The broad ax., 1897-10-23

was 1t when Frank began to get "intt
difficulties" and / had to sompromis'
with his various creditors: Or was Il
when the sheriff hung a red flag from
his windows and few to the rescue
OF his Lares and Penates?
He was a good fellow, honest. frank
cheerful and industrious. with no more
OF the get-along ability than a six
months baby. More times than I can
count did he start in some small bust
ness to sink all his capital and fail
In his enterprise. He had a hopeless
faculty for muddling his accounts. let
ting his bills run up and his stock run
down, that l never saw surpassed by a
nan whose whole intention was hon
est.
When he married Laura Haywood /
held up my hands in amazed horror.
Laura Haywood, of all women, to take
the place Of active partner to one Of
he great army of incapables! She was
the tiniest woman l ever saw-pretty,
Sinsome and gentle, with waving
brown hair, large, blue eyes, shy and
timid, always yelled by snowy lids and
long, brown eyelashes, hands and feet
that might have been stolen from
Queen Nab. and q voice that was low,
sweet Ind slightly plaintive.
When / would call upon Frank to
try 70 adjust his many and varied bust
ness complications and he would sit
rumpling his curly brown hair. and gaz-
Ing helplessly at me, ] always found
Laura with her pretty hands clasped
over Franks. her soft, blue eyes look
ing appealingly into mine. and her
tender voice cooling consolation. as IL
her husband was baby to be soothed
and petted
Well, well. SO he was-a grown-up
child!
They were a pair OF babies, and
should have gone to housekeeping in
a big nursery. with a dolls tea set
and candy and cake enough for a per-
petual feast. Sunshine was their ma
tive element, and they covered under
4 storm.
They lived upon hope and a touch
ing faith in good times to come. To
zee them when Frank had just started
In some new business that was to make
his fortune, and they invested IN some
utterly useless inery, was sight to
make the prudent shudder. She had
no more idea OF economy than a but
.erfly, and her housekeeping was only
to be compared to that of Dora Copper
field.
But II she fluttered in the sunshine
the wee. blue-eyed wife, she never
complained for herself in the storms.
For poor Frank" many tears were
shed. many means made. She sold all |
her small nnery with cheerful willing
ness to give Frank a good supper or
help 70 pscify an enraged butcher.
Being an old bachelor and a wealthy
one, / came to regard these two as
adopted children, and to make II NV
mission" to set Frank on his feet as
often as he Knocked himself down
Laura, who was half afraid of me at
first, with a vague apprehension OF the
dreadful things l might do to aunihiI-
ate Frank II he displeased me, soon
became conhding, and would nod her
pretty head to enforce my prudent ad-
wise in a manner bewildering to see.
She learned that my most severe Iec-
ture was followed by some removal of
the last difficulty, and would nestle
her tiny white hands in mine and
whisper, How good you are to usr'
with all the loving confidence of a child
Tor an old uncle or grandfather
But one dreary, dreary day she sent
'or me by a boy, who said:
There's something awful the matter
It % E. street, sir, and the lady
'ays please come as soon as Won can
She's all white and shivering. sir, and
,opldn't hardly speak. I'd hurry up n
was you. sir"
Shivering! looked at the street
and dusty In the blazing An
Just sun, and seized my hat. Some
hing awful! II must be worse than
lsual or Laura would have written one
" her dainty little notes.
Hurry as I would. I was too late
Upon the sofa where We had settled so
much momentous business was stretch
d the unconscious form of nv dear
,odson, his face rigid and white. his
indy eyes closed, his merry smile
'one forever. Two physicians were
ravely watching him, and Laura hung
ryer him, fearless. mute. utterly hor-
or-stricken.
''Sunstroke" one Of the doctors
whispered to me.
mot dead?" said.
'Yesi Can you coax the wife away? /.
he does not understand yet"
1t was no time for the indulgence
Z my own grief. / gently touched /
.aura's trembling hand.
MY DEAR" / said, softly. (
No word answered me, though nv !
ouch had broken the spell holding her.
me look into my face, one long, shiv-
ring moan. and she dropped at my s
eet in q dead faint. There was no !
elative u call in. no woman near and
ear to the stricken widow, only the
obbing servant girl. I was like a !
lther in the house, so I stayed while
be doctor gave me directions and Of {
red service in other than professional ,