Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-12-22

The Peabodys were not rich, but they
were able to have many of the !uxuries
of life. On the wall above Mrs. Pea
body's work table was one of Cazin's
vivid yet delicately ideal interpreta-
tions of nature. Further on was n
small Corot, q brilliant bit of Vibert's
realism, a Landseer, a Gibson girl and
a gay, impossible poster, for Mrs. Pea
body's appreciation was of the all
around kind. Still, there were some
things which Mrs. Peabody wanted
very much which she did not have, and
one of them was a pair of diamond
solitaires. Her ears had been pierced
when she was a child. She never would
have thought of wearing anything less
handsome than fine gems, and the
small, vacant punctures were an ever
present thorn in the rose of her sa~tisfac-
ton Us she viewed herself costumed
and ornamented for the many functions
she was never weary of attending. She
would not have told just how it was
that desiring them SO much she had al
ways missed having them, but so it was.
AS she sat stitching she found herself
wondering if possibly the coveted
solitaires might not be among her
Christmas gifts. She had confided to
an intimate friend, with whom Mr..
Peabody invariably consulted when he
gave her presents, how much she want
ed them. AS she sat sewing and think
ing there came a soft knock at the door
followed by the announcements:
at is just Annie, Mrs. Peabody. It's
about Nora I'm after comm" she said
as she came in. "It's very bad she is,
mum. The doctor says she must have
a operation that costs a dale of money,
have her leg took of or die. Nora says
she will 60 TO Heaven on the two legs Of
her, but won't be livin' wild n stump.
Nora's ~savin's are all gone, and Biddie
Sullivan's too, and all they have now
is Biddic's earnin's. Morals mother,
poor old dame, can do 10 more than take
care Of her. / thought. mum, if you
would see Nora you could be chance in
JUICE her to have her leg cut Off"
Nora had at one time been Mrs. Pea
body's favorite maid, and she did not
hesitate about going to her at once,
although she knew the snow. so beauti-
full as a part of her window picture, was
making a most disagreeable slush on
the streets.
When Mrs. Peabody and Annie
reached the tenement where Nora
lived, and were mounting the stairs, they
heard a strong melodious voice singing
to the strokes and clicks Of n f~latiron
as it was used and placed and replaced
on a metal stand:
BE not courtin' Of woes by lookin' 'em up,
Just work and be merry and drink of your
Not carin' about what tomorrow may
bring;
It's to-day, my luddie. that's havin' its
fling;
What good at all are you IL you're always
a-carin'?
For carin' it is that leads to despairin'."
81 wonder who that philosopher is?'
said Mrs. Peabody.
That's Biddie Sullivan. She's always
a singin' to keep them cheered."
"She is Nora's aunt, isn't she?"
"No, just a friend from the old coun.
try as always lives with them"
"And she supports them?"
eyes, what else could she be dom
under the circumstances"
Mrs. Peabody found Nora not only
very i'll, but wholly determined not tc
have her limb amputated. To all that
she could say Nora persistently de-
clared:
"It's me two legs III be takin' tc
Heaven wild me, mum. I'll never bc
after carrying a stump around wild me-
Don't be too sure" said Biddie Sulli,
van. at may be to the bad place you'll
be taken the two legs Of ye. 1t was only
last Sunday that Father Maloney said,
quotin' the Holy Scriptures: If yer
leg be bad cut it off and cast ii from We,
for it's better to be halted and manned
than havin' two legs all right TO go &c
hell" But it was all to no purpose.
Nora was obdurate.
Mrs. Peabody saw several physicians
and found that nothing but Il difficult
operation which could not be under.
taken for less than $500 could save both
the girls life and limb and she de-
termined if possible to have it per
formed. To hat end she asked her hus-
band if he thought'they could spare $500
to help some one in great need, and he
had replied:
81 think not this year, my dear. ]
never knew more trying times. ] have
even withdrawn my subscription from
the Relief and Aid"
1t was but three days until Christ
mas. The weather was cold, crisp and
fine. Mrs. Peabody had all her gifts
ready and everything seemed TO prom
Use an unusually pleasant holiday sea
son. But a cloud which constantly OBJ
truded itself on Mrs. Peabody was the
thought of the little household where
Nora waited for death, andfbrave, faith
full Biddie Sullivan was at her wash
tub and ironing board, early and late
A. - n ...-1R -. H.