Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-11-17

HE REFUSED WITH An Awful sSErIt
and through u series of morrows, the
vulgarity Of the process clad itself
in callousness Their very children got
into the habit of saying aloud and fear
lcssly: ANY day we may he rich;" or:
When Uncle Myndlicrst dies we shall
have thousands and thousands Of dol.
lars"
hut the years dragged themselves
along and still Uncle Myndherst did not
die. One day. however, the head of the
Van vcckten firm died. and as there
was no successor OF the name, and us
the two partners were we'll along In
years. the firm underwent dissolution.
This was blow to Martha, for she
feared that her husband would refuse
to seek other employment now that n
certain Iong.dclayed event seemed on
the verge Of happening. and in that case
his mental state would surely not profit
by the change. She was right: he mere
IL said she must get along without any
salary after this. II can't be sd very
long now"
Still il would be very hard 10 get on
without the salary. Martini concluded,
even II only for year or six months
And so In secret she went down to the
old Statc-strect house and begged Van
Dorcn Ia increase the allowance he was
making them. lie refused with an ire.
full snccr lie looked, indeed, the typi-
cal miscr that day. with his bent form
clad in faded, ragged dressing-gown
and the shabbicst OF little black skull
caps on his bald head
Poor Martini went away hcavy-heart-
ed What was 10 he done? The chill.
,lrcn must not be brought up like pau
pcrs. though already they were not
an u social level with other children Of
like parcntagc and position. But soon
there dawned u way out Of the Difficult.
", though scarcely one that might be
said To beam with relief. Old Samuel
suddenly died. and his wife. stricken
by the shock Of his loss. hardly sur
yivcd him q month Van Dorcn was
now quite alone. and ut times marked.
~ feeble. lie consented that Stan.
field and his family should come and
live with him In State street, which
they ut length did To wiring from the
old man money enough for even fru.
gal household wherewithal was hard
work enough; and Us for his consent
that n single yard of new carpeting,
single pint of new paint should repair
In his abode the nugmcnting blemishes
of time. this was an achievement be.
You'd human suasion. Dignity and dis
tinction had Ucen ciphcrs before now
In the Stanficld family circle, but now
they were worse than non-existcnt-
they had been brought to life again In
the sense Of travesty and parody u
rot about that this dismal minage had
been formed, and pitiless jests ensned.
Luckily. Martha heard none Of them.
Perhaps II Stan6eld had heard them he
would not have greatly cared
M;.rthas life had now become q mar.
tyrJom. She blessed the public school
for It's wholesome helping Of her boy
and her girl. They both became far
more her children than their fathers
All that was sweetest 10 the womanly
wisdom and hartlihood OF her character
she layished upon these two Again
aud again she found herself hoping that
the bright, innocent faces Of Alfred and
Gertrude would move the mnlish tenaci-
" Of their great uncle hut no; Van
D0ren dolcd out just 80 much each
week for Expenses" and no more The
meals there In State street were almost
like those In some private prison where
Eve convicts daily assembled ut the.
board Evcrybody's clothes grew rusty
and pathetic The big house, though
kept passably clean. assumed an aspect
Of dingier desuctude
As Tor Stan6eld. his fcaturea.- his
walk. his voice had all notably altered
Though unconscious Of q bis drawn
eounfennnce betrayed look Of constant
mingled WEAKNESS and expectancy. To
his wife he was like = man whom some
sieilihy insanity keeps enslnVint with
subtle ond threatening thraldom- Often