The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-06-03

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head in assent-and the story" went
on to say that, 'swhile he would not
lose his leg, yet the officer would be
crippled for life," etc. But what Marie
wanted to know was where the hurt
man was to be found, and this the
newspaper story failed to tell beyond
the fact that he had been taken to
hospital
Marie sighed and puckered her white
forehead into a frown, while she
thought of "way," and then at the
next corner she climbed off the car and
waited for policeman. She asked him
if he knew where Officer William
Smith, who was hurt by a cable Car
that morning, had been taken, but the
policeman did not know anything about
the accident, and he did not know Off
Ger William Smith, and, being gruf
fellow and tired of the mud and other
disagreeable things which follow
rainy day, he added he "didn't care.
Marie was also tired, and it was pass
her dinner time, but she went ON until
she found another wearer of the star,
and to him she put the same query re-
garding Officer Smith This time she
was given the desired information, and
she boarded another car, with heart
which held in it determined purpose.
The next morning she went to work
as usual, but when it was time to re-
turn home she asked her employer for a
"day off, )" and because of the unusual
request readily secured permission to be
away the whole of the next day. That
night when Marie reached home she
carried somewhere next to her innocent
heart crisp, new 81 bill, and this she
placed inside of her worn little pocket
book.
Yes, she meant to do it-she meant
to buy some flowers and some fruit and
take them to her "hero," and that
night she did not feel SO lonely as she
had done when she remembered that
her mother was lying in the grave far
from her own sunny France, for new
interest had taken possession of her, and
new purpose had been evolved in her
brain through sense of justice. She
carefully brushed the pretty brown hair
the next morning and tackled a little
fresh lace in her collar and mended a
very small hole in her best gloves be-
fore putting them on, and then. when
she was quite neat and very, very
sweet, she went forth in search of flow
ers. She bought single pink rose and
few ferns and half dozen white car
nations, and then she bought tiny
basket of pinkish green grapes, and she
was ready to find the hospital.
1t was a long ride, but not very
long walk, and finally Marie, with her
heart fluttering like bird in its cage,
found herself in the presence of the
man who but yesterday was strong and
well, but who today was as helpless as
an infant. His eyes did not shrink
when Marie stood beside his narrow
cot, but looked at her with the same
kindly light which they had worn when
she stood beside him at that fatal cross
ing, and there was strange sweetness
in the thought which came to Marie
that at least he did not hate her for the
misery she had brought upon him.
She began to say in a hesitating fash
ion how sorry she was for the accident,
but, as was said, she was brave in what
she considered her duty, and presently
she grew calm and, with only the en-
couragement of the kindly eyes, went
on and confessed that she meant to do
conduct, and that she chad begun by
bringing him some flowers and bit of
fruit. :" The big officer held out his
hand to the little woman, and without
any hesitancy she placed hers in it, and
kind of compact was thus sealed
He said in gentle way he "Nas glad
he saved her life, +" and when she had
promised to come again and had gone
the flowers were laid against the mus
tached lips, and there was feeling in
the big heart for the little woman that
was very tender and very sweet.
Well, of course the little woman came
again, and of course the big policeman
was glad to see her, and as the days
went on the old story was again new
for these two people, who had been SO
near to death together, and when the
blessed day came that Officer William
Smith was released from the hospital
almost well and not so very lame, either,
it was understood that there was to be
wedding, by which Miss Marie Denton
was to become Mrs. Officer William
Smith" And, sure enough, the we'd
ding came off in due time, and the big
policeman's chief was present, besides
many of his brother policemen, and
among the gifts was a gold medal,
which was bestowed on the groom in a
neat speech by the chief and which
bore the inscription, For bravery"
and there is pretty little home in one
OF the quieter streets which bears upon
its simple brass door plate the name
Smith" but at which nobody thinks
~of asking for the big policeman for all
that. He has rival pretty, pink
checked, round, rollicking baby, which
the neighbors, as well as the silly par
ents, call the little policeman, !" and
which looks enough like the big police
man to be called "a chip Oh the old
block. Rosa Pearle in Chicago Trib-
une.
Japanese Looms.
According to reliable statistics, there
were in Japan in 1896 949, 1913 looms in
operation. distributed among $50. 4O8