The Portland daily press., 1895-07-13

| gave MIN no answer beyond staring az
him through his faltering speech.
"Well, amt foolP' he heard her
remark to herself, as he hurried away.
Though he had the money. he was q
wretched man. 1t humiliated him to
take Lizzie's hard earnings. Worse than
all, there was the insurance money. For
years Gus had kept his life insured.
The thought that if anything happened
to him Lizzie would have little sum
to help her face the wolf had comforted
him In many hard experience. Now
it would be impossible for him to raise
enough by tomorrow to make the pay
nent. "Oh. well, nothing is going to
happen to me-" said Gus, "and I'm
bound to stick to 130S."
He was impressed by the different ap-
pearance of the Office when he went to
pay his note Dismally quiet were the
rooms which had been SO thronged. The
few men lounging about read the bull
letin boards and talked in an under
tone, with frowns and significant mods
/ and Fittings of the eyebrows. While Gus
stood waiting for his receipt and absent
| ly gazing out of the window the num-
ber of signs ssTo Lett and 'sFor SaIen
which met his eye made his heart
shrink. At that moment il he could
have got $1l2 tprinoipal and interest)
out of the hands of the atYable Young
| man with the diamond pin he would
| have abandoned 1903 and fed. But the
day Of grace was past.
| He went down the marble stems into
| the street The first object to greet him
| was notice of sheriff s sale tackled on
to an unfinished building. Yes, the
bomb had burst. Like an echo Of his
thought a tumult of noises rose behind
| him. Yells of ''Take earer' .sLook
| outr' pierced the clatter of the wheels
| and the mad gallop of hoofs. But he
never saw the peril-ths heavy wagon,
the frenzied horses and pallid driver.
They were on him before he could turn
his head. The Mortified people closed, in
the wake of the runaway, !, over tram
| pied heap of clothes, pulled from under
| the wreck Of a wagon. Sometaing like
dripping red blotch, with black circle
| jammed over it, meantsa mans head
under his hat. The driver lin,ped up
presently. His first inquiry after his
horses having been gratified hy the sight
of them, with heads hanging, knees
trembling and standing in oowed
fashion at a little distance, he be-
thought him Of the heap. Was he hurt
| much?
| "Neok broke; that's all. "
| Gus, feebly creeping out Of roaring
blackness into the light and the sense Of
real sounds, heard every word. They
were like hammer blows. Life is sweet
even to the wretched, but it was not Of
life Gus thought; it was of Lizzie and
the children and the insurance policy
which would lapse tomorrow They
heard him try to whisper. It was a
naine-"Mrs. Grows, secondhand wo-
man." That was the reason for Mrs.
Groves presence at the hospital half an
hour later. Wooden as ever, she stalled
up to the cot and seated herself The dony
tor and nurse were too much startled by
| her inexplieable height when she sat
down to notice any change in her face.
The patient was unconscious. he had
not spoken since he pronounced her
name. Mrs. Grove, in her emstionless
voice, told them to sepd for his wife
and children 'rIn carriage; I'll pay, ="
said She, She indicated Gus with her
thumb, looking the doctor ii the eye,
"Goin to die?'
A voice from the bed answered her,
"Yes, Mrs Crewa''
II didn't ask you" ssid Mrs Grove.
"You don't know nothin about ie -
| "But am. I've been mistaken hoth
times I conEadidted you hsfore, he
tried to smile with his bFoissa, stiff
lips. ''but I sin't now. Mrs. Grove
Lisaie--ths bsst wffs"--
"Give him some Brandy" said Mrs.
Grove.
He gulped She brandy eagerly. His
eyes implored her Bsfere he had strength
enough to say: They won't havy nosn-
ing. Will you-give meA-enough mon
ey to pay the life insurance. It's due
tomorrow. I'll give you 1903" Mrs.
Grove was sitting bolt upright, ss one
would expect Of Mrs. Grove. q hsnd
spread on either knee She lifted these
hands to pull her hat down over her
eyes, and she frowned. Then she push.
i Contfnued on Twalfth Page