The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1901-12-06
THE BUTTONS STORY

VSD
the coat CT a naval officer; very badly
sewed, for at a ball in the midst Of a
waltz l came off and. rolled on the
floor. A little white gloved hand pick
ed me up and held me close and slyly
dropped me into a silk lined pocket.
IL saw him lose it," l heard a pretty
wonen's voice murmur. 81 know it is
Mr.. Mortimer's."
That night I went home, not to a gen.
tleman's room, but to a fair lady's.
All alone in this room with LSe, she
took me from her pocket and kissed
me.
Never was I so surprised. but l soon
found it was not for my own sake.
II know you do not love me now,
Mortimer" she whispered; "but you
have worn this, and l will keep it,"
She kissed me again and strung me
upon a little blue silk ribbon and tied
me about her white throat.
All night | lay against her soft heart
and felt it beat
l was not sorry that l had been lost
from the officers coat.
Indeed I detested him now, for, from
what this lovely creature said to me,
it was plain that he had made love to
her and ut last Tilted her for some one
who had more money.
made up my mind, Of course, that l
should be worn about the young lady's
neck forever, but l reckoned without
my host.
Youth Is youth.
Pretty soon the young lady ceased to
talk so much about Mortimer.
Another gentleman had come upon
the carpet. Soon she was engaged"
On that evening l was hastily cram
med into a box and heartlessly left
there. Rose was married and went
Upon her bridal trip, and unless the lid
Of the box happened to be up I saw
Lothing of the flhe doings.
When she had gone, her little sister
came into the one day. spied me
and carried me off. After that l was
for a long time a dolls watch. l hung
upon gold thread about a china neck
and was carried all about the house,
upstairs and down, even out into the
street sometimes.
At last-my destiny has ever hung
upon a thread-that gold twist snapped
in two, and l rolled into a space be-
tween the paving stones.
There l lay deserted, forlorn and
dirty, my gliding fast going and no
one even taking any notice of me.
1t was the pavement outside a little
park, a quiet, aristocratic place. La
dies dressed in velvet and costly silk
swept past.
One day my lady came there, she
who had worn me on her heart so long.
She walked slowly up and down.
One white hand was unSloved. Upon
1t glittered her wedding ring and it's
diamond keeper.
She looked at her watch.
HE Is late" she said. Then she
blushed rosy red and whispered, mo.
he comes"
l looked. Through the lcafy shadows
of the park came my first owner. Nor
timer.
They walked up and down together.
Often their feet touched me. | could
not hear what they said, but l saw
how she looked. 1t was enough for
me.
Again had the poor gilt button but
had a voice how it would have cried
out!
But, alas. would she have listened to
me when she vas needless of the mute
appeal Of the wedding ring upon her
finger? l fear not. Often and often
after that they met there. 1t was
springtime when they first came. In
the autumn. when the leaves had rus
tied from the trees and carpeted the
ground. they came there still. Now
she often wept and he sometimes
spoke almost angrily. I knew some
thing terrible was about to happen, At
last n morning Mortimer came to the
rendezvous.
Now. instead of her light tread, came
the rapid footballs of an angry man.
! saw for a moment Il face J. had not
seen since Roses wedding day the
brown bearded face of her husband. .
An oath rang upon the air. l heard
the report of a pistol; then Mortimer
fell across me, dead. and his lifeblood
tGipped over my furnished gliding.
After that came q crowd. q hustle,
men in the uniform CT the police.
The body was carried away. The
rain washed the blo;Al from the pave
ment. Still remained wedyed in my !
nook, and on my breast one dry drop of !
that hearts blood.
Years swept by. There was no gild- |
ing left upon me; l vas Il bit Of rusted
metal, nothing more.
One day a miserable creature stag
gered through the park. Her clothes
were mere shreds and tatters. Her
face was miserably thin. Save for two .
tapping slippers. her feet were bare.
She put her skeleton arms upon the
cold stones and laid her head upon
them.
Here he died." she said. "Mortimer.
MOrtimer!!"
And knew Roses voice. Oh, q fad
o6 and wiflorod roco ip1ooI1 |