The Red Cloud chief., 1901-08-23

orphaned children were sit
ting around the kitchen
stove, trying, as Martha. the eldest.
said, to look the situation in the
face"
Martha was sixteen years old: Ann,
the next Oldest. was fourteen: then
therc were three little boys-Jerry.
Lcander and Horace.
Their mother had been dead three
years. and their father had been an
inyalid for two years. He had Mt
one time been n fairly prosperous man,
hut not within the memory Of his chill.
dren, and he had eve said much
about his 'better days"
The people In The town where the
Coombses lived wondered vaguely
what in the world those children
would do now" and Martha had lain
awake nights trying to solve the same
problem. Her mind was made up 10
one %thlng-they would all stick to-
gcther."
The house Of four rooms, In which
they lived. was their own. and Martha
tad exactly twenty-five dollars in the
world.
The day after Mr.. COMBS funeral
was raw and dull. One of the neigh
bors had made Martha promise to
come to her house for dinner. and
bring all Of the other children with
her.
Everybody has been so kind" said
Martha to her sister aud brothers.
She had In her lap some papers that
she had taken from the tin box IN
which her father had kept them FOL
years. Most of them were yellow
with age. and some Of them fell apart
ut the creases when they were II IN
folded. . Some had seals. and were
clearly legal papers; others seemed
ia be old notes and bills. and there
were a good many business letters.
As Mr.. Combs had Told Martha tina
none Of the papers were OF any value
aud had advised her Il burn them
she now removed u lid OF the kitchen
stove and began to drop them, one b!
one. on The Goals. She had burned
most Of them, when she picked M 4;
folded paper. On the back of whicl
was written in her fathers hand
This man l trusted above all others
and my loss Of confidence in hin
grleves me more than the loss OF TIL
money he should have paid me. Blu
on what l know to be my deatli-bed
forgive Justin Gye all the loss ant
sorrow he has caused me-"
IF ,ther could never hold n grudg
against any one said Martha to hei
self, as she unfOlded the paper. Sh
spread the document out on her knc,
1t was a promissory note for five tho,
sand dollars. signed by Justin ID. Gy,
IL had no indorser, and Mr.. Coomf
had written In red ink across the fac
of 1t this single word. "Outlawed.'
Martha looked ut the date of I'll
bote. 1t was thirty years old.
II wonder who this Justin ID. Gy
was. and | wonder what 'outlawe'
means,' said Martha. I'm going
ask Mr.. Marston about IL when we 9
owe there to dinner. and 1 am goir
TO keep this note. because. when
think of 1t, 1 don't believe there
another line of poor fathers han
writing in the house"
Mr.. Marston told Martha that Il
word 'outlawed' written on the no,
mean that the money due could L
he collected by law. and that II no
was worthless after a certain numb
OF years.
If your fGther has written %,
iawed' on the note, II IL of no valu,
concluded Mr.. Marston.
But n promise to pay ought 10
good at any time" said Martha.
''It ought TO he. but unfortunately
isn't good In the written law. 7
moral law is another matter" ::
Mr., Marston.
When Martha went back home
took the note from The drawer
which she had placed II. and II
it again. A'fcw minutes later
busted herself with some kitcl
duties. Her pantry shelves Nee
clean papers on them. Martha
moved the things from the shel'
and took several papers from a bun
Mrs. Marston had given her. She
cutting a strip from II newspal
when her eye fell on this paraguay
Mr.. Justin ID. Gye, who has wit
the past Ave years realized n fort
Of fully a million dollars from his
vestments In Western mines and
estate, proposes 10 erect a magniti'
house OF Gaynor Hill."
Martha looked nj The title Of