Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-05-10
house, while his mother, a rosy, pleas

house, while his mother, a rosy, pleas
ant elderly woman, sat opposite him.
They had been talking of Elvina.
Certainly, my boy" she said. bring
the poor little girl home, and I'll look
after her. She has had hard life,
poor child, and I'll do my best to make
her happy for the time she has to live;
but all this will cause dreadful lot of
talk, Abe. 1 wish you could have got
her from that brute in some other
way"
81 wish I could have, mother" said
Abe. as he kissed her. God bless you,
dear, for standing by me in this. Even
If there is talk, you and know we are
doing the right thing, don't WEI"
1t was late in the raw, chilly after
noon when Abe drove up to Won Itit-
ters cottage with the stove and fuel In
his wagon. Garry came slOuching out
and proceeded to unload the'wagon. 1t
did not take him very long, and at last
he walked into the cottage. Abe fol-
lowed him. In the wretched, fireless
room u girl was sitting, her lap full of
crimson bittersweet berries. Abe re-
membcred, us lie looked at them, how
they used to search for them together
in the glen when they were children.
She had twined some in her hair, and
the ruddiness of the berries made her
pale face look CHASTITY by contrast.
Abe walked over to her side. "viney,"
he whispered. will you come with
Abc! She looked at him gravely,
then slipped her thin hand into his,
just as she used to years ago, and rose
obediently, while he wrapped his moth
er's warm shawl about her.
Garry grinned US he watched them
walking to the wagon, the little cripple
and his slim. white-faccd girl wife.
"rherell be scandal sure" he said,
with u laugh, and turned and went into
the house, and then added: I'm glad
ter be rid of those starin' eyes o.
hers"
AS they drove along the darkening
road and the air got colder and damp
er Elvna coughed and then sank back
exhausted. There was little stain of
blood on her blue lips. Abe dropped
his head to hide the tears in his eyes.
God" he prayed, "let her live q
little while, just long enough to know
that we aren't all brutes in this world;
jus long enough, Lord, to know little
happiness! Her life has been so sadn
Garry and Mrs. Hawkins were right
there was q scandal-and Mrs. Haw-
kins's and Abe's motives were mis-
construed, and they were much cen
sured by the people in the village.
"The idea," they said, "of buyin' a
mans wife for Il stovc!"
1t was the fifth day after Abe had
taken Elvinu from her cheerless home
that the people of the village reached
such Il state of Indignation at "the
Hawkins's goln's-on" that they decided
to speak to Mrs. Hawkins and express
their disapproval. Accordingly that
evening Il deputation of five citizens
knocked ut the Hawkinses kitchen
door. Receiving no response, they
walked in. Mrs. Hawkins sat crying
and the doctor stood beside her.
II did all could, Mrs. Hawkins" he
was saying. "She was too worn out
and too starved to last any longer. If
she had been attended to in time her
life might have been prolonged, but
she was consumptive, poor child"
The five citizens stood abashed. Abe
entered the room with white, set face
and trembling limbs.
Il suppose you people have come to
make me send Elvina back to that
brute?" he said, glancing at them.
'She won't be starved or frozen or
beaten any more. She is dead.ss, Per-
haps you would like to see-hcry' i
They followed him silently into
little bedroom, and there on the bed,
with u few bitterswect berries ON her
breast, her vacant blue eyes closed
and happy, child-nke smile on her
white face, lay all that remained of
poor Elvina Won Ritter.
She looked very, very young and
gazed ut her so pityingly now had ever
seen her look during the nineteen years
of her young life-years so full of mis-
cry. pain and sorrow. They looked at
her gravely for moment, and then
softly left the room.
Mrs. Hawkins followed them. "She
died ramblin' along about old school
times, and at last she said, Abe, help
me up the rock There is lot of bitter
sweet CROWN there and she put her
poor hanu INTO Abes and closed her
blue staring eyes and died. She thought
she was child again. : COR dear, she
wasn't much morethan one. Only nine
teen. It's better that she should die,
but Abe will feel it terribly.
In the little room the cripple was
kneeling beside the bed holding Elvi-
mas hand in his. "Oh, God" he
sobbed, 81 thank thee that her suffer-
ing is over and that Thou did'st let her
die with friendly faces round her."
Then he kissed her pale forehead and
whispered, you'll never know how
much loved you, little sweethcart."-
New York Mail and Express.
Destructibllity OF Human Bones.
Human bones are not 50 non-destruct-
ible us many persons suppose. The