The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-25
The Family Gold Piece.
From the New York Evening Post
Four PartS.)


Four PartS)
PART II.
The girl looked at her critically. fon
are such an ideal wife for poor man.
1 know you have had that hat three years
and your dress has been made over Twice,
hut YOU are Just too beautiful and serene
/ always feel it an honor to go out with
you; it's like walking with royalty.
II was nearly dark when Lenore returned
to find Herbert clamoring for his goid
money" which he had missed from the
table She recked her brains valhy 10
remember whether she had put II IN hef
pocket-book before leaving the house; sne
was almost sure that sne had, but II was
not there now. There was panic Oh
questions and answers, and Lenore hur-
ried off to question Alice, who was certain
that she had taken the money with her
before. The two women hastily retracei
their steps to the few shops where they
had made purchases, but without avail
Then Alice bade her friend adieu, and Le-
more returned home alone.
| She went TO her own room to regain her
usual calm. 1t was strange to think tnat
the fortune was gone, that it could not De
| found anywhere-the poor little fortune
which represented all the dreams and am
! bitions of early life, but back of this loss
there was something which had been
haunting her all the afternoon; those words
! of Alice, that she was ''an ideal wife Tor
| q moor man" a poor mani Was her has
| hand that? The words grated on her con-
sc:ousness roughly. They had seemed so
| rich in youth IN hope, in love!
| Her eyes roved about the room with It's
worn furnishings, and saw as plainly the
rest of the house, her husbands attire,
! his hair touched with gray, his face WIFE
/ its lines of care, their scanty provision TOT
| the future, their young children, meanIy
clothed, clamorous for opportunities Yes,
she was the wife Of a poor man-and proud
to be it! She rose unconsciously with the
| thought and stretched her arms upward.
what are you advert!sing?" asked her
husbands voice behind her.
| Happiness she cried, and flung her
arms around him.
john Ferguson was usually quiet man,
who allowed his family to do the talking
for him, but that evening he was almost
| CAV. HIS fancy pursued the recalc:trant
| eoId-piece TO hidden and unexpected re-
cesses. and brought it forth TO be spent on
! an endless list, OF absurd articles, enrapt-
uring to the children; but ne went up stairs
| afterward when Lenore was rocking little
Arthur to sleep in the dimly-ighted nurs-
| ery. and dropped down wearily in the chair
beside her.
He watched her as she bent over the
| child, softly grooming to it, the droop OF her
head ard the curve of her body instinct
with the enfolding, protecting mother-love.
| When John Ferguson looked at his wife
| WITH her baby in her arms he felt as If in
| the very presence of the beauty OF holi-
ness, and yet the sight quickened not only
| his spiritual but his earthly love OF her.
She was too divine for him to come near,
but she was infinitely dear, and his own.
As Lenore Smith, she had been a fairly
| pretty girl, but Lenore Ferguson was a
beautiful woman. She looked a goddess
and her poor surroundings, and she was
so simply UNCONSCIOUS of it. He had fond
ly dreamed Of buying her silks and laces
scme day: they had been so sure of wealth
as their ultimate portion. but now
She laid the child gently down in the
crib. and then came back to him.
Sweet mother he said, taking her soft
hand in his. $50 the family gold-p:ece Is
gone; I wish it had bought something fol
you before it vanished"
'Oh, we shall have plenty without it, BY
and by she smiled, encouragingly.
Shall we?'' He shook his head Per
haps, All our illusions are vanishing. Since
the old firm dissolved 1 can't get a situation
anywhere, in spite of all that were prom
ised me. There may be a chance away of
in Montana if Herkimer succeeds, bu
most of the chances are for young men
I think He glanced at her apologetic
ally. 81 am afraid, Lenore, that am grow
ing Old
"And 1 am quite sure that 1 am" sh'
, retorted. quickly.
Sometimes 1 feel as if I had done yol
a wrong by marrying you'll seem to b.
such failure; think of all you might hav'
had but for me-
For an answer she laughed softly an
kissed him.
You are the dearest, the bravest, tn
most successful of men," she said. "Wha
more do / want than / have? I am tn
, riches. woman in the whole world"
Lenore often wondered afterwards tha
: she was not really depressed or unhapp.
IN the toll and struggle of the dark day
that fcllowed-days best left unchron:cleo
From the abounding spring of love in he
heart she drew glad vitality. They ha
to move soon from their little house 20
! third-rate fat. and John remained out o
a situation, but she had such intense fat
. / in her husband that, no matter how de
spondent he came home at night, she sen
him forth bright-panopEed with hope i
the morning.