Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-05-27

slsss No asked, At lent th. I5SSssss
No, It's only ! LITTLE past :. NAthsr.r s
and her dark eyer grew very wntfsil.5
tell me al shout u oncs more. wont
vow. before We nee her! Well never
~ anything about It after that. VIII
W.. father?" 9;s
n The car dragged slowly along. The
cold grew more intense. The spassen-
gers were dividing their time between
;reviling the weathsr. the cond uctor and
the street car company. and listening
toathe only conversation that enlivenad
the downtown trip: But all discom-3
forts and annoyances were unheeded..
~ the man In the rough coat and the.
Slittle girl In gray, for whom the world
held nothing that afternoon except
themselves and the woman who was
to come In at the Polk street depot at
lhalf-past l.,
It's been ten years since I saw Ter. Z 4
he said. You was aSlittle teenty thing
then, only year old. She went away
one night. Feb. IL It was. remember:
that just as we'll an anything. She left
me because didn't know much: be--
cause I was ign,r mt that was what she
told the neigh5ors- know It was
30. because she had often said the same
thing to- me. couldn't write nor even
read. an she ought to have knowed3
better'n to marry me, she said. was.
good to her am kind an tried to make
up for 1t in other ways. but she couldn't
stand my ign'r'nce any longer-that
was what she told the neighborsan'
4 guess it's about right. An ] don't
knows blame 'er much. The neigh
bors did, but never said anything
about 1t. 1t must be pretty hard for
q bright. well-read woman to be tied
to an ugly old man like me. The on
" thing ever blamed 'er for was for
leayin' you, bein' g you was such a
teenty thing. But brought you up.
alone the best / could. amt done bad
by you, have /. Rachel?''
The little girl was crying softly, and
her only answer was to press his
hand, which she held In both her own.
81 never heard from 'er after that.
They went south-7her an the music
teacher who boarded next door at
least, that's what the neighbors said.
About six years ago the blacksmith on
the corner run across 'em one day down
in Florida. But I knowed she'd come
back. Ifelt It in my bones. The day
after she went away commenced to
get ready for 'er. l made UP my mind
she should find things improved when
she come back couldn't make much
change in myself-it's hard work to
teach an old dog new tricks, you know
80 I turned my whole attention to
you. I've tried to bring you up so she.
wouldn't be ashamed of you when she
got back. And she won't be. Any
body'd be proud of you, Rachel. You
knows good deal, don't you, my dear?
You know readin' an writin' an his
try an geography, don't you, Rachel?"
"And algebra" supplemented the lit
tie girl.
Yes, and algebry. An you en- play
an sing, too, can't you, Rachel?"
eyes, and say six words in French =
Her father looked at her In bewil-
derment for moment, as though stu
pefied by the contemplation Of so many
accomplishments. Then: She'll be
proud Of you, Rachel, my girl. "A king
couldn't have brought you up better"
he said, fondly.
The little girl seemed thoughtful.
Father" she said. "do you suppose
mother has thought Of how hard you
have worked, in the house and out Of
1t, and how you have pinched and saved
and worried along, that I might learn?
Do you suppose she will be surprised
at my knowing 80 much? Do you sup
pose she knows how lonesome have
been sometimes without q mother, and
how lonely you have been with nobody
but me to love you? Do you suppose
she knows all we have gone through to-.
gether, father, and do you suppose she
loves us now?''
The man regarded her in a fright
ened manner, as though struggling
with some latent doubt that had been
called into life by the perplexing ques-
ton. But the conflict with suspicion
was brief.
"Of course she does" he said, stout
". Elise why does she come back to
us % T.
"Polk street," called out the con-
ductor. depot two blocks west
The little girl clutched the letter
tightly. They drew their wraps more
closely about them and hurried out Of
the car and toward the depot, where
the. penitent wanderer was to meet
them at 4:30.
Sources OF English Wealth.
What we drink and what we wear
loom largely in the lists of British