The San Francisco call., 1896-03-22

who came in from the barn and sat down
in the front room.
"You look warm, Marion,' she said
running for fan and lowering about him
anxiously.
ooh, I'm all right" he replied.
"Well, how is everything in Chicago?'
he began, taking up the conversation with
me as though we had not seen each ether
before. How is your mother? Have YOU
seen anything of my people latelyq'
eyes, indeed. I forgot to tell you.
have picture of your little sister," 1 said
and brought it from my trunk.
"Well, well, is that little Harriet? How
the child does grow" His face glowed
for the moment, and then dropping the
picture and resuming his former mood he
said: II hope father is going to get along
all right through these hard times. II
would be bad for man of his age to lose
his hold. He is going to need all of his
money to make him and mother comfort
able in their old age, and to give the girls
advantages"
1t was growing late in the afternoon and
Marion and / sat talking-chietly of the
crop failure and lack of rain although he
tried occasionally to throw off the thought
of that and speak of other matters. But
that one fact was constantly before US. l
forgot all that was interesting in my life
sorbed, too, in this one topic. Gertrude at
last announced supper, which she had
spread in the room where we sat. Her
table was pretty with her wedding gifts of
solid silver and cut glass--but why had
she provided SO little?
This day aud evening were much like
the others that followed during my visit.
When realized how strongly the trouble
had laid hold upon my sister resolved
with desperation that would break the
chain which was weaving itself about her.
With all the reliance upon the Infinite
that lies back of every soul, struggled to
free her; with all the strength I could
summon tried to arouse her to q realiZa-
tion of the danger she was in. There was
a thought in my mind that did not dare
to speak of even to her husband l
quences of SO much anxiety, but
did not tell him of that about
which | thought constantly, and with fear.
He would have the right to INQUIRE why
this had not been told him long before,
when he asked her hand in marriage To
be sure, it would not have mattered to him
then, and he would have said as we did
when we kept it from him, "That will
probably never show itself in this genera
tion.p But now L dared not tell him
dared not even hint it to him-and he
could not see how the strength of his will
was dragging her down.
The time of my visit drew to close,
and, in spite'of all the efforts | had made
to bring some life into their home and
turn the channel of their thoughts, I could
but feel that my going would only intensity
the Loneliness which had been there be-
fore | came. | tried to persuade my sister
to return with me to Chicago, but she
COULD not be induced to leave her husband
in fna hnTna alma cha ~,
with him. We talked over the matter of
their going into the city for few months,
but they could not think of reiinquishing
their land, which they must do il they left
it during the winter. They still had some
little money, and would stay on the farm
and try to save that at least.
With heavy heart went away, back
to my work and my home, but said moth
ing OF this trouble to our mother, except to
ask her if she did not think we could live q
little more economically during the winter
and let me make an investment in the
form of loan of $40 month to Marion.
i had with difficulty persuaded Marion to
receive this amount from me, but his love