Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-12-05
THE BUTTONS STORY

floor. A little white gloved hand pick
ed me up and held me close and slyly
dropped me into silk lined pocket.
Il saw him lose it." heard pretty
woman's voice murmur. Il know It Is
Mr.. Mortimer's"
That night went home, not to gen.
tleman's room, but to a fair lady's.
All alone in this room with me, she
took me from her pocket and kissed
me.
Never was l so surprised, but | soon
found it was not for my own sake.
Il know you do not love me now,
! Mortimer" she whispered; "but you
have worn this, and | 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.
was not sorry that l had been lost
from the officers coat.
Indeed / detested him now, for, from
what this lovely creature said to me.
1t was plain that he had made love TO
! her and at last Tilted her for some one
who had more money.
made up my mind, of course. that
| 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 l saw
nothing of the fine dolngs.
When she had gone, her little sister
| came into the room one day, spied me
and carried me off. After that / was
/ for long time a dolls watch. / 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
J park. 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 ungloved. Upon
1t gllttered her wedding ring and its
diamond keeper
She looked at her watch.
He is late" she said. Then she
blushed rosy red and whispered. "No.
he comes"
looked. Through the leafy shadows
of the park came my first owner, Nor
timer.
They walked up and down together.
often their feet touched me. l 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 voice how it would have cried
QUIT
But. alas, would she have listened to
me when she was 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. | knew some
thing terrible was about TO happen. At
| last one morning Mortimer came to the
| rendezvous.
Now, instead of her light tread. came
the rapid footballs of an angry man.
! l saw for a moment face had not
seen since Roses wedding day = the
brown bearded face of her husband.
An oath rang upon the air. | heard
the report of a pistol; then Mortimer
fell across me. dead. and his llfeblood
dripped over my furnished gliding.
After that came a crowd. a hustle,
men in the uniform of the police.
The body was carried away. The
rain washed the blood from the pave
ment. Still | remained wedged 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; was a 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. fad
I ed and withered rose indeed
Then her eyes-dying eyes, knew
caught sight Of me.
She put her finger under the crevice