Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-04-21
MRS. TIBBITTS.
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BY ANNA SHIELDS.

It when Frank Tibbits, my young
friend and godson. came TO me TO help
him out Of the -scrape with Jones" that
cost him the tidy sum of 5000 beforeit
was adjusted TO Jones satisfaction?
| Or was it when Frank began to get
into difficulties" and ! had to compro-
mise with his various creditors? Or
was it when the sheriff hung a red flag
| from his windows and few to the res
cue of his Lares and Penates?
He was 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 BUSH
ness, to sink all his capital and fail in
his enterprise He had a hopeless fac
ulty for muddling his accounts, letting
his bills run up and his stock run
down, that never saw surpassed by
a man whose whole Intention was
honest.
When he married Laura Haywood /
held up my hands in amazed horror.
Laura Haywood, Of all women, TO take
the place Of active partner 10 one Of the
/ great army Of incapablesl She was the
tiniest woman ever saw-pretty, win
some and gentle, with waving brown
hair, large blue eyes, shy and timid. al
ways yelled by snowy lids and long
brown eyelashes. hands and feet that
might have been stolen from Queen
Nab and a voice that was low. sweet
and slightly plaintive-
When / would call upon Frank to try
TO adjust his many and varied business
complications and he would sit rump-
ling his curly brown hair and gazing
helplessly at me, always found Laura
with her pretty hands clasped over
Franks, her soft blue eyes looking APP
peaIingly into mine and her tender
voice cooling consolation, as il her hus-
band was baby TO be soothed and
petted.
Well, well, so he was--a grown-up
child
But IL she futtered in the sunshine,
the wee. blue-eyed wife, she never com
planned for herself in the storms. For
poor Frank" many tears were shed,
many means made. She sold all her
small finery with cheerful willingness
to give Frank good supper or help TO
pacify an enraged butcher.
Being an old bachelor and wealthy
one. | came TO regard these two as
adopted children and TO make it my
mission to set Frank on his feet as
often as he knocked himself down.
Laura. who was half afraid Of me at
first, with a vague apprehension of the
dreadful things ] might do to annihi-
late Frank il be displeased me. soon
became confiding. and would nod her
pretty head to enforce my prudent adj
vice in a manner bewildering 10 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 ard whis-
per: How good you are to us." with
all the lowing confidence Of a child for
an old uncle or grandfather.
But one dreary. dreary day she sens
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 II
| was you. siri"
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 / would, IL was too late.
Upon the sofa where we had settled so
much momentous business was
stretched the unconscious form Of my
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.
"Sunstrokei" one Of the doctors whis-
pered to me.
..Not 6ead?" said.
"Yesl Can you coax the wife away?
| She does not understand yet"
II was no time for the indulgence Of
my own grief. ! 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, SILVER
ing 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. ] was like father in the
house. so stayed while the doctor gave
me directions and offered 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.
Laura was not III. Young and
strong. she bore up physically. and
I t4rr4 "a 1,a