The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-09-01

AoAiy hiiiiiok tOlIdTS ITOm MS Invest
ments in western mines and real estate,
proposes to erect a magnificent house
on Gaynor hill"
Martha looked at the title of the pa
per, and read, The Louisborough Ga
zette.
ITS the town where father lived be-
lore he and mother were married. lam
sure that this Justin d. Gye and the
man who signed his name to that note
are the same. And he is worth a mil
lion dollars!"
She took her scissors and cut out the
lines she had read. Then she got an old
atlas and looked up the city of Louis
borough.
1T must be a long distance from
here" she said. with a sigh. IF it were
only nearer. l DO believe IG 60 and re-
mind Mr.. Gye of his promise to pay
and ask him if he thought it had been
'outlawed in the sight of God"
All day she pondered over what she
hao read. Toward evening she had to go
down to one of the village stores. She
was passing a railroad station when an
ioea suggested itself to her.
I'll go and ask the agent if he can
tell me how far it is to Louisborough.
and how much it will cost to go there"
The information she received was
twenty-five dollars.
And that is every dollar we have in
the world" said Martha. I'll have to
/ give it up"
But the more she thought about it.
the less willing she felt to give il up. On
the morning of the third day she said
to her sister:
Ann. Go you think that you and the
little boys could get along without me
for two or three days and nights if |
got Jane Lewis. the seamstess. to come
in and stay nights with you?"
I'd rather have her than anyone
else. But where are you going, Mar
tha?"
I'm going to a place called Louis
borough on a matter of business" said
Martha. with IN air of Importance.
She would have liked to keep her
going a secret, but this vas impossible
in a little town like Osborne. BY the
time she was ready to start the entire
village knew where she was going and
with what purpose. The general opin-
ion was that it was a fools errand,"
but Martha was not to be moved.
1t took her a day and a night to go
to Louisborough. She had never been
in such a large city, and the hurry and
hustle confused her. Some n in Os-
borne had told her to ask a policeman
how to find Mr.. eyes house, and when
she saw a blue-coated officer at one end
of the station platform, she went up to
him and said:
Can you tell me where Mr.. Justin D.
Gye lives?'
He lives three or four miles from
here, miss, but his place of business
isn't more than five minutes walk"
81 don't think thai l want to go to
his house. 1 want to see him
business"
"Then you'd better go to his office.
Go right up this street until you come
to K street. Half a block down that
you'll come to a big marble front build
ing. You'll find MIR. eyes office in hat
building. Take the elevator, and the
elevator boy will show you just where
it is"
Martha's timid, forlorn appearance
appealed to this big guardian of the
law, and moved him to be thus explicit.
It was well for Martha that she did
not hear him say a s she moved away:
"What can she want with old eye?
If she's on a begging errand. she'd bet
ter save her breath"
Martha easily found the marble
building, and her heart began to 1utter
a little when she saw a shining brass
plate at the side of the doors, with the
name Justin ID. Gye" on it in black let
tiers. Below the plate she read:
Rooms "a and &C."
She did not take the elevator, but
climbed the marble stairway, and at
the head of the first flight she found
rooms "a and 90, with MI. eyes name
on both doors.
An almost irresistible impulse to flee
from the place and take the first train
for Osborne seized Martha. The very
atmosphere of the place chilled and de-
pressed her. It's marble splendor made
her realize her shabby appearance. Her
dusty, worn old shoes looked out Of
place on the marble floor. The cheap
ness of her black skirt, her worn jack
ct and faded straw hat impressed itself
upon her. Her ungloved hand trembled
as she laid it on the shining brass door
In the room she entered. half a dozen
clerks were at their desks, and there
were other clerks in a room beyond. |
A boy in livery came forward and asked
her whom she wanted to see.
mr.. Gye," replied Martha.
Hes busy,"was the reply.
Il could wait" said Martha.
Have you a card to send in y"
NO" replied Martha, with a blush.
You'll have to send in your name
MY name is Martha Coombs."
The boy motioned toward three or
four chairs near the door.
You can sit down and wait, and I'll
take in your name when Mr.. eyes pres
emit caller goes"
Martha waited an hour and q halt,
which time she regained her
lie ..,ccaccior Other narenn. xrL2 L