
Mr.. Eliphalet Johnson would tip back his
chair little farther, open the stair door and
say, "Mariar'
Then Mrs johnson would hurry down and
attend to the customer. Mrs. Johnson had
good head in a seryile sort OF way and usually
kept the accounts. This she did after the
store was closed and the children were IN
bed.
But in spite of all her efforts Eliphalet got
into difficulties. lie never fully explained to
her what these difficulties were, but they were
such rs induced him to transfer the family
bank account and business liabilities TO her
name
This, he explained, with a lofty compre-
hensiveness, was merely matter of form and
quite essential for the safety of the children.
And, Maria, he added, seeking to bring
the conversation to a more comprehensive
level, there's a lady over at Clark S, Miss
| Burton who wants to board in private
family, and | told her she could come here. |
knew the spare room was suitable, and one or
more less wouldn't make any difference TO
you" -
sIp,,E Z For tbis
mer, ;" urged Maria. ''She'd be such help
preservin' with the baby"
''Well, don't want your mother, said he,
mot by a long chalk. And this lady Is TO
paw Il day right along. and you re to bank
it in your namd-here S the BOOK.
Maria took the book and looked at it.
Eight hundred dollars was set down already
to her credit.
why, Liphalet, whered you get this?"
| she exclaimed.
sold the river lot" he answered. and
! tipped back in his chair to its farthest look
at her with narrowed eyes from under the rim
| of his hat
A dull red color rose on Mrs. JohnSon's
/ faded face
THAT was my lot she said slowly. ''dy
| father gave it to me before he died. and
/ never meant to have had it sold in the world.
You don't know nothin about business
and never will, " said EliphaIet "But now
! you pay tention to this and see if you can
understand it,
Here's the deeds of this house. store and
all, and all the furniture and stock, ali in
your name. Now, the reason of it is that
| I've got creditors who might clean me out ut
any time. but if l can tide over this year I'll
| get over it all right.
For this year the hull propertys in your
name, and none of my creditors can touch it.
! See? As to that lot, 'twasn't no more yours
/ than this bOnEA the farm-LlpV all
! come from your father-but when you mar
ried me it made 'em mine. and IL ought to.
/ "A man supports the family. He's got to
! hold the property. But for this year it's in
! your name"
The wear passed slowly. Mrs. johnson
! grew to understand somewhat of the value of
Z her position and 10 do more and more OF the
! business.
In truth, though she never owned to her
4 most intimate friend that " Liphalet
/ drinkedi' this sad fact was now becoming
/ painfully apparent.
/ Much had Mrs. Johnson suffered in the fiji
/ teen years of her laborious marriage. She
had worked on the average fifteen hours
/ day and lost much sleep besides. She had
/ put into the family all its real estate. and
! really kept the store.
She had borne and reared four children and
! lost two. and out OF all this she had learned
nothing until what she thought the last straw
]
was the lady boarder.
Ii Mr.. Johnson had dreamed of that worthy
woman's real position, he would never have
] placed his conservative spare chamber at her
disposal.
But he did not suspect and never learned
until it was too late.
She was lawyer, and in spite of the abso.
lutte prohibition of all brain work for three
months she had brought with her few little
calf-bOund books from force OF habit.
II SO chanced that Mrs. johnson. in the in
vigorating freshness OF new acquaintances,
was led to read somewhat in the penal and
civil codes of her native State.
Moreover, the boarder, moved by strong
sense of human kindness to this struggling
woman and seeing the responsibilities of life
with wider reach, urged upon her new view
of her duties to her children and the world
Wherefore it came to pass that when Eli
phalet walked up one morning very late in
deed. after little heavier drinking than was
usual to him. and called vainly. with quite
advanced profanity, for his faithful wife, he
found her not in attendance.
Somewhat sobered by surprise, he arose
and searched the house.
No wife, no child. no boarder
And a little later. to his incredulous horror
and amazement he discovered that the house
and store. stock, furniture, and farm had
been sold over his head, and the proceeds
had disappeared with his wife.
She left him letter. however. in which it
was set forth that if he gave up drinking and
became a sef-supporting citizen she would
gladly receive him again as husband-on
her own terms.
In the meantime she would allow him $50
month. to be paid to him personally on ap-
plication to her lawyer, whose address she
incosed.
For herself she had gone into business in
dependently and should do we'll by the chill
dren.
Eliphalet read the letter repeatedly.
The name of the lawyer confused MIN.
Elizabeth, said he. Elizabeth Burton!
Great Scottl''
Then the deserted husband took up the
burden of life.
1t made new man OF him.-San Fran
cisco Call.