Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-10-03

II do wish, Caleb. you'd stop doing SO.
You won't end till we are both in the
poorhouse, and then you'll be easy!"
IF am to go to the poorhouse for
helping a starving woman and child,
go must, Sarah" said her husband,
quietly.
"And go you will, mark my wordr'
replied Mrs Morton, in fury, shut
ting the house door with a bang that
made severy milkpan and cup and
saucer ring and rattle again.
Ten years passed on. And it began
to look as if Mrs. Morton had only been
too true a prophet when she foretold
ruin for her husband and the aims
house for them both.
In an evil day Caleb Morton signed
note for a poor and struggling
neighbor, who died just as the time of
payment drew near.
Nothing was left except a scanty
provision for the widow and orphans.
Caleb would have starved before claim
do so legally.
Their homestead, already mortgaged,
must go to pay the debt; and he was
ten years older, broken down by hard
work, and beaten down just now by
his wife's tongue, which never ceased
repeating: Didn't tell you sop till
his poor heart was fit to break.
II did wrong. l see it now. I'm
sorry for it. But do not blame me so.
Sarah" he said. sadly. God knows I
meant to do right and to do my best
for you. And I'll go to the city and
see this rich man that holds the note.
He is a lawyer, and they've just made
him governor of the state. He doesn't
need the money and maybe he will
agree to some arrangement SO I can
pay it off by degrees and not sell our
home"
That's the first sensible word you've
said about the business" said Mrs.
Morton.
And she bestirred herself SO effect
ually to get him off at once, that by
ten o'clock the next morning he was
ringing at the door of the beautiful
city mansion in which the new-made
governor had just taken up his resi-
dence.
He was admitted by servant who
was rushing out on an errand in hot
haste.
The household staff was not yet or
ganized. There was no one in the hall
to receive him. He wandered on, won
dering at the tall marble pillars and
the floor of tesseiated marble, till he
came to the Gothic library where the
governor was sitting in company with
his beautiful six-months' bride.
The old man glanced at the rich car
Il
the tall vases. the gilded pictures upon
the walls, through the half-open door.
Then his eyes fell upon a portrait that
hung in the place of honor above the
fireplace, and he stood still.
A sweet, pale. spirituelle face, with
waving, silvery hair brushed back
from the forehead, and a look of peace
full benediction beaming from the large
blue eyes.
"I ought to know her WELL" unused
the old man. '.And / know now-it is
the poor lady who came to our house
one evening with the pretty little
child. 1t looks as if all their troubles
J must be over, If they live in house
like this"
In the library, at the same moment,
. pair of beautiful blue eyes were lift
ed to that portrait, and tears dimmed
their light-tears that the lips of q
lover husband soon kissed away.
eff the picture makes you sad, Lucy,
it must be moved to one of the upper
rooms" said the governor. 81 never
wish to see q cloud upon your face
again."
mo cloud will ever come there
through you. George" replied his
Young wife. 81 am not unhappy when
I look at her, and I like to have the
picture there because it is in this room
that we shall be oftenest together.
was only thinking how sad it was that
she could not have lived to share with
us this beautiful home"
ssYour mother did not care to live
longer, Lucy" said the governor, after
a pause. s'She told me so herself,
after she had found your Uncle Eus-
tace and pc rsuaded him to do justice
| to you be fore he died. She remained
| until she saw You my wife. and knew
how tenderly would care for you.
Then, think, she was really glad to
90. Her heart was in your fathers
grave"
Eyes; and then she suffered so, in
that dreadful time after his death,
when we had no money and no home, /"
replied his wife, with tears in her
voice, though none fell from her eyes.
I..You can never imagine how she was
humiliated and beaten down into the
very dust One nigllt-oh. how well
remember it!-she would certainly
have died II it haA not been for kind