Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-01-04
THE BOY MARTYR.

YOU hlt So
Georgey Manson said this with a
kind of pleading look up in the face
of his step-mother who waited to see
him in bed.
Don't stand there talking" re-
turned the woman, with cold impat-
fence. "Get into bed, and let me
cover you up. Pm tired and want to
60 to bed myself"
Georgey gave q spring, and was I'M
der the bedclothes in a moment.
His step-mother started out OF the
room.
Don't shut the door mother"
begged the boy, starting up as he
heard the click OF the latch.
"Well, there, what a cowardly
childl" the woman exclaimed, re-
opening the door with a smart push.
Then she went through the next
chamber and disappeared.
Georgey Manson lay thinking OF the
sweet goodnight kisses OF his own
dear mother who had died two years
before, when he was six, and whom he
distinctly remembered. If she was an
angel now, he wondered how she
looked. and if she really did come to
see him, and if she loved his new moth
er.
In about half an hour, he heard his
step-mother return to her chamber,
out OF which his opened.
Mother" he called, "when win
father come from the Continent?"
~ can't tell. In about a month,
maybe. Go to sleep.
Georgey nestled his head upon the
pillow and closed his eyes resolutely.
Mrs. Manson continued walking about
her room for some time, removing
from her bed various articles OF wear
ing apparel and replacing the same in
her wardrobe.
When order was perfectly restored,
she began preparing herself for bed.
One last thing, during her husbands
absence of several weeks was never
omitted. Mr.. Manson had left a con-
siderable sum OF money in her care; it
was in q pocket-book behind the low
er drawer of her bureau, where she
thought no one would think of look
ing. She had no fears Of losing the
money, none at all; and yet she fell
asleep nor readily, if, night by night
she pulled out the drawer and touch
ed the golden deposit.
So tonight, everything else compile.
ted, she went over to her bureau.
She knelt, drew out the drawer, which
she rested on the floor and reached
in beyond. What! she did not feel the
| pocket-book. Yet it surely was there
oh, yes. She said it could not have
been disturbed, and yet the candle
shook IN her hand as she brought il
hurriedly across the chamber. Plac-
ing her light on the floor before the
bureau, she bent low and looked into
the space. The pocket-book was not
there! Spriuging to her feet with a
wild glare, Mrs. Manson dashed into
the room where Georgey lay asleep
and bent over the bed.
"Georgeyi" she cried, with all her
terror in her voice, and shaking the
boy roughly by the shoulder; wake
up this instant and tell me, you little
wretch, what you havedone with that
pocket-book."
"Do you mean papa's money!" re-
turned the child, sitting up suddenly,
with great, staring eyes.
"To be sure | do. What have you
done with it? Where is it?"
81 haven't seen it," answered the
boy, white as death.
"You are deceiving me. I'll whip
you till you tell. How came you to
know anything about my pocket
book" And the angry step-mother
gave Georgey another rude shake, as
ii she intended to dislocate every Joint
in his tender frame.
a." said the boy, crying with pain
and fright saw papa when he gave
it to you-and-and-"
"Oh, you did! What business had
you to dot, or to remember it, if you
did? Well, what else, you miser-
able"
I've seen You look behind the
drawer a good many times to see if it
IA safe" The boy uttered his on
fession with as great trepidation as il
he feared each separate syllable would
prove n terrible witness against him.
$50 you " to knowing where |
kept it? This comes of indulging you
with having your bedroom door open.
Now do you tell me where the money
Is, or III certainly carry you down to
the cellar, and let the awful creature
eat you up"
The boy still protested he knew
nothing what had become OF it. But,
OF course, the woman would not be-
lieve him.
You're n naughty, wicked child"
she cried, giving him O blow on the
side OF the head which felled him to
the pillow, where he lay gasping with
close shut eyes and fingers, and utter
ing every now and then a low, piercing
shrek.
The step mother, shaking all over
with rage and excitement, went again
and made thorough search for the
missing object; but with no success.
She returned to the bedside.
"Georvey, stop your crying, quick.
You'll have something to cry for, ii
you keep or deceiving me. Have you
told anybody where the pocket book
kept? The truth, or I'll whipyou