Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-12-20
WHAT Is IT, DAIsYp"

ndu Huupu luSlcT 10 DdlSy lulleT ny
ure Both were trusting and beloved
and saw none but clouds of gold in the
long vista of their future.
l could only sit and gaze longingly
and eagerly while the phantom faded
away from my gaze. Another picture
now rose before me.
saw myself clad In cheerful morn
Ing robe. Charles had prospered in
business. gold poured into his Golfers,
and with gold came Fashion. with Am
bition and Pride and a score of demons
In her train. 1t whispered
You are young and you are beauti-
full. In the great world you would be
an acknowledged queen. Put your
husbands wealth To use. Let not your
beauty fade out I'm the nursery. Your
child will get OH well enough in the
nurses care Live In the world and
shine like queen"
And this was the beginning OF the
shadow which darkened the picture.
saw the glitter of the ball, the splendid
furniture, the silver plate, the gay
equipage and the stately apartments,
and amid it all through the opened
door of a neglected nursery | saw a
pale, drugged 4-year-old child slowly
dying The end came. The tiny rose
wood casket was closed over the fea-
lures of the child who died OF motherly
neglect. ! saw strong man bend In
convulsed grief over his dead boy and
then go out silently and growing
graver day by day, turn to his business
again. | heard frantic bursts of grief
from the stricken mothers mouth and
clasped my jeweled hands in anguish.
A long pause fell between, and then
another the last, picture fell before me.
l recognized It's faithfulness at once.
Ten years interviewed between this pic
ture and the preceding one. had not
changed save to fuller and perfected
beauty. Everything was as plain as
day - the magnificent furnishings OF
the home. with Persian carpets, costly
tables. bronze and marble statues and
china and silver wares, and through
these walls moved, a cold and beauti.
| full woman of ice.
| shrank from the portraiture with
| dismay. But while sat and gazed in
| to the picture gIided pale. careworn
man wearing the same expression
had often seen upon my husbands
| face. How changed he looked from the
| hopeful manly Charles Gordon who
had stood before me i'm the moonlight!
He had been a grave and silent man
ever since his boy died. but there was
now some fresh trouble eating away
his life.
What has brought this about"
asked
In a moment my question was an.
swercd Into the magic picture came a
shadowy finger which pointed TO the
paper strewn table at which my hus
band sat gazed and beheld a reveal
ton. and mechanically my eye ran over
every paper he opened. The catalogu,
was fearful-a long array Of bills
| plate. furniture. statues. jewels, silks
long array OF which ] recognized dis
tinctly my own agency. and balancing
this catalogue stood n tangled trade
empty Golfers. with the word "Panic?
written as with pen Of fire. While
he sat and unfolded each paper an,
laid II aside stole nearer and gazeC
upon the one he had just taken. 1t wai
MY latest bill. the bill for my ball dress
made a movement TO snatch II from
him, and the spell was broken.
"What is IL. Daisy? You asleep her,
and dreamlngw ! started aud 10 lind
myself seated In the great velvet chaiI
and my husband standing beside me.
did / fall asleep? | must. But you
Charles, you have not slept said