The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-09

Joe Gibson came to measure her for
the coffin.
"What a little mite she looks" he said.
Nobody would say she was Il years old
Well she's well away from the troubles
of this World-it maybe best for you
both"
I'm miss her-she was all that / had
10 care for me-" said Liza plaintively,
She paused moment and added: Her
father left her eco TO lie at interest until
she was lS-but she needs nothing now"
Joe stared at her.
you win get II now?" he suggested.
I'm sure 1 don't know" said the
widow. II never saw the writing"
The joiner reelected rapidly az he meas
ured the little swathed corpse. With or
without SEQ Liza was certainly prize
"SIrs. Dawson, I'm heartily sorry Tor
YOU" he said as he shook hands. nYou
are, as one might say, all alone in the
world now"
ITS trying position for a woman"
said Liza.
For man, too"
mot so much for a mans
Gust near about"
II shouldn't have thought It,
"Take my word, know what 1t is"
"Well, / wouldn't think OF doubling
your word" said the widow, politely.
1T would be better sense for two lone
some folks to keep each other company"
said Gibson.
THAT'S one way of putin It," said
Liza, twisting her apron,
IF you should think of II you might
get worse man than myself" said Glib
son, shutting his note book. Wen see
about that later wouldn't take adyan-
| tage of your first feelings,
Homogeneous as the circumstances OF
the declaration seemed, Liza was well
satisfied. She began 10 persuade herself,
even that nothing she had done had has
tened the death Of the child. She
Strengthened the house furniture, turned
out the cat, which, with strange cries,
| wished to nestle beside Its little friend,
| and put on her hat and shawl. She
| wished to 60 to the minister of her for
| ner parish and arrange for the funeral
| and incidentally to find out something
| about the money. p
Mr.. Marian received the news with
concern and readily promised to OFF,
| ciate. Liza related to his sympathetic
| wife as much of the course of the illness
| as 1t was convenient to make known,
| Without directly mentioning either, she
/ contrived to indicate both her approach
| ing marriage and her need of money
The result was that she left the house
| with the total interest on Maggie's llttlt
inheritance and the promise that the
bond would be Immediately transferred
to her; there was, indeed, no other al.
Tentative.
The minister's wife went to the doc,
with her. 1t was fading daylight will
a clear sky and rising moon. The lady
of the house watched her guest as shI
went sedately down the wide, naked patti
between the laurels.
Suddenly she saw her spin round az
II twisted by some tremendous unseer
force. Her bag flew one way, her UNI
brella another, and she herself. with on
shocking cry, was hurled among tht
laurels
The minister. his wife and the eervan
were on the spot in Il moment Tn
gardener arrived five minutes later
alarmed by that unearthly scream.
Liza was quite dead. She lay hud
died In a heap, and her neck was dislo
Gated.
"Whut an extraordinary fatality
said the minister.
"Oh. look. James," Gasped his wife,
She pointed 10 'Liza's neck. Four pur
pie blotches were distinctly marked oI
It, as II stranglIng hand had graspeC
her-a hand from which the third fngsI
was missing!
That was the end of Liza. The money
which was to pass to her at Maggie.
decease fell to some distant relatives o
her own, and her memory faded out
Only Joe Gibson lamented TO the end o.
his life that he had not married her, In
cumbrance and all, and thus made him
self master Of her shop and heir pre-.
sumptlve Of the child's money.