Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-13

think that Joe had failed again. SO 1
said that he had sent me some money,
Just what he happened to have at hand
and would send them back what Dor
rowed right away. ] borrowed 40, ana
had nearly five OF my own. thought
that would be enough-but my home Is IN
Maine"
Just then the baby stirred, and she took
him. The red was coming again In A
slow tide over the little neck and cheeks.
awoke to the sense that the car had
grown very hot while she was talking,
and the copper glare WIS already pouring
In on the eastern side. and a dreary las
stude had usurped the place OF whatever
cheerfulness had been born Of the night.
The child queted again, and she went
! on:
II had to come first-c'ass TO Chicago,
for father came with me to New York,
and was by me when / bought my ticket,
and did not want him to think but what
Joe had sent me plenty. He had been
gone over two years. Maybe i should
have borrowed more for the baby's sake
| but / had expected to come second-class
| all the way, and Joe seemed so anxious
She drew a much-ingered letter from
| her pocket, and scanned its crinkled
pages. II must have been frightful night
| so to unloose her heart, but it was better
for her, even II she would not let me
! help her. except by listening.
Whenever read this letter." she eaid,
presently, II feel as II had done right,
so far as could know. But II will almost
! kill Joe to know how things have been
Won't you read that last part, and see
what you Think She handed me the
| letter, eagerly. 81
But are you not better judge than l
Of what he meant" / demurred.
| Il don't know. You would see II from
| the outside, some way, as I cannot And
feel as IL / had perhaps judged hur-
rIedly of what was right. and now i am
blind to all but my baby"
| took the letter and read where she
| pointed. II ran:
"And now. dearie. you must come at
once. This country isn't much to look at
close by, but the mountains, such as you
never saw out East. are all around u.s.;
! you viii like II, and i will like II when
! have you again, dear But. now. about
coming. ! hate terribly, sweetheart. TO
| speak OF money matters, when you are
! coming to me after 80 long a time, but
| | must. and you are a sensible little wo-
| man and would want me to do what is
best for both OF us. l know. Now. pay at
! tention. Mamie. In the first place-now,
don't be disappointed-I have not alto
| gether made a home for you yet, though
otherwise / am ready: but I am anxious
| TO do so. and want TO save all 1 can to-
wards 1t. IL / send away any money
now 1t is going to cripple me badly but
/ can't wait for you any longer, so you
must borrow the money Of your father.
or course, I'll pay as soon as ] can.
IF you will come at once as I bid you
| to, you will be here in three weeks. O
Mamie It will be good to have you with
/ me again, some one TO tell my troubles
TO. / can just see those big eyes of yours
| getting round and serious over my trials
| until | have to laugh myself. You'll be
n comfort, for i am having lots Of
trouble, and am horribly in debt Mamie,
and it's half killing me. You see. with
you and the boy depending on me now,
| feel as II 1t was an injustice for me to
| be saddled with these debts. And then.
/ too, fellow can't look the world square
I in the face IL he owes d lot, and for
your sake and the boys. Mamie l must
| do that. / am pinchng at every corner
that possibly can. pet, but when you are
here 1t will be easier.
Now, don't let anything that l have
| said make you feel bad or make you
scrimp on the journey expenses. Mamie.
/ couldn't think of that: I'll do the
scrimplng myself. Borrow all you like.
| I'll pay it coon. Now, don't write, but
| telegraph, dear, when you start. | am
working hard. hard. hard TO pay those
| debts, and need you To kiss and rest me.
! There isn't anything more to say, guess,
| dear. only Come JOE.
"Of course. Mamie. when l say borrow
! all You like, l don't mean you 10 be in
any way extrayagant. JOE"
The date was within three weeks truly
| she had come at oncel
! / could say little. had no faith in
the writer Of that letter; IT seemed to
me half maudiin and wholly heartless
| | did look at it from the outside, as she
had said, and yet could see how utterly
| Irresistible 1t would be to one like her
who loved him innocently, blind to
the almost deliberate cruelty of ii. She
| knew that II hurt and troubled her. but
| then Joe was troubled, and that was a
sufficient explanation Of that to her.
She had been watching my face as j
read. and when i had finished she spoke
| 1T once:
Don't you see, he would never have
put that last about my not borrowing
any more than I needed In If he hadn't
really wanted me TO come just as cheaply
| as | possibly could? And you. Of course.
/ don't know how terribly Joe feels being
/ in debit almost kills him. lie never
would have said word. but don't you
think it would have surprised him IL l
had come in the Putnam
/ felt that she was arguing against
some shadow In my face.
You did quite right; you could not
know the circumstances" / replied.
She was silent for a while. and then
grew suddenly attentive to the child.
''He is getting all hot again. she ex-
claimed, and the desperate look of terror
renewed burned up into her eyes.
1T Is getting much warmer | ex-
planned, soothingly, but that was not the
cause Of the rising color. and | knew
IL. though the thermometer certainly did
stand near a hundred. even then.
Ill.
Outside the sand hamed red between
the wavering hills, and very demon
Of a wind beat ceaselesaly In al the omen
windows, near which the miserable
mothers gasped, while the children hung
upon them in sick wretchedness, or
fought feebly along the greasy aisle
oh. there is no use trying 10 tell the
utter misery OF 1t all. The baby grew
constantly worse. until ii seemed as
though 1t must die from the very ex-
haustion OF the delirium. She would not
go to the Pullman even now; she could
not understand the good IL would do, or
might do But at Barstow doctor got
on who told her that the child would die
in an hour If she didn't.
Half-crazed with her first realization OF
the true condition OF the boy, she let US
make the necessary change in her ticket
without resistance. and in the cooler.
queter atmosphere the baby slowly grew
less frantic.
1t was when we left Barstow, and
we were due in Mojaye at 8. All the
afternoon the doctor sat and held the lit
tie weakening body. while the mother
sat before him leaning forward. looking,
IoolxiuV her thin hands clpnClei hard