Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-12-27

WHAT Is 1T, DAISY
had added luster to Daisy's fuller fig
ure. Both were trusting and beloved
and saw lone but clouds Of gold in the
long vista Of their future.
/ could emily sit and gaze longingiy
and eagerly while the phantom faded
away from my gaze. Another picture
now rose before me.
saw myself clad in a cheerful morn
ing robe. Charles had prospered In
business. gold poured into his Golfers,
and with gold came Fashion, with Am
billion and Pride and a score of demons
In her train. II whispered: e.
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 net your
beauty fade out in the nursery. Your
child will get on well enough In the
nurses care. Live In the world and
, shiae like q queen"
And this Was the beginning Of the
shadow which darkened the picture. l
saw the glitter OF the ball. the splendid
furniture. the silver plate. the gay
eQuipage and the stately apartments.
and amid 1t all through the opened
door Of a neglected nursery I saw a
pale, dragged 4year-old child slowly
dying. The end came. The tiny rose
wood casket ri closed over the fea.
lures OF the child who died OF motherly
neglect. l saw a strong man bend In
1 ncn rt,ISad xriaf ,x-nr hfa .Jnol ~ 40
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 jewe,ed hands In anguish.
A long pause fell between. and then
another. the last, picture fell before me.
l recognized its faithfulness at once.
Ten years interviewed between this pic
ture and the preceding one. l had not
changed a V TO fuller and perfected
beauty. Everything vas az 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.
l shrank from the p%ortraiture with
dismay. But while | sat and gazed in
to the picture glided a 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 in the moonlight.
He had been q 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
swcred. Into the magic picture came a
Ehadowy finger which pointed TO the
paper strewn table Mt which my hus-
band sat. | gaZed and beheld a reveal
ton. and mechanically my eye ran over
every paper be opened. The catalogue
was fearful-a long array Of bills
plate, furniture, statues. jewels. silks,
a long array of which | recognized dis.
tnctly my w agency, and balancing
this catalogue stood q tangled trade,
empty Golfers. with the word Panic"
written as with a pen of fire. While
be sat and unfolded each paper and
laid 1t aside | stole nearer and gazed
upon the one he had just taken. II was
my latest bill. the bill for my ball dress
i made a movement TO snatch il from
him. and the spell was broken.
What Is 1t, Daisy? You asleep here