The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-12-05

kiss the children for me. / wish them,
when they are old enough, to read this de.
Tense of myself and to know that their faith
er, who loved them dearly, died an innocent
man. My good brother will take care of You
for my sake. lh,ye done.
'sRoDERIcK WEsTEIFIEID."
Mrs. Westertield took up the cipher once
more. She looked at 1t as If it was a living
thing that detied her.
IF ! am ever able to read this gibberish,"
she decided, Il know what I'll do with the
diamonds!'
4.-I1ie darret.
One year exactly after the fatal day OF tho
trial Mrs. Westertield, secluded in the sanct-
uary of her bedroom, celebrated her release
from the obligation of wearing widows
weeds.
The conventional gradations in the out
ward expression of grief which lead from
black clothing to gray formed no part of this
afflicted lady's system of mourning. She
laid her best blue walking dress, and her new
bonnet to match, OF the bed and admired
them to her hearts content. Her discarded
| garments were left on the floor. ''Thank
heaven, I've done with you!" she said, and
| kicked her rusty mourning out Of the way as
she advanced to the fireplace to ring the bell.
Where is my little boy?" she asked, when
the andlady entered the room.
He's down with mt in the kitchen, lna'am;
I'm teaching him to make q plum cake for
himself. He's so happy! hope you don't
want him just now?'
Not the least in the world. l want you
to take care of him while l am away. BY
tile bye, where's Syd?"
The eldest child (the girl) had been christ
ened Sydney, in compliment to one of her
4 ~tt,~~ HD--p n ttx IN,o ,r,,n ,.,~r ,,-H
liked by her mother-who had shortened it
to Sgd. by way of leaving as little of It as
possible. With u look Mt Mrs. West
which expressed i%ll-concealed aveis.o.., :
landlady answered: ''She's up in the lum-
Mr-room, poor child. She says you sent her
there to be out of the way"
"-Ah, to be sure, so | did"
s'There's no fireplace in the garnet, ma'am.
Pm afraid the little girl must be cold and
lonely"
1t was useless to plead for Syd-Mrs. West
erfield was not listening. Her attention was
absorbed by her own plump and pretty hands.
She took a tiny nile from her dressing-tabIe,
and put q few finishing touches to her nails.
'SSend me some hot water" she said;sI want
TO dress"
The servant girl who carried the hot water
upstairs was new to the ways of the house.
After having waited on Mrs. Westertield, she
had been instructed by the kind-hearted
landlady to go on to the top floor. You will
find q pretty little girl in the garrett, all by
herself. Say you are to bring her down to
my room as soon as her mamma has gone
OUT
Mrs. Westertield's habitual neglect Of her
eldest child was known to every person in
the house. Even the new servant had heart
. - Il k,rnrta Ia. Mat sl,n ,,,, 49, n-n.
ing the garnet door, she stopped on the
threshold and looked in.
TIE lumber in the room consisted of two
rotten old trunks, a broken chair, and a dirty
volume OF sermons of the old-fashioned
quarto size. The grimy ceiling, slanting
downward to Il cracked window, was stain.
ed with rain that had found its way through
the ROOF. The faded wallpaper, loosened
by damp. was torn away in ONE places and
bulged loose in others. There were holes in
the Skirting-board, and from one of them
peeped the brightly timid eyes OF the child's
one living companion in the galret-a mouse,
feeding on crumbs which she had saved from
her breakfast.
Sgd looked up when the mouse darted
back into its hole, Oh the opening of the dOos.
Lizzie! Lizzie" she said, graveiy, syou
ought to nave come in without making q
NOISE. You have frightened away my young.
est child"
The good-natured servant burst out laugh
Ing. Have You got Il large family, miss?'
t she inquired, humoring the joke.
Sgd failed 10 see the joke. Only two
more she answered, a, gravciy as ever-and
lifted up from the floor two miserable dolls,
reduced to the last extremity of dirt and di-
t lapidation. My two eldest" this strange
/, child resumed, setting up the dolls against
one of the empty trunks. THE eldest is a
: girl, and her name is Sgd. The other is a
: boy, untidy in his clothes. rs YOU see. Theil
kind mamma forgives them when they are
naughty, and buys ponies for them to ride
8 on, and always has something nice for then
to eat when they are hungry. Have you go'
q kind mamma Lizzie. And are you very
fond Of herr
Those innocent illusions to the neglec
u which was the one sad experience of Syd''
young life touched the servants heart. 4
r bygone time was present to her memory
when she, too. had been left without Il play
fellow to keep her company or n fire to warn
d her, and had not endured it patiently.
"Oh, my dear" she SAID, your poor litt!'
: arms are red with cold. Come to me, and lie
l me rub Them
y But Syd's bright Imagination was 4 bette
protection against the cold than all the rub
bling that the hands of 4 merciful womal
could offer. You are very kind, Lizzie,
o she answered. II don't feel the cold whrl
q | am playing with my children. | am yer
u careful to give them plenty of exercise. W
|, are going to walk in the park"
= She gave a hand to each of the dolls, an
Q walked slowly round and round the misel
able room, pointing out visionary persons G
. distinction, and objects of interest. Here
the queen. my dears. in her giltcoach dlaw
. by six horses. DO yon see her scepter poi
II ing ont of the carriage Window: She 20,
{ erDs the nation with that. Bow to the queer
- And now look at the beautiful bright waite
- There's the island where the ducks liv,
Ducks are happy creatures. They have the
W way In everything, and they're good I
eat when they're dead. AT least they use
'e to be good when we had nice dinners
y papa's time. l try to amuse the poor littl
70 things, Lizzie. Their papa is dead. II
% obliged to be papa and mamma to them, bot
s. in one. Do you feel the cold, my dears?
20 She shivered as she questioned her imagin'
ry children. Now we are at home again,
10 she said, and led the dolls to the empty fir
place. Roaring fires always in my house,
G. cried the resolute little creature, rubbing il,
II cold hands cheerfuIly before the bleak, blan
10 CRATE.
. Warm-hearted Lizzie could control hcrse
in no longer.
IS '.lf the child would only make some cor
e, plaint,' she burst out, lit wouldn't be
" dreadful! Oh, what u shame! what
20 shame! J" She cried, to the establishment
" little Sgd. Come down, my dear, to I'll
III nice warm room where your brother is. O
your mother?? l don't care il your moth,
- sees us; [ should like to give your mother
piece OF my mind. There! | don't mean
'c frighten you; Pm one of your bad children
| fly into a passion. You carry the dolls, a,
re I'll carry you. Oh, how she sEivered! Gil,
us q kiss
~ Sympathy which expressed Itself in tt:
S, way was new to Sgd. Her eyes opened wiz
1 in childish wonderland suddenly clost
C. again In childish terror when her good frien
IS. the servant, passed Mrs. Westerield's do
lis OIL the way downstairs. IF mamma bounc
no out on MS" she whispered, pretend we dor
,n see her." The nice, warm room receive
en- them in safety. Under no stress of circm
ne stances had Mrs. Westeriicld ever been know
IT, to dress herself In n hurry. A good hal
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