Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-04-08
-roMnlnp ar ner intrusion.

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he had been called that. "Are-you-
are-you--but you can't be Sarah, y he
stammered. "She has been dead these
many years.
Il am Sarah, she answered. "You
have changed, Maddy.
"Yes-yes. We are apt to-" he re-
piled uneasily. But you look just the
same" He said this to see if she would
account for her presence
1.-The living can only see the dead as
they were in life" she returned. "You
sold the farm, didn't your
Mr.. Janew ay felt as if a reproach lay
in the observation. Eyes, sold the
farm, - he said Il needed the money
to put in other investments. /"
II worked hard on that place, )" she
said, crossing her hands-very rough,
worn hands. II worked hard there those
years tried to save all could, Maddy",
lyon We're good wife, Sarah" he
replied, land both of us had our bur-
dens, guess. 3"
And it was my money that bought
the farm You had nothing when you
came counting me, did you, Maddy?
And you said that my being 80 years
old and you being just of age made no
difference. "
Yes, suppose said that, and I'm
sure / always tried to be good to you, "
he said in answer TO that unspoken re-
proach that seemed 10 lie behind her
unspoken words. Il tried to treat you
we'll. ("
1.-THE money that came to me just be-
fore died from Uncle John must have
been help / left it and the farm to
you, Maddy." Her dull eyes seemed to
force him to acknowledge his debt.
"Yes-yes, Sarah. know that owe
much to you. Without your help and
money l should have had a much harder
time getting on my feet. Yet think l
should have succeeded in any case. "
Mr.. Janeway could not forbear Offering
this tribute to his self esteem. How
ever, | gratefully acknowledge your
aid, Sarah. "
"You have another wife now, Mao
dy, and children" she said but / was
first. believed in you, and worked for
you, oh, so willingly l knew that you
were different from me. | knew that
you had hopes that stupid Sarah could
never understand. l knew that l was
your companion in your work. but not
in your hopes | knew that we were
growing farther apart every year that
we lived together. / knew that while |
was getting to be worked out and mid
die aged you were only coming TO
your prime. l knew that it was best
that died when I did-before / came
to be drag on you. Yet, Maddy, be-
fore her and your children | think you
faithful wife, the wife of your youth,
and gave you all had to give-my
money, my love, my toll. "
Before Mr.. Janeway could answer
she was gone and he sat alone
The next day, however, he took the
old photograph down town and ordered
for it a gorgeous frame. When it was
returned, he hung il in his library
where it looked strangely alien between
st. Cecilia and the Arabian Falconer,
bought at the instigation of the archi-
| tect
Florry, with child's quickness, no
ticed the fine gilt frame that surrounded
the ugly, good face. What have You
done to the LADY," she asked. Aren't
you going TO pack her away, like mani
ma said?"
mo; the picture is TO stay here. Do
you remember who l said it wasp
Yes; it was your first wife. F"
Mr.. Janeway took her on his knee.
"Florry," he began soberly 'when i
was little boy, was very poor, as
poor as the Calls "a family celebrated
in the town for i'll luck and poverty.
II went to school when 1 could, but
that was mighty little, for / had to
work most of the time. Sometimes I'd
get most discouraged, but l had to work
just the same. One year worked for
man named Deering He had daughter,
and when she found how much wanted
to go to school she lent me some money
money she had saved by pinching and
scraping. After awhile her father died,
and she married me. l had nothing,
and she owned good farm, but she
married me. In six years she died and
left everything to me. She gave me my
start. She was good woman and be-
lieved in me when nobody else did. The
other night papa dreamed that he saw
her and talked to her, and it made him
feel ashamed that he had seemed to for
get her -
Mr.. Janeway felt that he was making
a handsome reparation, but he was
man who aimed to do right 1t was
necessary to his self esteem.
The child wriggled from his arms
and walked away, with an awed glance
at the picture.
Mr.. Janeway stared at it musingly.
Are you satisfied now, Sarah?" he
caught himself saying "Pshawl That
dream holds to me still, he exclaimed,
but anyhow I've done her justice. -
And though the architect declared
that the photograph quite spoiled the
effect of the library and begged that it
might be banished to some back room
Mr.. Janeway was firm, and the dull,
good face of his first wife kept its place
between the st. Cecilia and the Arabian
Falconer. CT. cago News.