Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-01-21

lay her out. / had to take my
best shimmy, my wedding one that 1
always saved to put on her. They're
going to send word to the poor over
seer to come and bury her. But I
had to bring the little ones home with
me-just for tonight. The township
will take them tomorrow. Mrs. Burt
says there's where they belong they're
afraid in there in the dark, that S
what makes them cry. L couldn't
leave them alone with their dead
mother, could l, Steve? So 1 thought
just for enc night"
'Let's see them, " said Steve.
The children stopped crying when
Steve and Ide entered the bedroom
and leaned over the trundle-bed.
They blinked at the sudden light, and
the little girl reached out her arms
toward it and laughed.
"Chirp-looking little kids. A boy
and girl, about the age of our two,
amt they?" said Steve, getting down
on his knees so he could see them bet.
ter.
"The boys just the same size our
Tommy was when he died, and the
baby, she's younger than little Ida,
but not much" Ide answered. She
stood behind Steve and her face was
drawn and gray. She had been SO
happy in her dream of keeping the
little waits. The awakening was bit.
ter; it was like second bereavement.
But they were so poor, and only
Steve's one arm to keep starvation
from the door, and now he had failed
to get work on the mill.
'It's going to make it pretty hard
for you, Ide. They'll make some
work; but maybe they'll be some com.
pany for you," said Steve. "We
can't do as we'll by them as some
could, but they haven't been brought
up in the lap of luxury, reckon.
They won't need much for a while, so
L guess we'll manage to get along. ]
got job to-day husking corn over at
Squire York's. L can do that pretty
well by usin' my teeth, even if have
only one hand. There's always some
thing, if mans willing to take what
he can get. Yes, We'll manage it
somehow"
"What do you mean, Steve?" cried
Ide, shaking all over. 1--WE can't
keep them we're too poor. They'll
have to go on the township-we're too
poor.
"We're poor, but they are poorer"
said Steve. ''There aren't many folks
in the world poor enough for us to
help much, [ guess; but here's our
chance. Poor folks must help each
other. If these were rich peoples
kids the rich would be ready to take
care of them. And the township
makes cold mother. | was left on
the township myself, and I'd rather
have a child of mine 'dead-and they
are dead, aren't they? There, don't
cry, Ide. didn't mean to make you
cry, my poor girl. 1 thought when I
saw you had dressed them up in our
little ones clothes, of course you
would want to keep them in place of
your own. You do want them, too,
don't you'll There, there, don't cry
so! If you wanted them so bad, Ide,
why didn't you say SOP"
But Ide could only try to put her
arms around him and the little girl on
his breast and the boy on his knee all
Mt once, and cry: "Oh, Steve-oh,
Steve!"
The storm ragged outside; the wind
and the rain joined hands, and the
roar of the tempest filled the darkness.
The forest creaked and groaned, and
great trees were twisted out like
flower stalks. The house rocked and
trembled, and the driving rain beat in
and lay on the floor in creeks and
puddles. But the fury of the storm
passed unheedcd Peace and happi.
ness reigned undisturbed under the
leaky roof of the house on the hill.
Independent.