The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-03-24
What She and Her Doiiies Did to Stay
Desperate Hand.

What She and Her Doi,ies Did to Stay .
Desperate Hand.
She was Just n wee girl, with curly
brown hair and great black eyes that
had a quantity solemn look sometimes
and then again sparkled with a CLEAN
that her most ardent admirers were
forced to admit was not entirely cher
ubic, but her heart was big with the
mother love that has managed some
how to save half of MS from perdition at
one time or another.
When the brown-thatched mead
dropped sleepily upon the pillow nights
there was always an exciting scurry
down stairs, because every last n of
the collection of dolls that Uttered the
house all the way from the reception
hall to the back cellar stairs had to be
hunted up and laid carefully on the bed
with its disheveled companions in an
impressive row where a small arm
could reach out and encircle them low
ingly before the black eyes would close
in content
One night the big chap, whose mission
it was to swear softly when he stepped
on a doll in the hallway, and then in a
fit of remorse go straight down town
and buy a larger and handsomer one,
STAYED in his Office until very late.
When he did come home at last he went
straight to his room, and as he turned
up the gas the look on his face seemed
to reflect the color of the leaden clouds
that were swiftly whipped like torn
banners across the night sky by the III
tumn gale. He took from his overcoat
pocket n little oblong box that ratified
DULY as he laid it down and then
looked at himself queerly in the mir
ror.
$50 this is the end of it ALL" he said
grimly. "Tve struggled hard enough,
God knows. but the tide has been too
strong. The world has no use for a
beaten man. 1t takes pains to see that
he never gets on his feet again, and
they'll be better off here without me-"
He walked to a closet, and one hand
fumbled along the shelf until it closed
upon the ivory handle of a revolver,
which he brought to his dressing-case
and opened the box of cartridges he
had taken from the pocket of his over
coat He pushed n cartridge into the
chamber of the pistol and then paused
abruptly.
Little dirl, little dirl," walled n pit
eous voice.
! The big chap laid down the revolver
beside the cartridge-box. He stood ir-
resolute for n moment and then strobe
!, to the nur.ery door.
/ What is it, sweetheart" he asked,
| unsteadily.
: The brown-haired baby was sitting
, up in bed and the black eyes were wet
with tears.
She reached out 9th arms despair
ingly and sobbed again:
Little dirl. Little dirl."
"Ah, | see; family a little short to
, night. Ell? Never mind, baby, papa
: will find the little lady Inc escort hei
back to her own fircside," and by the
half light of the night lamp he groped
t about the room until under n chair ii
D one corner he found Il particularly
ragged and disreputable rubber doll
This he brought gravely and laid be
: side it's companions on the bed. 1t wa:
2 clasped enthusiastically to a soft littl,
r breast.
( MY family all heah," murmured tn,
quivering lips. and presently the long
lashes came down upon the teal we
cheeks and the little maid slept bliss
D fully.
The big chap stared hard at her for /;
minute and then BEN down and kissed
: the small, flushed face r~cverently.
4 When he went back To his room he re
placed the ivory handled revolver Oh
; the closet shelf and, opening a window
/, threw "a full box Of cartridges into TIL,
/ street.-Grand RAPIDS Democrat