Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-09-28


or 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 / can
count did he start in some small bust
ness to sink all his capital and fail
IN his enterprise. He had hopeless
faculty for muddling his accounts, let
ting his bills run up and his stock run
down, that never saw surpassed by a
man whose whole intention was hon
est
When he married Laura Haywood l
held up my hands in amazed horror.
the place Of active partner to one Of
the great army of incapables! She was
the tiniest woman / ever saw-pretty,
winsome and gentle, with waving
brown hair, large, blue eyes, shy and
fimid, always yelled by snowy lids and
long, brown eyelashes. hands and feet
that might have been stolen from
Queen Nab, and voice that was low,
sweet and slightly plaintive.
When / would call upon Frank to
try to 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 if
her husband was baby to be soothed
and petted.
Well, we'll, so he was-a grown-up
child!
They were q pair of babies, and
should have gone to housekeeping in
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
a storm.
They lived upon hope and a touch
Ing faith in good times to come. To
see them when Frank had just started
In some new business that was to make
his fortune, and they invested in some
utterly useless finery, was a sight to
make the prudent shudder She had
no more idea of economy than a but
terf1y. and her housekeeping was only
to be compared to that of Dora Copper
field.
But If she fiuttered 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 finery with cheerful willing
ness to give Frank a good supper or
help to pacify an enraged butcher.
Being an old bachelor and a wealthy
one, / came to regard these two as
adopted children, and to make it 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 vague apprehension of the
dreadful things | might do to annihil-
ate Frank if he displeased me, soon
became confiding, and would nod her
pretty head TO enforce my prudent ad-
wise in a manner bewildering to see.
She learned that my most severe lee
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 u.s."
with all the loving confidence of a child
for an old uncle o. grandfather.
J But one dreary. dreary day she sent
for me by boy, who said:
There's something awful the matter
at % E street, sir, and the lady
says please come as soon as you can.
She's all white and shivering, sir, and
couldn't hardly speak. I'd hurry up if
/ was you, STRIP
Shivering! / looked at the street.
scorched and dusty in the blazing Au-
gust sun, and seized my hat. Some
thing awful! 1t must be worse than
usual or Laura would have written one
of her dainty little notes.
Hurry as l would, ! was too late
Upon the sofa where we had settled so
much momentous business was stretch
ed the unconscious form of nv dear
godson, his face rigid and white, his
kindly eyes closed, his merry smile
gone forever. Two physicians were
gravely watching him, and Laura hung
over him, fearless, mute, utterly hor-
ror-stricken.
"Sunstroke!' one Of the doctors
whispered to me.
mot dead?" / said
Eyes! Can you coax the wife away ?
She does not understand yet
1t was no time for the indulgence
of my own grief. l gently touched
Laura's trembling hand.
my dear" said, softly.
No word answered me, though my
touch had broken the spell holding her.
One look into my face, one long, shiv-
ering moan, and she dropped at my
feet in a dead faint. There was no
relative to call in, no woman near and
dear, to the stricken widow, only the
sobbing servant girl. l was like a
father in the house, so l stayed while
the doctor gave me directions and Of
fered service in other than professional
capacity.
1t is useless to dwell upon the sad
days that followed. Too many such
scenes are familiar to all to need de-
scription.
T anna woo not al Voupp and